Alabama A&M Compensation Study

Your Alabama A&M University (AAMU) Pay

Alabama A&M University (AAMU) is making a big effort to support our employees. This year, we launched a comprehensive compensation study to review faculty and staff pay programs. Our goal is to modernize these programs and processes, so they reflect best practices and ensure fairness and market-competitiveness. Our goal is to make sure everyone is paid equitably and that our pay matches what other universities offer. We want to keep and attract great people, and good pay is important for that.

We know your pay and benefits matter to you. You might have questions about this project and how it affects you. This page explains our compensation philosophy, the compensation study, what happens next, and other helpful details.

• Who Was Part of the Project Team?
• What Is the Project Timeline
• What Is Our Compensation Philosophy?
• What Is the Compensation Study and Why Did We Do It?
• How Did We Do the Study?
• What Steps Did We Take?
• What Did We Find?
• What Happens Next?
• Want to Learn More?

 

Who Was Part of the Project Team?

These individuals were part of the project team:

Board of Trustees (BoT)

Dr. Daniel K. Wims, President

President’s Cabinet:

• John D. Jones, Ph.D., Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs
• Majed Dweik, Ph.D, Vice President of Research and Economic Development
• Carlton Spellman, Vice-President for Business and Finance/CFO
• Braque Talley, Ph.D., Vice President for Student Affairs
• Jamal Ali, Vice President for Marketing, Communications, and Advancement
• Kylie Nash, Ph.D., Chief Information Officer
• Paul Bryant, Ph.D., Director of Athletics
• Shannon Reeves, Sr, Vice President of Government Affairs and External Relations
• Rochelle A. Conley, General Counsel

Dean’s Advisory Council:

• John D. Jones, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs
• Lloyd Walker, College of Agricultural, Life, and Natural Science
• Timothy Mantz, College of Business and Public Affairs
• Peter Eley, College of Education, Humanities and Behavioral Sciences
• Zhengtao Deng, College of Engineering, Technology and Physical Sciences
• Rosetta Howard, Ph.D., Interim Associate Vice President, Faculty and Undergraduate Studies

Faculty Senate:

• Jeannette Jones, Faculty Senate President

Staff Senate:

• Petura McCaa-Burke, Staff Senate President

What Is the Project Timeline?

Review the project timeline.

What Is Our Compensation Philosophy?

Our compensation philosophy is a set of guidelines around how and why we pay our employees. It helps us make sure pay is fair and clear for everyone.

We offer a full compensation and benefits package. This includes your salary, health and wellness benefits, retirement plans, and paid time off. We want our pay to be equivalent to what other universities and businesses offer, but we can adjust for special jobs or unique skills.

We check job descriptions regularly to make sure they are up to date and correct. And we give you tools and resources to help you understand how pay decisions are made.

Pay is more than just your paycheck. It includes benefits and work-life balance.

What Is the Compensation Study and Why Did We Do It?

As part of the compensation study, we:

• Reviewed and updated staff job descriptions, so they reflect what people actually do today.
• Adjusted compensation ranges based on our updated compensation philosophy and current market data.
• Made sure roles and compensation align with responsibilities and contributions.
• Modernized our compensation programs to better support attracting and retaining top talent.

These changes are about making our compensation structure clear, fair, and competitive—and supporting you in the work you do every day.

Our last compensation ranges were set in 2018. Since then, factors like inflation and growth have changed the market.

We worked with Segal, a human resource consulting firm that is nationally recognized for its work with higher education institutions.

How Did We Do the Study?

We compared our jobs to similar jobs at other institutions and businesses. We looked at things like:

• Institution size (number of staff, faculty, and students)
• Location
• Expenses
• Research expenditures

What Steps Did We Take?

1. Listening and Planning: We talked to faculty and staff to get their perspectives about pay.
2. Updating Job Descriptions: Employees and supervisors filled out a position description questionnaire to describe their jobs. We updated job descriptions to match what people actually do.
3. Market Check: We compared our pay to other institutions and organizations.
4. Setting Pay Ranges: We used this information to update our pay ranges and programs.
5. Sharing Information: We are making plans to share these changes and help everyone understand them.

What Did We Find?

No one will receive a pay cut because of this study. But some employees are paid below the market rate and/or paid below where they should be within their pay range given their skills, expertise, and contributions to their role. We plan to raise their pay as our budget allows. Pay is based on your job, what you do, your experience, and other factors. The market data helps us set pay ranges and make sure pay is fair inside the university.

What Happens Next?

The study started in early spring 2025 and should finish by spring 2026. We’ll start making changes in the new fiscal year, and it may take a few years to finish. We will:

• Raise the minimum pay for staff from $14 to $16 per hour.
• Raise pay for faculty and staff who are below the new minimum.
• Focus on raising pay for important jobs that are below market rates.
• Begin to relieve pay compression, which can occur when there is no significant difference between newer and longer-term employees’ salaries.

Pay increases will start in July 2026. You’ll be told in spring 2026 if your pay will change. Some people may get two raises in July: a yearly raise and a raise from this study.

No one will receive a pay cut.

Want to Learn More?

• Attend a listening session
• Read the FAQ [pdf]
• Talk to your manager
• Review the Compensation Study [pdf]