Purdue announces plans for 3% merit pay pool for 2021-22

Purdue University President Mitch Daniels announced today (March 31) that the University will provide a 3% salary merit pool for its West Lafayette faculty and staff for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

“We’ve come through a year of difficulty and uncertainty,’’ Daniels said. “But thanks to our faculty, staff and students, we remain in solid shape both financially and operationally, and with early indications of another strong fall enrollment, we can resume merit pay increases.”

Daniels said the work to stay as open as any institution of Purdue’s size while carefully managing the safety and health of the campus community has been key to the university’s financial and operational stability and success, in sharp contrast to many institutions that were forced to endure mass layoffs, pay cuts or even closures.

Until the pandemic year of 2020, Purdue has offered a merit increase every year since 2010. A year ago, in February 2020, Purdue had made plans for a merit pool of 3% for the current fiscal year, but the university in April determined the fiscal uncertainties for 2020-21 were too great and announced that pay increases would be paused. In November, Daniels announced that more than 15,000 employees would receive a one-time appreciation award of $750 in celebration of the conclusion of the fall semester and the efforts to reach that milestone.