To describe the terms and conditions under which the University will provide salary and OPE not furnished by major faculty fellowships when the faculty member requests such augmentations. Many prestigious faculty fellowship programs provide only for the direct salary of the faculty member and do not cover fringe benefits. In many cases, the fellowships are limited to an amount that covers only a portion of the full faculty salary. These fellowships do, however, permit the faculty member to pursue full-time research during the period of the fellowship, and the University wishes to encourage faculty members to seek and accept these fellowships.
The University will provide uncompensated salary and OPE on major faculty fellowships according to the following terms:
- During a sabbatical year, the fellowship is expected to cover the portion of a faculty member's salary not provided by the University. The University will provide 100% of OPE for the faculty member's designated annual salary. The faculty member is eligible for this support every sabbatical year.
- During a non-sabbatical year the University will provide up to 30% of the faculty member's designated annual salary to cover the difference between the salary support awarded by the fellowship and the regular salary. The University will provide 100% of the OPE for the designated annual salary. The faculty member is eligible for this support once between sabbatical years. With the approval of the appropriate dean and department head, this support may be received immediately before or after a sabbatical leave.
The University will provide uncompensated salary and OPE according to the terms above when the following conditions are met:
- The faculty member holds a tenure-related appointment of at least .50 FTE
- The fellowship award period is for at least a full academic term.
- The total salary compensation paid to the faculty member during the period of the fellowship does not exceed the faculty members usual University salary compensation for that period. This does, not preclude proper additional salary as from consulting, summer salary payments, or special overload payments.
- The fellowship compensation is paid to the faculty member through the University payroll system as salary using an appropriate account to be established for that purpose.
- The fellowship leave is approved by the faculty member's dean and department head.
- The fellowship is one that is intended to support the faculty member's activities appropriately related to research, scholarship, or augmentation of teaching expertise, and it is considered by the Provost to be in the best interests of the University that the faculty member accept the fellowship. Examples of fellowships that might be eligible include:
- Fulbright Scholar
- John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
- Kellogg Foundation
- National Endowment for the Humanities or Arts
The Provost may make exceptions to this policy when he believes that doing so is in the best interests of the University and the Faculty member requesting an exception.
The University's coverage of OPE costs ensures that the faculty member receives continued health insurance and worker's compensation coverage, continues participation in tax-deferred programs and the 6% tenure-reduction program, and receives credit towards accrued sabbatical time and PERS retirement benefits. The faculty member will also continue to have social security contributions withheld from each paycheck.
08 February 2010 - Policy number revised from 3.130 to 02.01.09