Total Rewards Strategies
This year, we will continue our focus on total rewards strategies, building on our comprehensive strategic plan to increase compensation. People Excellence—in partnership with WTW—and our Academic Affairs team have engaged in a university-wide staff compensation study and a concurrent internal faculty compensation review. Following these in-depth compensation analyses, we are engaging in a variety of strategies to support employees, including a new investment to our salary base of $14 million toward faculty and staff salaries. This investment in our workforce was a priority in the FY26 budget development process.
This year, employees will see a mix of new and existing strategies. Specifically, many faculty and staff will see salary increases as a result of the important compensation work. These increases, combined with other benefits—including administrative leave for outstanding staff performance and updated compensation practices for faculty through promotion and tenure and comprehensive periodic evaluation—are all part of our efforts to develop a comprehensive total rewards strategy for employees.
Learn more about what we implemented in previous fiscal years: FY2022, FY2023, FY2024 and FY2025.
People Excellence is available to answer questions on the details described below. Please contact your HR Business Partner for more information.
Total Rewards Strategies: Staff
Compensation Study Results and Next Steps
In April 2024, we launched a compensation study to ensure total rewards packages for staff are competitive. In May 2025, we shared that the staff compensation study was moving into its next steps, and today we are pleased to share more details as we move toward finalizing this important work. The outcomes of our study will include adjusted salary ranges based on current market data, revised job description templates and updated job titles for some positions. With key input from WTW, the review of job titles will help us identify duplicate or outdated titles and align our structure with industry best practices, supporting more effective benchmarking and compensation management.
We will begin a multi-year approach to ensure staff compensation is competitive and aligned with market standards. To begin progress toward this goal, we are carefully reviewing salary structure and staff compensation to identify opportunities for meaningful adjustments and improvements, while working within current budget constraints.
As part of this university-wide initiative, you may see changes to your job title, job description or salary range. We estimate approximately 50% of staff will see an increase in compensation, with increases varying based on position and current salary. If your title or role is affected, you will be informed and supported through the transition. Staff will receive more information in October, with increases and title adjustments taking effect Jan. 1, 2026. Salary increases will appear on Feb. 1 paychecks.
Paid Time Off for Outstanding Performance
Benefits-eligible staff will be awarded up to 32 hours of paid time off in the form of administrative leave for outstanding performance for use by Aug. 31, 2026. The total number of hours awarded will be based on 2024-2025 performance evaluation ratings.
Administrative leave awards will be prorated based on the employee’s FTE. For example, a part-time employee who works 20 hours per week is eligible for up to 16 hours per fiscal year. Additionally, please be aware that administrative leave cannot be transferred to another state agency and is not paid out if an employee separates from the university.
To be eligible for the administrative leave award, you must meet the following criteria:
- Be a regular, benefits-eligible staff employee. Faculty, student employees and the graduate assistant series are not eligible.
- Hired on or before June 1, 2025 and continuously employed in a benefits-eligible position at 50% full-time equivalent (FTE) or higher through the merit award date (Jan. 1, 2026). Retirees with a retirement date of 12/31/2025 will be eligible.
- Completed the FY2025 UTSA Annual Mandatory Compliance training.
- Have a completed performance evaluation on file for the FY2025 performance review period. Must have received “Meets Expectations” or above.
Benefits-eligible staff will receive paid time off in the form of administrative leave for outstanding performance according to the scale below, which is based on annual performance evaluation rankings. Hours will be awarded in January 2026 and must be used by Aug. 31, 2026.
| Staff Performance Evaluation Rating | Overall ePerformance Score | Final Overall Score | Hours Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Role Model | 4.50 - 5 | 5 | 32 |
| Exceeds Expectations | 3.50 - 4.49 | 4 | 24 |
| Meets Expectations | 2.50 - 3.49 | 3 | 16 |
| Somewhat meets expectations | 1.50 - 2.49 | 2 | N/A |
| Does not meet expectations | <1.50 | 1 | N/A |
Total Rewards Strategies: Faculty
Concurrent with the staff compensation study, Academic Affairs engaged in an internal study to develop a strategy for competitive faculty pay. This study was part of our commitment to ensure that compensation packages are reflective of the value our talented faculty bring to the institution.
As a result of this study, we have established new fixed term track (FTT) range minimums and will move our Tenure/Tenure-Track (T/TT) salaries closer to R1 institution market ranges. We estimate approximately 30% of faculty will see an increase in compensation, with increases varying based on position and current salary. Those who are impacted will receive more information about their expected increases in October.
Additionally, in 2024 we updated compensation practices for promotion and tenure (P&T), comprehensive periodic evaluation (CPE), and fixed-term track (FTT) faculty promotion, with new salary increases going into effect this fall. We encourage you to read more about these changes, which continue to support our commitment to developing robust total rewards for faculty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Staff and faculty who will receive pay increases or title adjustments as a result of the compensation analyses will be notified in October.
Increases and title adjustments will take effect Jan. 1, 2026, with salary adjustments appearing on Feb. 1 paychecks.
The university is making a new investment to our salary base of $14 million toward faculty and staff salaries. This investment in our workforce was a priority in the FY26 budget development process.
Please review the announcement from April 2024 or the updates from May 2025.
Please review the April 2024 announcement from Academic Affairs.
Benefits-eligible staff are eligible for administrative leave for outstanding performance awards. Faculty, student employees and graduate assistants are not eligible.
Paid Time Off for Outstanding Performance is based on staff performance evaluation ratings. Following the conclusion of this years’ performance period, employees will have meetings with their supervisors to discuss their performance evaluation and rating. Details regarding the award amounts, and corresponding evaluation ratings, are outlined above.
Administrative leave is a merit award and is awarded in accordance with UT System guidelines and Regents' Rules and Regulations, which dictate that annual evaluations are to be used for merit consideration.
Administrative leave awards can be used like vacation time or compensatory time. Prior approval from your supervisor is required, and administrative leave awards must be used by Aug. 31, 2026. Unused hours after Aug. 31, 2026 will be forfeited. We encourage you to use the time to take meaningful breaks from work in support of a healthy and productive work/life balance. Employees will use the absence code "Outstanding Performance Exmplr" in PeopleSoft when submitting requests to use the awarded hours. Learn more about submitting absence requests.
Compliance training for FY2025 must have been completed.
