Faculty workload is generally comprised of varying percentages of research, teaching and service. These guidelines are presented with the goal of facilitating effective use of research or teaching load buy out to advance research and scholarship.
This practice is effective 09/01/2022.
Definitions
Teaching Buyout–Funds charged to a grant to provide a reduction in teaching load via a course release. Minimum grant funded reimbursement is 10% of base salary for a course reduction of one 3-credit hour course. Multiple teaching buyouts may occur during the academic year however individual colleges may set their own limits.
Research Buyout–Funds charged to a grant to reimburse University for all or part of individual’s general revenue-based salary for research time. Minimum grant funded reimbursement for research buyouts is 10% of base salary up to the individual faculty member’s allocated research efforts.
Salary Savings–Salary, excluding benefits, direct charged to a funded external grant for buyout of research time.
- Research Buy-Out Plan
The Research Buy-Out Plan applies to all full-time, tenured and tenure-track faculty paid from University general revenue allocations. Faculty with administrative appointments are not eligible (i.e. Deans, Directors). Salary savings is calculated on institutional base salary recovered from externally funded grants and does not include fringe benefits. Salary that is cost-shared (for example because of the NIH cap continue to be supported by the University) are not eligible. Salary savings includes institutional base salary only. All fringe benefits reimbursed by funded grants remain at the University level.
The amount of salary savings will be determined for each faculty member each semester. The total salary paid by grants during the semester will be determined and the amount of salary savings to be allocated to the faculty member will be calculated. Any salary utilized to “buy-out” of teaching will not be factored into the salary savings plan.
The distribution of salary savings is dependent on faculty appointments (9-month versus 12-month). The formulations to determine salary savings are shown below.
Distributions will be processed within 30 days of the end of each semester. Requests for research buy-out plan distributions shall be made in writing to the Dean prior to the start of the semester in which the research buyout occurred and forwarded to the Provost’s Office for approval. No retroactive salary savings distributions will be made. Deans will attest that individual faculty met or exceeded their expected teaching load prior to distribution of salary savings. The use of funds will adhere to spending allowances and limitations of faculty grant incentive funds.
- Faculty with 9-Month Appointment: A 9-month faculty member may buy out research time from a grant starting at 10% per semester up to the total research workload for the fall, spring or both semesters. The percentage is based on the institutional base salary for the 9-month period beginning annually in September plus full-time benefits. Summer month salary is not considered a salary savings assuch salary is in addition to the academic contract for 9-month faculty. Therefore, salary savings will be based on 9-month, academic year. For salary recovered from grants, the faculty member will receive 50% of the salary savings into their grant incentive fund (GIF) account.
- Faculty with 12-Month Appointment: A 12-month faculty member may buy out research time from a grant starting at 10% per semester up to the total research workload for the fall, spring summer or any combination of semesters. The percentage is based on the institutional base salary for the 12-month period beginning annually in September plus full-time benefits. For salary recovered from grants, the faculty member will receive 50% of the salary savings into their grant incentive fund (GIF) account.
- Teaching Buy-Out Plan
The Teaching Buy-Out Plan applies to all full-time, nontenured, tenured and tenure-track faculty paid from University general revenue allocations.
Faculty members may also use external grant funding to reduce their teaching load. The faculty member must have Chair and Dean approval to utilize this plan. Teaching buyouts are done in 10% salary increments which equates to a course release of a 3-credit course which is 10% of the faculty member 9-month salary and benefits. The funds reimbursed from externally funded grants are retained by the University.