Franklin College Buy-Out Policy

Research or instructional granting agencies, as well as other units of the University, sometimes seek to have faculty devote a portion of their time to a particular funded project. Where the research or instructional work is demonstrably significant and beneficial to the University, the College of Arts and Sciences may foster and approve such arrangements, provided that certain conditions are met. Buy-outs are not automatic -- faculty, granting agencies, UGA centers and institutes, and programs initiated by the UGA administration cannot command faculty time without approval of the department and College.

The practice of buying-out instructional time in support of research and other scholarly activities is recognized as a necessary and valued one by the Franklin College faculty and administration. However, it does exact a price on the instructional program. It is a balance that we seek. The Franklin College has been in the process of formulating policies governing these buy-outs. We have looked at existing policies in our College and in other Colleges. As a result, the Franklin College, effective this date, sets forth the following policies governing buy-out of instructional time.

Procedures

Faculty may request in writing to buy-out a portion of their budgeted instructional time. The source of such a buy-out may only be from external grants or contracts, or internal, UGA programs.

Proposed buy-outs must be brought to the attention of the department head prior to the time a grant proposal is forwarded from the department or prior to the time any other type of contractual agreement is entered into by a faculty member. The department head must consider the potential scholarly value of the project, the benefit from past buy-outs by the applicant, and department instructional needs including classroom, advising, and curricular work. If the department and the appropriate associate dean approve, and the proposal is successful, the faculty member informs the department head, who will make arrangements to fill the instructional needs and to find a qualified classroom instructor. It is the responsibility of the head of the unit to identify qualified replacement instructors, and these instructors will be paid at a rate not below that for graduate teaching assistants at the doctoral level and possibly higher depending on the level of the course and the qualifications of the instructor.

All buy-outs must be negotiated with the appropriate head. The impact on the instructional program will determine the number of buy-outs, if any, that can be accommodated by a given instructional unit. There are retirements, leaves of absence, etc. to consider, as well as the instructional programs need for the faculty members contribution. It is the responsibility of the appropriate head to make sure that his/her decision to recommend approval of any buy-out meets the criteria that necessary replacement teaching is available and that it is available at a rate which can be accommodated by the buy-out rules. The head must get the approval of the appropriate dean for the buy-out arrangements.

The Office of the Dean will honor all published funding agencies salary caps.

All formal agreements must be in writing with signed copies distributed to the concerned faculty member, unit head, and appropriate associate dean.

Rates

The purchase of release time from instructional duties through any grant but two types (see following paragraph) is set at 1/10th (*modified to reflect semester change) of a ten-month salary or 1/12th of a twelve-month salary for one course or its equivalent plus the corresponding fringe benefit cost. This is also applicable to the Mentor Section of the IBR Faculty Research Mentoring Program. The only grants exempt are the Humanities Center Grant and the Mentee Section of the IBR Faculty Research Mentoring Program.

These will pay for replacement teaching at a rate negotiated between the College and the unit providing the grant.

Distribution of Buy-Out Monies/Replacement Teaching

For the case of release time purchased at the rate of 1/10th (or 1/12th) per course or its equivalent, the department will retain 80% of the total funds. Replacement teaching cost must be covered by this 80%. The head of the unit will determine how the remaining funds are expended subject only to the existing rules for expenditures. The College will retain the other 20% of the total funds.

Exceptions

All requests for buy-outs not falling under the above provisions, must be separately negotiated with the appropriate head and associate dean.