COEUR d'ALENE - When North Idaho College instructor Molly Michaud was awarded tenure last spring, she excitedly told one of her friends about it.

"He said, 'Molly, that is so awesome. What is your bonus?'"

Michaud shared this anecdote with NIC trustees during last week's public workshop about tenure at the college, and the observers, many of them faculty members, chuckled when she did.

"That's the thing. I just have the status of tenure. At this college, it's not tied to monetary gain," Michaud said.

Tenure is a contractual right awarded to full-time faculty members after a four-year period of evaluations. It is not guaranteed job protection, but offers protection from being terminated without cause.

Since tenure and additional compensation do not go hand in hand, how are the college's instructors' salaries determined, and how much are they paid?

"North Idaho College sets its own salary structure based on competitive wage data for the geographic area and competitive wage data that is acquired through salary surveys," stated Laura Hill, the college's human resources director.

The lowest salary listed on NIC's salary grid for instructors is $34,513 and the highest is $69,402. The grid's steps and columns are associated with salaries that are tied to levels of experience and educational attainment.

Some faculty members pick up extra classes beyond their full class load and in those cases, they are paid additional stipends.

There are 164 full-time faculty members at NIC, and 63 percent earn a base salary of more than $50,000.

The mean salary for faculty members who hold a master's degree plus 30 additional credits of study and 10 years of experience is $53,646.

Salaries at two-year colleges like NIC are generally less than they are at four-year institutions.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for those teaching at four-year colleges and universities is 14 percent higher than at two-year community colleges.

Most faculty positions at NIC require a master's degree in the subject being taught. Each job may have other minimum requirements that must be met. Experience beyond the minimum qualifications is considered in determining a starting salary.