Course Buy-Outs
Guidelines
Faculty members sometimes seek relief from a teaching assignment for purposes of engaging in externally funded research and contract work of benefit to the University. The following guidelines govern consideration and approval of such requests.
Principles governing the guidelines for buy-outs:
- Teaching is a fundamental responsibility of faculty members.The teaching requirements of the unit in question will not be compromised.
- Decisions will conform to the policies of granting and contracting agencies.
- These agencies will be assessed the real costs of relief from teaching duties.
- Charges for buy-outs will be in broad conformity with national norms.
Approved practices conforming to these principles:
- The minimum charge for a three-credit-hour-equivalent buy-out is $5,000 in recognition of the full costs associated with replacement instruction.
- When replacement instruction is provided by a teaching term appointee, the prorated salary cost of this instruction will be the minimum charge.
- When replacement instruction occurs through distance education, the full salary cost of the distance course or courses will be the minimum charge.
- Benefits and administrative costs as well as salaries will be added to salary costs when this is consistent with the rules of funding agencies.
Related practices:
- Secondments to external agencies normally require 100% salary recovery prorated for the percentage of teaching time released.
- Personally funded buy-out are not permitted, but unpaid leaves of absence may be considered. 100% of salary will be recovered prorated for the percentage of teaching time released.
- Internal charges for time freed to teach in other Memorial University units will normally not exceed the actual costs of replacement.
- External charges for persons released to teach elsewhere will be handed on a case-by-case basis but governed by the above principles and related practices.
As agreed by deans and directors October 22, 2003
