Purdue will provide a one-time appreciation award now, 4% salary merit pool in fiscal 2022-23 for WL campus employees

Record enrollment levels, combined with a sound investment strategy and extremely low institutional debt yielding nearly unprecedented financial stability, are paving the way for a one-time appreciation award and the largest salary merit pool in over 20 years for employees at Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus.

All faculty, staff and graduate student staff hired on or before Sept. 1, 2021 — except for those in executive-level positions — will receive an appreciation award this month. Full-time employees each will receive $500, and those who work less than full time will get a prorated amount. In all, over 15,000 individuals will see the one-time bonus in their December paychecks.

“Again this year, the people of Purdue have worked together to preserve a safe and well-maintained campus, and a rigorous high-quality educational experience for a record number of students. And they’ve done that with a productivity and efficiency that enables us to keep the student costs flat yet again,” said Purdue President Mitch Daniels. “That performance deserves recognition and this gesture of appreciation.”

The 4% salary merit pool, representing the largest such amount in two decades, will be made available for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2022. An extra 1% salary pool will be allocated to address specific workforce objectives, such as pay for entry-level service staff, graduate student stipends and faculty salaries in selected disciplines, and job/family structure compensation ranges for highly competitive in-demand jobs.

Purdue trustees approved the merit pay and one-time bonus measures for Purdue’s West Lafayette flagship campus on Friday (Dec. 4).

Also on Friday, Purdue trustees agreed to an 11th consecutive year of leaving tuition unchanged at 2012-13 levels and a 10th consecutive year with no increase in university residence hall rates on the West Lafayette campus.

Base undergraduate tuition would remain at $9,992 per year for Indiana residents and $28,794 for out-of-state students through 2023-24. Per state statute, Purdue trustees will approve the extended tuition freeze officially in spring 2023.

Combining these two measures, the overall cost of attendance at Purdue will remain lower in nominal (unadjusted) dollars than 2012-13 for another year.