College Policies Category: Human Resources

Administrative Faculty Merit Pay (HR 6)

POLICY STATEMENT

The Nevada State College (NSC) Administrative Faculty Merit Pay Policy supports the College’s commitment to reward excellence. Merit Pay is awarded to recognize and retain high-performing Administrative Faculty who make significant contributions to the mission and goals of NSC.

This policy defines a College-wide framework for Administrative Faculty Merit Pay determination, in compliance with Chapter 6, Section 10 of the NSC Bylaws. The policy is pursuant to the preservation of transparency in Merit Pay awards.

DEFINITIONS

Academic Faculty: Generally consists of those professional staff members who specifically create and disseminate scholarly information through teaching, or providing counseling or library services closely and directly supportive of teaching and research. (See NSHE Board of Regents Handbook, Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 2(1)(b) and NSC Bylaws Chapter 3, Section 2 (b) and, Chapter 3, Section 3(a)).

Administrative Faculty: A subset of the category of administrators defined in section 1.1.b of the NSHE Code and Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 2(1)(d) of the NSHE Board of Regents Handbook. (NSHE Code, Chapter 7, section 7.2.1.; NSC Bylaws, Chapter 3, Section 2(c) and 3(b) ).

Eligible Administrative Faculty: Administrative Faculty who have a start date at NSC no later than September 30 of the Fiscal Year.

Fiscal Year: Period beginning July 1 of one year and extending through June 30 of the next year.

Institutional Base Salary (IBS): The annual compensation paid by the College for an individual’s appointment, whether that individual’s time is spent on research, instruction, administration, or other activities. IBS excludes any income that an individual earns outside of duties stipulated in the employee’s basic appointment.

Merit Pay: Addition to Institutional Base Salary earned by eligible Administrative Faculty for high levels of performance as documented in the annual evaluation report.

Merit Pool: Total funds allocated as a designated percentage of NSC’s annual budget.

Share: Portion of the Merit Pool available to Administrative Faculty based on “excellent” and “commendable” ratings in their annual evaluations.

PROCEDURES

I. Introduction

NSHE institutions are authorized to develop written policies and criteria for Merit Pay recommendation. The award of Merit Pay is intended to recognize, reward, and reinforce exemplary performance. Merit Pay must be earned each year.

Merit Pay is awarded to Administrative Faculty members based on their contributions, accomplishments, and ongoing high levels of performance. The ability to earn Merit Pay serves as an incentive to perform well. A fundamental premise of an equitable Merit Pay system is that it is built upon a sound and valid performance management system, one that is perceived as being fair, measurable, and objective.

Merit Pay is added to Institutional Base Salary (IBS) when calculating the IBS for the new Fiscal Year; any Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) is added to IBS after Merit Pay is calculated.

II. Criteria for Administrative Faculty Eligible for Merit Pay

The annual evaluation report provides the basis for consideration of annual Merit Pay increases. Merit Pay is awarded to Administrative Faculty who receive an overall rating of “commendable” or “excellent” on their annual evaluation reviews. All annual evaluation reports should provide sufficient information to allow for full and fair evaluation of Administrative Faculty in compliance with Chapter 5, Section 8 of the NSC bylaws.

Because annual evaluation reports are the basis for Merit Pay increases, those records are considered confidential and not a matter of public record. Once awarded, the amount of the Merit Pay increase is a matter of public record.

A. Ineligibility: Administrative Faculty members are not be eligible for Merit Pay if they receive a rating of “satisfactory” or below in their annual evaluation review. In addition, Administrative Faculty who would otherwise be considered for Merit Pay will be ineligible if they fall into any of the following categories:

  1. Newly-hired Administrative Faculty who begin employment at NSC on or after October 1 of the Fiscal Year;
  2. Administrative Faculty who received a promotion on or after October 1, unless Merit Pay eligibility is specifically included in the negotiated contract;
  3. Administrative Faculty who are in a temporary appointment. Academic faculty on a temporary Administrative Faculty appointment are eligible for merit pay under the Academic Faculty Merit Pay Policy.

B. Exclusions: The Administrative Faculty Merit Pay Policy does not apply to:

  1. Academic Faculty;
  2. Part-time instructors;
  3. Classified Staff;
  4. Casual labor;
  5. Student workers;
  6. Employees on multi-year contracts;
  7. The President.

III. Award Process for Administrative Faculty Merit Pay

Merit Pay salary increases will be awarded once annually. Merit Pay increases go into effect July 1 and first appear on August paychecks. This policy, the available Merit Pool, the number of shares to be distributed, and the value per share will be provided no later than July 1 of each year.

The annual performance evaluation will provide the basis for consideration of the annual Merit Pay increase. While specific policies may differ by unit, all Annual Evaluation Reports should provide sufficient information to allow for full and fair evaluation of faculty, pursuant of Chapter 5, section 8 of the NSC bylaws.

If an Administrative Faculty member fails to submit self-assessment materials for evaluation, the faculty member is ineligible for Merit Pay based on that year’s evaluation. If a supervisor fails to complete an annual evaluation, the Administrative Faculty member may submit their self-assessment to the supervisor’s direct supervisor for evaluation; that evaluation rating will then be used to determine eligibility for Merit Pay.

The Senior Vice President of Finance and Business Operations and/or Director of Human Resources is responsible for calculating the amount of Merit Pay awarded per Share. This amount is calculated by adding up the total number of Shares, then dividing the Merit Pool by the number of Shares.

The calculation will include both self-supporting and state-supported positions. Grant, contract, and other self-supporting funding sources should be used to pay their  Share of professional merit pay and the associated fringe costs. If grant, contract, or other self-supporting funding does not support a budget revision to include the merit increase, a merit increase will not be provided to associated positions.

A. Determining the Administrative Faculty Merit Pool:

  1. The Merit Pool is calculated using Institutional Base Salaries (prorated for FTE) for all eligible Administrative Faculty position classifications filled as of October 1st of the prior year.
  2. The Office of Human Resources will generate a report from Workday as of September 30th that provides necessary salary information and collaborate with the Office of Budget and Finance to calculate the merit pool by October 31st of each year.
  3. The Administrative Faculty Merit Pool will be one percent (1%) of the total of all eligible Institutional Base Salaries. See Appendix for an example.
  4. Fringe costs are not included in Merit Pool calculation.

B. Distribution of Merit Shares: Administrative Faculty Merit Pool funds are awarded based on annual evaluation ratings. Administrative Faculty who receive an overall rating of “commendable” or “excellent” are automatically eligible for a Share of the Merit Pool:

“Excellent”:                   2 Shares
“Commendable”:          1 Share

See Appendix for an example.

IV. Notice of Merit Pay

When an Administrative Faculty member has been awarded Merit Pay, the pay adjustment will be visible in Workday.

The official date of notification of Merit Pay awards for the purpose of review and grievance shall be (a) the first day of the fall semester or (b) the day the merit list is released to campus, whichever date is later. The Merit Pay list is considered a public record subject to disclosure.

V. Availability and Use of Merit Pool Funds

The provisions of this policy may be suspended for NSC or NSHE as a whole. Requests for suspension of the provisions of this section must be presented to the Board with justification and require approval of the Board. NSC will report annually to the Board on how the provisions of this section have been met (NSHE Handbook, Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 50).

VI. Review of Merit Pay Increase

Pursuant to Title 2, Chapter 5, Section 5.16 of NSHE Code, Administrative Faculty members who are in disagreement with their particular award of Merit Pay may seek review in accordance with the grievance process adopted in the NSC Bylaws.

RELATED INFORMATION

  • NSHE Code, Chapter 5, Section 5.12 Evaluation, 5.16 Review of Evaluations and/or Denials of Salary lncrease
  • NSHE Handbook, Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 50 Annual Professional Performance Pay Awards
  • NSC Bylaws, Chapter 6, Section 8 Evaluations; Chapter 6, Section 10 Merit Determinations; Chapter 6, Section 3-4 Grievance Procedures for Faculty

HISTORY

Replaces AD 1, adopted 12/31/2014.

APPROVALS

Approved by Dr. Sam Jewell, Faculty Senate Chair, 1/13/2022.
Approved by Dr. Vickie Shields, Provost, 1/14/2022.
Approved by Dr. DeRionne Pollard, President, 1/14/2022.

APPENDIX: SAMPLE CALCULATIONS

I. Example of Merit Pool Calculation

 If 50 Administrative Faculty made $70,000, the total Institutional Base Salary pool would be $3,500,000.

The total Administrative Faculty Merit Pool would be calculated as follows:

$3,500,000 x 1% = $35,000

 II. Example of Merit Share Distribution

 Each Faculty member is assigned shares for the ratings in the annual evaluation report.

Excellent = 2 shares
Commendable =  1 share

The value of one Merit Pay share is calculated by dividing the Merit Pool by the sum of Total Evaluation Shares.

Share Value = Merit Pool / Total Evaluation Shares

In a hypothetical year, the annual review ratings are as follows:

20 Administrative Faculty with Excellent = 40 Shares
30 Administrative Faculty with Commendable = 30 Shares
Total Evaluation Shares = 70

Example Merit Pay would be calculated as follows:

$35,000 Administrative Faculty Merit Pool / 70 Shares = $500 per Share

III. Example Administrative Faculty Merit Pay

Evaluation Rating

Initial Evaluation Shares

Merit Pay
Excellent 2 $1,000
Commendable 1 $500

Department Chairs Policy (AA 12)

POLICY STATEMENT

This policy explains the role, length of service, and selection process for Department Chairs. It replaces the Department Chairs policy approved in 2011.

This policy updates the previous policy by:

  • Revising the timeline for selecting a Department Chair;
  • Clarifying procedures for selecting a Department Chair;
  • Clarifying eligibility to serve as a Department Chair;
  • Establishing the Department Chairs’ length of service;
  • Establishing compensation for Department Chairs;
  • Revising the Faculty Feedback Form.

DEFINITIONS

Academic Faculty: Academic faculty as defined in NSHE Handbook Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 2.1.b generally consists of those professional staff members who specifically create and disseminate scholarly information through teaching, or provide counseling or library services closely and directly supportive of teaching and research.

A-Contract: A contract in which the base salary period is the full twelve (12) months of the fiscal year.

Acting Chair: A unit administrator appointed by a Dean in the case of a temporary absence of the Department Chair.

Administrators: A subset of the category defined in Section 1.1.b of the NSHE Code, to include President, Provost, Vice Presidents, Associate and Assistant Vice Presidents, Vice Provosts, and Deans.

B-Contract: A contract in which the base salary period is nine (9) months, though the actual number of days of contractual obligation may vary each year.

Department Chair (also sometimes referred to as “Chair”): Academic faculty member who teaches classes and serves as the leader of a department.

Election Coordinator: An individual appointed by a Dean to manage the nominations and voting process necessary to recommend a Department Chair.

Fiscal Year: The continuous twelve (12)-month period from July 1 of a year to June 30 of the following year.

Institutional Base Salary (IBS): The annual compensation paid by the College for an individual’s appointment, whether that individual’s time is spent on research, instruction, administration, or other activities. IBS excludes any income earned outside of duties stipulated in the employee’s basic appointment.

Instructional Course Release: A semester-long agreement for a full-time faculty member to have a reduced teaching load while receiving their normal academic salary.

Interim Chair: A unit administrator appointed by a Dean in the case of the removal or resignation of a Department Chair.

Sabbatical Leave: Paid leave to provide a faculty member opportunity for continued professional growth and new or renewed intellectual achievement.

Working Day: For the purposes of this policy, a Working Day is Monday through Friday when College classes are scheduled and in session during fall and spring semesters.

PROCEDURES

I. Role of Department Chairs

Department Chairs are both Administrators and academic colleagues (NSC Bylaws, Chapter 3, Section 2). They serve at the discretion of the President (NSHE Handbook Title 2, Chapter 1, Section 1.6.1.a). Their primary duties may include (but are not limited to):

  • Collaborating with relevant faculty and staff to schedule classes;
  • Addressing student concerns in an appropriate and timely manner;
  • Processing or consulting on student petitions, as needed;
  • Monitoring the departmental budget and approving expenses;
  • Proposing new positions and making strategic initiative requests;
  • Recruiting and hiring part-time faculty;
  • Completing annual performance evaluations of full-time faculty;
  • Performing or coordinating annual course observations for all full-time faculty;
  • Mentoring and supporting the professional growth of the faculty;
  • Promoting programs and degrees offered by the department;
  • Providing tangible support during the annual review and tenure processes by connecting faculty members to relevant campus resources.

Department Chairs are responsible for providing leadership for their unit and for collaborating with other units on projects for the benefit of the campus as a whole.

The Dean, in consultation with the Provost, assigns the Department Chair’s workload. As academic faculty, Department Chairs accumulate time toward a Sabbatical Leave and progress toward promotion per the Nevada State College Bylaws (Chapter 6, Section 12) and the Board of Regents Handbook (Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 15).

A. Eligibility to Serve as Chair: Full-time, tenure-track academic faculty are eligible to serve as Department Chair. Faculty on short-term or emergency contracts are not eligible.

B. Length of Service: Appointments are renewed annually; Department Chair elections and appointments occur every three (3) Fiscal Years unless a Chair resigns or is removed before the end of a full three-year term. Terms coincide with the Fiscal Year, beginning on July 1 following the Chair’s selection and ending June 30 in the final (third) year of the term. Department Chairs may not serve for more than six (6) consecutive Fiscal Years, not counting time served as an Interim Chair role or taken as Sabbatical Leave during a term.

C. Compensation: Department Chairs serve on A Contracts.

      1. The salaries of faculty on B Contracts are annualized from their nine-month Institutional Base Salary during their term serving as Chair.
      2. Chairs are awarded a $5,000 stipend per Fiscal Year of service as Chair.
      3. Department Chairs are granted Instructional Course Releases during each Fiscal Year of their service. The Dean approves the schedule for Instructional Course Releases and administers them in accordance with the Faculty Instructional Course Release Policy (see Section IV of that policy for specific limitations).
      4. Department Chairs accrue annual leave during their term of service as Chair; unused annual leave is forfeited at the end of a Department Chair’s term.

II. Department Chair Selection

The NSHE Handbook states that the President has ultimate authority for appointing Department Chairs:

The appointment of the heads of administrative units below the level of vice president within a System institution, including Department Chairs, and all other persons reporting directly to the institutional President shall be made by the President. In the process of making such an appointment, the President or his or her designee shall consult with faculty of the appropriate administrative unit. Persons appointed to such positions shall serve solely at the pleasure of the President. Department chairs as administrators shall be directly responsible to their supervisor or supervisors for the operation of their departments. (1.6.1.a)

In the evaluation of the Chair, and in cases of Chair resignation, temporary absence, or removal, the President may delegate authority to the Dean.

In the spirit of shared governance, the faculty in a unit provide a recommendation to the administration concerning the Chair appointment. This recommendation is derived from a vote that occurs in the spring semester of the Fiscal Year in which a Department Chair’s term is to expire.

A. Voting Eligibility: Full-time Academic Faculty in renewable positions within the affected unit are eligible to vote; Academic Faculty on emergency contracts are not eligible to vote.

B. Voting Process & Timeline

    1. The Dean (or designee) appoints an Election Coordinator to manage the election. The Election Coordinator must be outside of the affected department. The Dean (or designee) provides the Election Coordinator with a list of faculty who are eligible to serve as Department Chair as well as all faculty who are eligible to vote.
    2. The Election Coordinator is responsible for developing a timeline for the election process, with the intent of completing the voting process no later than the first week of March.
      • The Election Coordinator distributes information about the selection process and accepts nominations over a period of five (5) Working Days.
      • At the end of the nomination period, individuals who accept the nomination have five (5) Working Days to submit a statement of interest of no longer than two (2) single-spaced pages to the Election Coordinator; the statement of interest should address the responsibilities of the Department Chair and describe the candidate’s skills and abilities to serve.
      • The Election Coordinator distributes statements of interest to those faculty eligible to vote and collects votes in a confidential manner over a period of five (5) Working Days.
    1. When the voting period concludes, the Election Coordinator sends raw data from the vote (with any potentially identifying information, such as IP addresses, removed), a list of all candidates and the total number of votes received by each, and all statements of interest to the Dean and Faculty Senate Chair.
    2. The Dean forwards to the Provost the results of the faculty vote, the candidates’ statements of interest, and the Dean’s recommended choice for the Department Chair position, with a rationale for the recommendation.
    3. The Provost forwards a recommendation to the President.
    4. As per the NSHE Handbook, the President appoints all Department Chairs.

III. Resignation, Temporary Absence, or Removal from Office

A. Resignation: The Department Chair may voluntarily resign at any time. When possible, the resignation shall conform to the Fiscal Year, allowing the Department Chair to return to full-time teaching at the start of the normal B-Contract period. If the Department Chair must vacate the position immediately, the Dean, acting pursuant to delegated authority from the President, determines a departing Chair’s workload requirements in consultation with the departing Chair; the department Chair’s stipend (see Section I.C.2) is pro-rated based on the proportion of the Fiscal Year served.

B. Removal: The President may remove a Department Chair at any time. When possible, this should be done in consultation with faculty in the department affected and the Faculty Senate’s Executive Committee.

    1. Reasons for Removal: The President may choose to remove a Department Chair before the end of a full term for any of the following reasons:
      • An advisory vote of “no confidence” by a numerical majority (a minimum of fifty [50] percent plus one) of all full-time faculty on renewable contracts in the unit. A no-confidence vote may be organized by faculty in a unit in coordination with the Faculty Senate Chair;
      • Mismanagement of departmental resources;
      • Failure to fulfill the duties of Department Chair;
      • Other reasons as deemed appropriate by the President.

Since the Department Chair serves at the discretion of the President, there is no appeal process for removal, and removal is not subject to grievance procedures.

When possible, removal shall conform to the Fiscal Year, allowing the Department Chair to return to full-time teaching at the start of the normal B-Contract period. If the President determines that removal must occur immediately, the Dean, acting pursuant to delegated authority from the President, determines a departing Chair’s workload requirements in consultation with the departing Chair; the department Chair’s annual stipend (see Section I.C.2) is pro-rated based on the proportion of the Fiscal Year served.

C. Temporary Absence: The Dean, acting pursuant to delegated authority from the President, may allow a Department Chair to vacate the position temporarily. A temporary absence may last no more than one full Fiscal Year. In the case of a temporary absence, the Dean may appoint an Acting Chair or develop a coverage plan in consultation with the Department Chair who will be absent.

    1. Selecting an Acting Chair: An Acting Chair may be appointed by the Dean, acting pursuant to authority delegated by the President. For short temporary absences (no more than twenty-five [25] Working Days), the Dean (or designee) may coordinate with the Department Chair to develop a plan to cover the Chair’s duties and delegate signature authority without the formal appointment of an Acting Chair.

D. Refilling the Position after a Vacancy: If a Department Chair is removed or resigns, the Dean appoints an Interim Chair to serve until June 30 of that Fiscal Year. A new Department Chair is then selected in accordance with Section II above (Department Chair Selection) or on a timeline established by the Dean if the election period described in Section II.B has passed. The new Chair begins a three-year term on July 1.

IV. Faculty Feedback

To assist the Dean with evaluation of Department Chairs, the Academic Faculty of each unit shall have the opportunity to provide feedback concerning their Department Chair. The feedback, in summative form (see section IV.C, Anonymity), will be included in the Chair’s annual performance evaluation under Service and may be used in decisions involving the Chair’s annual review ratings. Individual feedback will not be shared with the Department Chair, nor will it become part of the Department Chair’s permanent personnel record. The Dean will take all available precautions to protect the anonymity of faculty members submitting feedback.

 A. Deadline: The Department Chair Feedback Survey is distributed in January; feedback is due to the Dean by January 31. Faculty feedback should cover the Chair’s activities from January 1-December 31 of the previous calendar year.

B. Evaluation Document: The Department Chair Feedback Survey contains standard, required questions; these questions are included as an appendix to this policy. Individual Schools, with the approval of Faculty Senate and the Provost, may include additional School-specific questions. The feedback survey addresses responsibilities as Department Chair, not as teaching faculty.

 C. Anonymity: To ensure accurate and honest feedback, all surveys are submitted anonymously through an online survey. The Dean (or designee) discusses the results with the Department Chair only in summary form. No information that could reveal the identity of any individual Academic Faculty member should be shared. This is intended to ensure confidentiality and allow for full disclosure from faculty members.

D. Administrative Faculty and Classified Staff: The Dean shall solicit feedback from non-academic faculty and administrative assistants who are supervised by, or work closely with, the Department Chair.

FORMS/INSTRUCTIONS

Department Chair Evaluation Survey
The feedback you provide should cover only the period from January 1 to December 31 of last year.

Section 1
Indicate your response to each statement by selecting the following:
5 = Strongly Agree
4 =Agree
3 = Undecided
2 =Disagree
1 = Strongly Disagree
N/A= Insufficient Information or Does Not Apply

Work Responsibilities
In my opinion, the Department Chair…

  1. Is reliable and follows through on commitments and responsibilities.
  2. Acts as an effective liaison between faculty/staff and college leadership.
  3. Involves faculty/staff in setting departmental priorities and decision-making.

Communication
In my opinion, the Department Chair…

  1. Responds to faculty/staff concerns in a timely manner.
  2. Reliably communicates information from college leadership.
  3. Is receptive to faculty/staff feedback and suggestions.

Concern and Fairness
In my opinion, the Department Chair…

  1. Exhibits professionalism and treats faculty, staff, and students with respect.
  2. Shows interest in helping faculty/staff in the department succeed.
  3. Resolves faculty/staff issues in an effective and professional manner.

Annual Evaluations
In my opinion, the Department Chair…

  1. Uses multiple sources of information to evaluate faculty members’ teaching.
  2. Provides concrete, evidence-based suggestions for improvement in annual reviews.
  3. Is thorough and provides concrete examples in the description of a faculty member’s performance.

Section 2
Indicate your level of satisfaction with each item by selecting the following:
5 = Strongly Agree
4 =Agree
3 = Undecided
2 =Disagree
1 = Strongly Disagree
N/A= Insufficient Information or Does Not Apply

How satisfied are you with each of the following?

  1. Your ability to set up a one-on-one meeting with the Chair when needed.
  2. The Chair’s communication with the department about news and/or initiatives.

Section 3
If you have additional comments, include them here.

RELATED INFORMATION

Faculty Instructional Course Release Policy (AA 10)

HISTORY

Original policy approved by President Leslie DiMare in 2011.

APPROVALS

Approved by Faculty Senate Chair Dr. Abby Peters, February 7, 2019.
Approved by Provost Dr. Vickie Shields, February 11, 2019.
Approved by President Bart Patterson, March 18, 2019.

Extra-Contractual Compensation Policy (HR 4)

POLICY STATEMENT

This policy establishes general provisions to cover the circumstances and limitations under which Extra-Contractual Compensation (ECC) may be appropriate for Nevada State College (NSC) employees who render services in excess of their normal workload, duties, and/or responsibilities. This policy applies to ECC paid to all NSC employees, regardless of the funding source, for any work at a Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) institution.

In order for NSC to provide Extra-Contractual Compensation to employees from federally-funded grants and contracts, NSC must follow an established, institution-wide policy that pertains to the payment of all ECC from all funding sources. This policy must comply with the Federal Cost Accounting Standards, specifically, 2 CFR 200 Uniform Guidance.

It is the purpose of this policy to define the parameters under which ECC, as it relates to various personnel and situations, may be paid and to establish the review criteria and procedure for the payment of such compensation, regardless of the source of funds.

DEFINITIONS

A-Contract: The base salary period is the full twelve (12) months of the Fiscal Year.

B-Contract: The base salary period is nine (9) months, including ninety (90) days in fall and eighty-five (85) days in spring; the specific contractual dates vary.

Extra-Contractual Compensation (ECC): Payment to an NSC employee (e.g., academic faculty, administrative faculty) for duties in excess of the normal workload that relates to the Institutional Base Salary or Extra-Contractual Compensation Minimum, whichever is higher. ECC constitutes payment beyond Institutional Base Salary and is not guaranteed. ECC is contract work that can include (but is not limited to) teaching overloads, administrative stipends, participation in professional development institutes, participation in sponsored projects, or other extra service obligations that go beyond primary role assignments.

Extra-Contractual Compensation (ECC) Cycle: Time period from the first day of the nine-month  academic year obligation period in August of each year through the last day of the summer term in the consecutive year.

Extra-Contractual Compensation (ECC) Minimum: A minimum alternative salary amount of $75,000 per Fiscal Year, used to calculated allowable ECC when an individual’s Institutional Base Salary (IBS) is $74,999 or below. The ECC Minimum will be evaluated and adjusted as needed every five (5) years.

Fiscal Year: The continuous twelve (12) month period from July 1 of a year to June 30 of the following consecutive year

Institutional Base Salary (IBS): The annual compensation paid by the College for an individual’s appointment, whether that individual’s time is spent on research, instruction, administration, or other activities. IBS excludes any income that an individual earns outside of duties stipulated in the employee’s basic appointment. Compensation over and above the employee’s IBS, for a given base salary period regardless of the source of funds (sponsored or non-sponsored), is not allowed for performance of regularly contracted duties. In certain situations, however, compensation in excess of the IBS may be justified. For purposes of computing ECC, any increase in IBS during an ECC Cycle are applied to the following ECC Cycle.

Off-Contract: Dates not covered under a B-Contract employment obligation period.

PROCEDURES

Payment of additional compensation is made via a Job Request in Workday. The reason for the additional compensation must be stated clearly in the Comment section.

The Office of Human Resources is the official source of information on the ECC status of faculty and staff.

I. Limits

A. Subject to limitations of this policy and the policy on faculty workload, A-Contract (12-month) employees are permitted to earn a maximum of 25% of their Institutional Base Salary or ECC Minimum, whichever is higher, as additional compensation, regardless of funding source, during each ECC Cycle.

B. Subject to limitations of this policy and the policy on faculty workload, B-Contract (9-month) employees are permitted to earn a maximum of 67% of their Institutional Base Salary, or ECC Minimum, whichever is higher, regardless of funding source, during each ECC Cycle.

C. In special situations, employees may request approval for an exception to the ECC limits from their appropriate Executive-Level approver (Provost, Vice President). Such requests must be received and approved before the activity for which ECC is sought begins. The Office of Human Resources will inform the Office of the Provost of any ECC-related contracts that violate the limits set in this policy if it is not accompanied by a proper advance approval.

II. Forms of Extra-Contractual Compensation

The sections below describe the different potential sources of ECC: teaching, administrative stipends, professional development participation, and sponsored projects. Compensation for any of these activities is subject to the limits set forth in Section I: Limits. Total compensation for all activities combined must fall within the maximum allowable ECC stated in Section I.

A. Teaching

1. Academic faculty on an A-Contract or B-Contract may teach and receive compensation for additional course(s) during the contract year. Where additional compensation may be paid, the following requirements apply:

i. The maximum overload for full-time A-Contract faculty is one (1) course per semester or winter/summer session. A-Contract faculty in primarily administrative positions (e.g., deans, vice provosts) are compensated at the part-time faculty teaching rate.

ii. The maximum overload for full-time B-Contract faculty is one (1) course per semester or winter session. B-Contract faculty may also teach a maximum of three (3) summer session (or equivalent off-contract period) courses; of those three (3) courses, two (2) courses are considered a full load for the off-contract period and one (1) is considered overload.

iii. The maximum overload for academic faculty shall not exceed a total of four courses in a Fiscal Year (12 months), July 1-June 30. The measurement is based on the course completion date.

iv. One course may carry up to, but not more than, five credits. Several courses (such as independent studies) may be considered ‘one class,’ but only up to a total of three credits.

v. Approval for ECC of Academic faculty for added teaching responsibilities is granted by the Dean or Director of Libraries. Exceptions to the semester/annual credit limitations must be requested through the Dean or Director of Libraries and approved by the Provost’s Office.

 2. Administrative faculty who want to engage in teaching activities at the request of an instructional unit may do so upon approval of their immediate supervisor. The faculty member may request additional compensation if the instructional activity is in addition to regular work duties and performed outside of normal working hours. Where additional compensation may be paid, the following requirements apply:

i. The administrative faculty member’s regular job requirements will be maintained and fulfilled.

ii. Instructional activities must occur outside of the employee’s normal working hours. Any exception to this must be approved by the Executive-Level Approver.

iii. The administrative faculty member may teach no more than one course per semester or winter/summer session. The one course may carry up to five credits, but not more than five. Several courses (such as independent studies) may be considered ‘one class,’ but only up to a total of three credits.

iv. Administrative faculty require approval from their immediate supervisor and must inform their hiring authority of their supervisor’s approval.

 

B. Administrative Stipends

A-Contract and B-Contract academic & administrative faculty members completing additional administrative duties may receive additional compensation in the form of administrative stipends.

 

C. Professional Development Participation

1. B-Contract academic faculty are allowed to participate in and receive additional compensation for professional development institutes held over the summer. They do not require special permission unless their participation will lead to effort that exceeds 100% or surpasses the maximum allowable annual overload. Exceptions in these instances must be requested through the Dean or Director of Libraries and approved by the Provost’s Office.

2. A-Contract academic faculty are allowed to participate in and receive additional compensation for professional development institutes held over the summer. Where additional compensation may be paid, the following requirements apply:

i. The academic faculty member’s regular job requirements will be maintained and fulfilled;

ii. The work completed is beyond their normal workload and assigned duties;

iii. A-Contract faculty must consult with their Dean or Director of Libraries on how they will maintain their regular work duties in addition to their participation. Participation must be requested through the Dean or Director of Libraries and approved by the Provost’s Office.

3. Administrative faculty are allowed to participate in and receive additional compensation for professional development institutes held over the summer. Where additional compensation may be paid, the following requirements apply:

i. The administrative faculty member’s regular job requirements will be maintained and fulfilled;

ii. The work completed is beyond their normal workload and assigned duties;

iii. Administrative faculty must consult with their immediate supervisor on how they will maintain their regular work duties in addition to their participation. Participation must be requested through the supervisor and approved by the appropriate Executive-Level approver.

 

D. Sponsored Project Participation

1. During the Academic Contract Period: For Academic Faculty (A or B Contract), completion of sponsored research during the academic year may be undertaken on a released-time basis. When an employee undertakes a sponsored research project on a released-time basis, the grant shall be charged for that portion of his/her time devoted to the project, per the terms of the grant/contract. The rate of compensation will be the same as that paid by the College.

In those instances where it is not possible for a faculty member to be released from regular College duties to undertake sponsored research projects, payments of ECC may be permitted in accordance with this policy, unless prohibited by the Dean or Director of Libraries. It is understood that ECC duties will be undertaken only when the additional duties will not interfere with regular duties.

Academic faculty should work with their Department Chair and Dean or Director of Libraries to determine if release time or ECC is appropriate. If ECC is approved, the Dean or Director of Libraries must inform the Provost and Office of Sponsored Projects on the additional allowable effort. ECC must be requested through the Dean or Director of Libraries and approved by the Provost’s Office.

2. During Off-Contract Periods: B-Contract faculty are allowed to participate in and receive additional compensation for sponsored project activities completed over the summer. Research compensation during the summer months (or other periods not included in the base salary period) is to be calculated for each faculty member at a rate not in excess of the IBS divided by the period to which the base salary relates. The maximum amount of sponsored projects activity that may be earned during the summer is 1/3 of the faculty member’s IBS; funding agencies may set lower limits. Where additional compensation may be paid, the following requirements apply:

i. If a faculty member is working on several projects during an off-contract period, care must be taken to ensure that accurate effort reporting is certified (e.g., teaching; sponsored projects).

ii. ECC must be requested through the Dean or Director of Libraries and approved by the Provost’s Office.

3. Administrative Faculty may receive a buyout of all or a portion of their time using a sponsored agreement. Buyouts must be approved by the Administrative Faculty member’s direct supervisor and the appropriate Executive.

FORMS/INSTRUCTIONS

 Route for Approval:

1. Academic Faculty requests: Department Chair (if applicable) → Dean → Provost

2. Administrative Faculty requests: Supervisor → Executive-Level Approver

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS

Office of the Provost
Provost Vickie Shields
702-992-2634
provost@nsc.edu

Finance and Business Operations
Kevin Butler, Senior Vice President of Finance & Business Operations
702-992-2312
kevin.butler@nscedu

RELATED INFORMATION

Academic Workload Policy

HISTORY

  • ECC Policy approved May 2018. Clarifying language added and distributed September 2018.
  • Replaces AA 6, approved May 8, 2018.

Approvals

Approved by Provost Dr. Vickie Shields, May 2, 2022.
Approved by President DeRionne Pollard, July 1, 2022.