NSU Faculty Handbook
5.0 SALARY
5.1 Employee Agreements
Faculty are employed for a nine (9) month academic year or, in a limited number of cases, a twelve (12) month contract. Summer agreements are issued for two (2) months. Agreements for employment are issued by the President of the University acting upon recommendations forwarded by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Twelve month agreements issued to faculty representing the University as clinicians in a primary health care area may have specific terms of employment not stated in this Handbook, but approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and written into college by-laws.
5.2 Establishing Individual Salaries
Compensation will fall into ranges determined by the rank accorded a faculty member at the time of initial employment. Individual salary negotiations conducted with the dean and higher administrators during the hiring process may lead to individual salary differences.
If the budget permits, salary increases may be granted to all faculty with the decision on actual amounts determined by the President. When authorized by the University President, Deans also may recommend merit awards based on criteria contained within The Professional File (Appendix C) . Additional salary increases may be given to faculty receiving a promotion or completing an advanced degree.
5.22 Summer Semester and Short-term Intersessions
Compensation for summer term and short-term Intersessions teaching will be determined by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and will reflect the prevailing University policy in effect at the time. Compensation for teaching more than seven (7) hours will be determined by the prevailing overload policy (See 4.6).
5.3 Payment of Salary
All regular faculty receive ten (10) monthly salary payments or may elect to receive twelve (12) monthly salary payments. The first salary payment for the academic term will begin on September 30, and then on the last working day of subsequent months. Those who have elected for twelve (12) salary payments will receive the last three at the end of June. Effective January 1, 2007 direct deposit will be mandatory for all employees. Notice of deposit forms will no longer be mailed to the employee's residence, however they can be viewed online through NSU Web Services.
Payments for teaching during the summer term for all regular faculty will be paid on the last working day of July and August. Fall and spring overload payments are paid in four installments. Add-pay is paid based on the definition of the project.
5.4 Continuing Education and Educational Outreach Courses
Continuing Education courses (no transcript credit) are of public service nature and are established by the Office of Continuing Studies. Educational outreach courses (transcript credit), are established by deans working with the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Both types of courses are administered under guidelines provided by the Regional University System of Oklahoma. Educational outreach courses usually run for a full (sixteen [16] weeks) or half (eight [8] weeks) semester. The Vice President for Academic Affairs sets guidelines for supplemental pay and/or travel allowances for persons teaching continuing education and educational outreach classes. Supplemental pay normally is given only when a faculty member's teaching load exceeds a full-time work load (See 4.1). Travel allowances and like expenses are handled in accordance with Oklahoma law and Regents policies.
5.5 Part-Time Salaries
The rate of pay to part-time instructors is established by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The need of the University plus the academic experience and preparation of the teacher will enter into determining the actual salary offered. Payment to part-time lecturers is made in four installments beginning October 15 for the Fall semester and March 15 for the Spring semester. Payment for the summer term is made in two installments: July 15 and August 15. Salary payments are available at the cashier's window in the Office of Business Affairs or by direct deposit. Effective January 1, 2007 all payments will be made by direct deposit.
5.6 Standard Payroll Deductions
The Director of Budgets/Payroll administers the system of payroll withholdings. Although insurance, annuity and savings plan withholdings are optional; Federal/State Income Tax, OTRS contributions, and FICA/MQFE withholdings are mandatory. At the time of employment, each faculty member will be required to complete forms defining the number of deductions for Federal/State Income Tax withholding purposes.
5.7 Faculty with Administrative Responsibilities
Administrative positions may carry increased responsibilities for a faculty member. These responsibilities may be rewarded with a temporary salary increase that might partially or totally be rescinded upon release from administrative duties.
5.8 Outside Employment
While the University does not prohibit a faculty member from engaging in outside employment, prior approval is required. At the beginning of each academic year a form must be submitted to the department chair who will forward it through the dean to the President of the University for approval. Such employment should in no way take time from or interfere with the University services for which the faculty member is employed. Outside employment includes professional work of a continuous nature, such as supervision, consultation, advisory services, or other regular or occasional work; and specific work, usually of a limited duration, for which compensation is received. It does not include honoraria for lectures or for literary articles, private income from real estate or investment and royalties from books and patents. Payments for services performed by a faculty member during any period in which he/she is not on the University payroll are excluded from consideration.
5.9 Financial Retrenchment
5.91 General Statement on Retrenchment
Financial exigencies may require an orderly release of faculty from their contracts in order to protect the existence of the whole University. Northeastern faculty and administrators are pledged to work together to find solutions when this dilemma arises. Although each faculty member judged to be of value to the University (through tenure approval and/or extension of continuing contracts) must be considered, the greater challenge is to preserve the integrity of the University and those programs most vital to Northeastern.
5.92 Identifying Programs/Faculty for Retrenchment
The final decision made on faculty reduction is that of the President of the University. If a financial emergency arises, the President will ask the Vice President for Academic Affairs to identify a priority listing of missions/programs on the academic side of the University. Attention will be given to both historical and developmental missions and programs with the result being the ethical and legal preservation of the nucleus of the University. The University's Affirmative Action Policy states that:
- non-doctorate, non-tenured faculty will be the first to be released with the last person employed being released first;
- non-doctorate, tenured faculty will be considered next, with the last person hired being released first.
5.93 Evaluation of Programs/Faculty Retrenchment
Once the Vice President for Academic Affairs, working with each dean, has identified programs for retrenchment using guidelines in section 5.92, an objective inquiry will start that will lead to the selection of faculty members the University can release without impairing a vital program or the University's Affirmative Action Plan. At the college level, deans will consult with faculty and department chairs to consider exceptions to these guidelines. After review, with input from the Curriculum and Educational Policies Committee, the Vice President for Academic Affairs shall recommend to the President a list of faculty to be released. The President should act upon the data provided but shall have the option to recommend the release of faculty and/or the elimination of programs other than those forwarded by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
5.94 Obligations of the University
Prior to the release of faculty members, the administrators of the University will make reasonable efforts to find alternative ways to utilize the skills of the faculty members in order to retain their employment. A tenured faculty member who is to be released at the end of an academic year will be notified on or before December 1 of that year. Non-tenured faculty will be notified no later than March 1. Tenured positions vacated due to financial emergency will not be filled for two (2) years, and non-tenured positions shall not be filled for one (1) year after the time of release. It is the responsibility of the President and Affirmative Action Officer, working with the appropriate academic units, to ensure that any retrenchment activity does not have a disparate impact on minority employees.
Unless a non-tenured faculty member perceives that his/her release from the service of the University is for reasons other than a bona fide financial emergency, the provisions of the Grievance Policy (See 3.7) do not apply. Tenured faculty may appeal a dismissal based on financial emergency to the Appellate Committee on Dismissal of Tenured Faculty (See 3.66).
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