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Faculty Compensation (E-71)

Original Implementation: February 3, 2005
Last Revision: April 17, 2012

Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) is responsible for securing a qualified and competent faculty and for utilizing public funds for faculty salaries and wages in an effective manner.

  1. Faculty Employee

    Faculty personnel are any university employees with academic rank or duties that include teaching, research, academic administration, or other scholarly activity and who are paid in full or in part from the line item "Faculty Salaries" or from other academic funding source. The provost and vice president for academic affairs , associate provost, and academic deans are considered staff for purposes of this policy.

  2. Authority to Set Compensation

    The Board of Regents has the authority to set compensation levels paid to faculty members through review and adoption of the annual operating budget. The itemized budget specifies the salary authorized for each position. The provost must give initial approval of all changes to budgeted faculty positions outside of the annual operating budget.

  3. General Compensation

    It is the policy of the university to distribute fairly and equitably funds available for salaries and wages. Initial faculty salaries are determined based on a combination of factors, including the funding available for the position, the academic discipline, faculty rank at the time of appointment [see Academic Appointments and Titles (E-1A)], highest degree earned, the job description, professional experience, market value, and the needs of the department and college. Upon the recommendation of the chair and dean, the provost approves all faculty salaries prior to hiring.

  4. Non-Discrimination

    All position and salary range assignments shall be made on the bases of the work to be performed without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or marital status and in accordance with the laws, policies, and regulations of the United States government, the state of Texas, and the Board of Regents of SFA.

  5. Administration of Faculty Compensation

    The provost, in conjunction with the academic deans, has responsibility for the administration of this policy. Department chairs and directors shall recommend compensation for their employees in accordance with university policies, procedures, and guidelines.

  6. Faculty Compensation

    1. General Information: Faculty salaries are normally budgeted for a 9-month period. Faculty members are compensated on the basis of a fair and reasonable workload. See Faculty Workload (A-18). Under the Federal Wage and Labor Law, faculty employees are exempt from overtime regulations.

    2. Market Data: University administrators shall use the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPAHR) as its primary determinate of the market value for faculty salaries. Other relevant market data shall be considered when appropriate.

    3. Compensation for Summer Teaching: Summer teaching is not guaranteed. Where needed or required, faculty members may be assigned summer teaching. See Summer Teaching Appointments (A-18A). Normally, faculty members are compensated for summer teaching at a rate of 1/6 of their 9-month teaching salary for a 100% teaching assignment for each summer session. In certain budgetary circumstances, the rate of compensation may be adjusted. Compensation is prorated for assignments less than two teaching units. Compensation for summer teaching is provided through the SFA summer budget.

    4. Compensation for Adjunct Faculty: When considered necessary to hire adjunct faculty to teach courses, the compensation should be based on the following ranges:

      Years of Experience Salary Range (per course)
      Zero to Six $2,500 - $3,000
      Seven to Ten $2,650 - $3,200
      Over Ten $2,800 - $3,800

    5. Stipends may vary by college, discipline, need, and the educational level of the proposed adjunct faculty member. Any variation must be recommended by the chair and dean and approved by the provost prior to appointment.

    6. Additional Compensation: In instances where faculty members provide services outside of their normal teaching duties, they may be eligible for additional compensation. See Salary Supplements, Stipends and Additional Compensation (E-9).

    7. Overload Compensation: In instances where faculty members are needed to teach an overload, they may be eligible for overload compensation. At a minimum, the overload compensation shall be comparable to that of an adjunct faculty member. Upon the recommendation of the chair and dean and approval of the provost, overload compensation may vary based on the funding available, needs of the department, and qualifications of the faculty member.

    8. Associate Dean, Assistant Dean, Chair or Director Compensation: When appointed as an associate dean, department chair or director, a faculty member may receive a combination of a stipend and reassignment time for performing administrative duties. See Academic Unit Chair/Director Appointments (E-6A) and Academic Unit Chair/Director Teaching Load (E-7A).

    9. Grants, Endowments, and Other Arrangements: Grants, endowments, awards and other arrangements may provide for an additional stipend or salary support for a faculty member within applicable regulatory parameters. See Compensation from Grants, Contracts and Other Sponsored Agreements (E-74).

  7. Increases in Compensation

    1. General Increases: All salary increases for faculty members, unless otherwise mandated by the state’s legislature, shall be based on merit and/or equity. Quality teaching, research, scholarly/creative activity, administrative responsibilities, and service may be considered in the merit process. Equity and adjustments may be awarded based on the recommendations of the department chair and dean, subject to the approval of the provost.

    2. Recommendations: Department chairs and program directors shall recommend salary rates, equity adjustments, and merit increases in the annual department budget request based on the budget guidelines issued by the president. The recommendations shall, in turn, be submitted to the appropriate academic dean and the provost for approval. Each faculty member is to provide an annual Faculty Activity Report to the department chair or director for use in consideration of a merit increase. See Administrative Evaluation of Faculty Performance and Consideration for Merit Pay (E-20A).

    3. Salary Increases for Promotion: Faculty members, through the promotion process [see Academic Promotion (E-3A)], are awarded increases in the subsequent budget year based on budgeted resources and the promotion rank.

 

 

Cross Reference: Academic Appointment and Titles (E-1A); Academic Promotion (E-3A); Academic Unit Chair/Director Appointments (E-6A); Academic Unit Chair/Director Teaching Load (E-7A); Faculty Compensation (E-71); Faculty Workload (A-18); Salary Supplements, Stipends and Additional Compensation (E-9); Compensation from Grants, Contracts and Other Sponsored Agreements (E-74); Administrative Evaluation of Faculty Performance and Consideration for Merit Pay (E-20A).

Responsible for Implementation: Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Contact for Revision: Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Forms: None

Board Committee Assignment: Academic and Student Affairs