Changes in McMicken Salary Release Funds Policy

Overall, the revised policy remains the same in practice and intent. The two new procedures to the salary release policy are:

• Release funds must be expended by the end of the fiscal year in which they were received. As a result of changes to the university’s budget and accounting practices, salary funds released by grants and fellowships can no longer be transferred from general funds to designated funds or carried over from year to year, and must be expended within the fiscal year in which they are received.

• Departments must provide accounting of use of released funds to the college at the end of each fiscal year (by June 30).

Released Salary Return to Department

Two-thirds (66.6%) of the general funds academic year salary released will be returned to the faculty member’s department for support of instructional needs. The department will be expected to use funds for all of the teaching requirements necessitated by the buy-out from this 66.6% return, but may also use any remaining funds to provide support for research activities of the faculty member (PI) and other research-active faculty in the department. Funds from released salary must be expended by the end of the fiscal year, and a brief report of how funds were utilized should be sent to the Dean’s office by June 30. The College will retain the remaining 33.3% of funds generated to support instructional needs and scholarly activity in McMicken College of Arts & Sciences.

Fellowships

In the case of fellowships (e.g., NEH, Guggenheim, MacArthur, Wilson, and Fulbright Fellowships), the college will consider releasing the faculty member from academic responsibilities to conduct funded research. The faculty member should discuss his or her application for fellowship funding with his/her department head and with the Associate Dean for Research. During this discussion alternative methods of administering the award will be reviewed and considered, if the award does not cover the full cost of the faculty member’s salary and benefits. The faculty member may determine whether the fellowship should be self-administered or administered through the university.

Full Salary - Self-Administered

If the external award is self-administered, the faculty member will receive the funding directly from the funding agency. In this case, the funds will not be managed by the university. The faculty member should request professional leave without pay but with full benefits per article 26 of the AAUP contract. The faculty member will not be on the UC payroll during the leave period but will have UC benefit coverage. The faculty member should consult with a tax accountant to review income tax implications of self-administered fellowships.

Example: A faculty member with a salary of $60,000 receives an ACLS fellowship of $50,000 and an American Philosophical Society grant for $10,000.

The faculty member requests a professional leave without pay with benefits. The department receives $40,000 and the college receives 20% of the released salary. The department will be expected to use funds for part-time instructional support of all of the teaching requirements necessitated by the buy-out, and any additional research support needed by the faculty member. The college will retain the remaining portion to support instructional needs and scholarly activity in the McMicken College of Arts & Sciences.

Full Salary - University-Administered

Fellowship requests may be submitted through SRS to the granting agency. This type of funding proposal should follow the normal approval process. The faculty member should not submit his or her proposal directly to the agency unless required to do so. If awarded, the funds are received at UC, and the faculty member is paid from the award account. Per university budget procedures, the funding source of the salary should also be charged the current rate of fringe benefits (unless such charges are prohibited by the foundation). If full salary is realized from the fellowship, the faculty member should request a special duty assignment per Article 24.5 of the AAUP contract. The faculty member will remain on the UC payroll during the leave period.

Example: A faculty member with a salary of $60,000 receives an ACLS fellowship of $50,000 and an American Philosophical Society grant for $10,000.

The faculty member requests special duty assignment to provide release time from their normal workload for research purposes. Per university policy, the funding source of the salary is also charged the current rate of fringe benefits (unless prohibited by the foundation). The $60,000 available must be reduced by the current fringe benefit rate to determine the amount of salary dollars available. Using 32.2% as the fringe rate, the $60,000 nets $45,386 in salary dollars to pay the faculty member’s academic year salary during their leave. The department receives 66.6% of the released salary or $30,227 and the college receives $15,113. The department will be expected to use funds for part-time instructional support of all of the teaching requirements necessitated by the buy-out, and any additional research support needed.. The College will retain the remaining portion to support instructional needs and scholarly activity in the McMicken College of Arts & Sciences.

Partial Salary – Procedures

In some cases, a faculty member may receive a fellowship that is less than their full academic year salary. Under these circumstances, the faculty member may request that the shortfall in salary be supported by departmental or college funds. Decisions to fund the salary difference will be made on an individual basis through discussion with the department head and dean’s office. If partial salary is realized from the fellowship, then the faculty member should request a special leave per Article 20 of the AAUP contract. The faculty member will remain on the UC payroll during the leave period.

Partial Salary - Self-Administered

The faculty member receives directly from the agency the $40,000 as income. When an award is self-administered, the faculty member will be paid the difference between what they receive from the fellowship and their regular salary. The faculty member requests a special leave with partial salary ($15,000) and full benefits for the time period of the fellowship. Note: pre-tax retirement contributions made by the university will be proportionate to UC-paid salary, so faculty would need to make contributions from their portion of the fellowship.

Example: A faculty member with a salary of $65,000 receives a $40,000 NEH Fellowship.

The department and college each receive their share of the released salary or $26,640 to the department and $13,360 to the college. The department will be expected to use funds for part-time instructional support of all of the teaching requirements necessitated by the buy-out, and any additional research support needed.. The College will retain the remaining portion to support the additional salary and to support instructional needs and scholarly activity in the McMicken College of Arts & Sciences.

Partial Salary - University Administered

The university receives the $40,000 fellowship funding as a sponsored award. Typically, the fellowship is restricted to only pay for the faculty member’s salary. This requires cost-sharing of the fringe benefits by the department and college. The faculty member would receive the $40,000 fellowship from NEH, and $15,000 from their UC salary, plus benefits. The faculty member would request a special leave with partial salary and full benefits for the time period of the award.

Example: A faculty member with a salary of $65,000 receives a $40,000 NEH Fellowship.

Using 32.2% as the fringe rate, $12,880 is needed for cost-sharing, so the amount of released salary available is $27,120. The department retains $18,061 and the College retains $9,059 from the remaining released salary. The department will be expected to use its share of released funds for part-time instructional support of all of the teaching requirements necessitated by the buy-out, and any additional research support needed. The College will retain the remaining portion to support the additional salary and to support instructional needs and scholarly activity in the McMicken College of Arts & Sciences.

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