CBA Section 22.6.1 deals with department chair compensation. Department chairs receive three pieces of additional chair compensation:
1) Quarterly chair stipend (CBA Section 22.6.1.2)
2) 9.5-Month Appointment (CBA Section 22.6.2)
3) Temporary base salary increase (CBA Section 22.6.3)
1) Quarterly Chair Stipend
The number of permanent employee FTE in each department determines the quarterly stipend amount. This count takes place once a year in fall quarter. Department chairs receive stipend amounts quarterly, including summer, and are determined according to the following formulas:
The stipend per quarter = $1,803 + ($104 x FTE)
The stipend per year = $7,212 + ($416 x FTE)
Payment of quarterly chair stipends occurs on the pay date of the last pay period of each quarter as specified in the table below:
| Quarter | Pay Date |
| Fall | December 24 |
| Winter | March 25 |
| Spring | June 25 |
| Summer | September 25 |
Fall, winter, and spring quarter chair stipends are paid by each department, while summer session chair stipends are funded by the Provost.
2) 9.5-Month Appointment
Per CBA Section 22.6.2, “Annual faculty appointment contracts for department chairs, during their term(s) of chair duty, are for 9.5 months (September 8 – June 22).” This is 0.5 months longer than the regular annual faculty appointment of 9 months (September 16 – June 15).
The additional compensation for the 9.5-month appointment is divided between pay periods 18 and 13 as shown below:
Additional Compensation at the Beginning of Fall Quarter (September 8 through September 15)
Additional Compensation at the End of Spring Quarter (June 16 through June 22)
3) Temporary Salary Increase
Per CBA Section 22.6.3, “Department Chairs receive a temporary 0.75% salary increase on September 8th of each year they serve as Department Chair.” Please see table below for temporary base salary increase schedule:
| Years of Service | Temporary Base Salary Increase |
| 1st year (as of September 8) | 0.75% |
| 2nd year (as of September 8) | 1.50% |
| 3rd year (as of September 8) | 2.25% |
| 4th year (as of September 8) | 3.00% |
The accumulation of temporary salary increases becomes permanent after four consecutive years of department chair service, and at the end of each successive year after the initial four (4) consecutive years of department chair service. Interruptions in service (as defined in Section 11) are accommodated provided the chair returns to the appointment after the leave and does serve a full four years. Chairs who are called back to chair service for reasons of administrative exigency may add all prior chair service toward fulfillment of the requirement that four consecutive years be served for the permanent salary increase. Salary increases do not accumulate during interruptions of service. Should the chair decide to continue their service after the fourth year, the cycle of increasing temporary base salary increases turning into another permanent base salary increase begins again.
Interim Chair Service
In the event that a permanent chair goes on leave and is replaced by an interim chair, the following takes place. The interim chair receives the quarterly chair stipend and a temporary 0.75% base salary increase. The permanent chair on leave forgoes the quarterly chair stipend but keeps his or her temporary base salary increase.
Contact
Contact Faculty Relations at facultyrelations@wwu.edu for questions regarding chair compensation.