Course Release for Externally Funded Activity

POLICY

Decisions regarding course load reductions will be made by the Dean, who will consider the School’s research productivity and educational programmatic needs. Generally, a tenure track faculty member may not receive a 100% course load reduction, and an extension or in-residence faculty member may not receive more than a three course reduction. However, exceptions may be allowed at the discretion of the Dean and will be granted when a larger percentage release from teaching is a condition of the external award.

Tenure Track Faculty

When a tenure track faculty member is engaged in an externally funded project, the Dean may allow the standard course load of four courses and eight field advises per year to be reduced to as few as one course per academic year. A reduction of one course requires replacing 15% of the faculty member’s annual contract salary from an external source and does not include matching funds provided by the University. The suggested guidelines for tenure track faculty course reduction are:

Percent of Salary Replaced by External Funding for Tenure Track Faculty (1) Course/Advising Release (2)
15% 1 course
30% 2 courses
45% 3 courses

(1) A tenure track faculty member may save credit for a maximum of 30% salary replacement for a time when the grant is no longer funded and/or during a “no cost extension” period for the purpose(s) of writing another grant proposal and/or engaging in research.
(2) If a tenure track faculty member has insufficient funding to be released from a course, a reduction in advisees can be negotiated.

Extension and In-Residence Faculty

When an extension or in-residence faculty member is engaged in an externally funded project, the Dean may allow the standard course load of six courses and twelve field advises per year to be reduced to as few as two courses per academic year. A reduction of one course requires replacing 10% of the faculty member’s annual contract salary from an external source and does not include matching funds provided by the University. The suggested guidelines for extension and in-residence faculty course reduction are:

Percent of Salary Replaced by External Funding for Extension/In-Residence Faculty (3) Course Release
10% 1 course
20% 2 courses
30% 3 courses

(3) An extension or in-residence faculty member may save credit for a maximum of 20% salary replacement for a time when the grant is no longer funded and/or during a “no cost extension” period for the purpose(s) of writing another grant proposal and/or engaging in research.

Policy effective January 1, 2014