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Administrative Compensation and Budgeted Time

COE POLICY-4

Background

On June 24, 2004, the first college-wide policy on administrative compensation was approved. One of the goals during the development of the policy was to move toward standards for compensation across all departmental administrative roles that were transparent and equitable while enabling departments to meet their unique departmental needs. Another goal was that the policy would be reviewed annually and revised as needed as implementation problems became apparent. A minor revision of the policy was approved on June 23, 2006. That revision moved from 5% of EFT as the metric for determining the number of administrative units available to departments, to a metric of 4% of total EFT for determining administrative units.

While the original policy and its revision served the need for transparency and equity at the time they were developed, there has been on-going concern that the use of a single metric (EFT) did not capture the complexity of departments. Another unintended consequence of the original policy was the preservation of pre-reorganization administrative structures that have prevented cross-program integration within departments. Current program coordinators often perform duties completed by reorganization department heads. Current department heads often function like reorganization school directors but of smaller units.

A revision of this compensation policy is needed that includes the multiple metrics that are being used to evaluate the College, such as CHP and degrees conferred. Departmental leadership structures need to change in ways that promote greater departmental integration and preserve instructional resources for our core mission. The goals of the revised policy are to:

  1. Provide transparent and equitable compensation for departmental leadership
  2. Provide a stable structure for long-term management of departments by creating a mechanism for succession planning
  3. Tie leadership roles to budgeted time that can be recognized in P&T, annual review, and merit

Policy Goals

Material in the section below is from the original policy and remains unchanged.

  1. Increase efficiency by reducing the percentage of administrative costs per student credit hour. The administrative cost per student credit hour will have to be determined annually for each department.
  2. Maintain the equitable allocation of administrative resources proportionate to EFT across the college. Ultimately, establish a college-wide maximum standard for the percentage of administrative cost per student credit hour.
  3. Ensure departments have flexibility in making administrative assignments to accommodate differences in workloads due to CHP, EFT, field supervision, number of program majors, or faculty preferences for different types of compensation.
  4. Annually review the administrative compensation described here to ensure equity across the college and revise as needed as implementation problems become apparent.

Department Head Compensation

Section below is from the original policy and remains unchanged.

  1. All department heads will be employed on an academic year (9-month) contract.
  2. Department heads can earn up to 23.3% of their base salary for administration during the Summer. They can earn as much as an additional 10% of their base salary from external contracts or grants, by teaching a Summer course from those resources allocated to the department for Summer instruction, or by applying to the dean for additional administrative funds for special projects requiring Summer work.
  3. All department heads will receive a base administrative supplement of $8,000. For departments exceeding 20 full-time faculty members, and for each 5 thereafter, an additional $500 will be added each year to this base supplement.
    • $8,000 for 1 - 20
    • $8,500 for 21 - 25
    • $9,000 for 26 - 30
    • $9,500 for 30 - 35

Proposed Model for Departmental Leadership

The College’s departments have different sizes and configurations of undergraduate and graduate degree programs. In order to support this variation, metrics for determining the budgeted time for departmental leaders would include EFT, CHP, and degrees conferred.

Each department will have a minimum of seven (7) units of budgeted time for managing the department. Some departments will earn more units based on the EFT, CHP, or graduate degrees conferred as described below. Some departments will have unique needs for additional support such as an on-going training director or accreditation director. In these situations, department heads may propose to assign service time to a faculty member other than the associate department head or graduate coordinator.

Proposals for covering these unique needs should be submitted to the Associate Dean for Academic Programs the semester before the assignment takes place. This associate dean will communicate to the department head the outcome of the Dean’s Cabinet proposal review.

Determining Budgeted Time for All Departmental Leaders

  1. Budgeted time would be calculated annually.

    • As metrics change (faculty EFT, CHP, degrees conferred), annual changes can be made to budgeted time. The three-year rolling averages would be calculated in January and February so that any changes can be discussed during the annual review process and be in place at the beginning of each academic year.
    • For associate department heads, graduate coordinators, or other departmental leaders a maximum of three units (.281) can be changed to Service EFT. Faculty members who assume leadership roles may have less time to devote to research or instruction and this should be recognized in their budgeted time. This will allow a fair evaluation of annual reviews and during the promotion process.

  2. Department head’s administrative time will be based on a three-year rolling average of faculty EFT since department heads have the responsibility for evaluating faculty and addressing personnel issues that arise. Both full-time and part-time faculty EFT would be included in the average. The distribution of this time relative to instruction and research will be negotiated during annual reviews. At a minimum, all department heads will be expected to teach at least 1 course per year. There will be two levels of budgeted EFT for department heads

    • 21 EFT three year rolling average - .469 EFT budgeted time for administration (62.5%)
    • ≤20.999 EFT three year rolling average - .375 EFT budgeted time for administration (50%)

  3. The graduate coordinator’s budgeted service time will be based on a three year rolling average of total degrees conferred since most of their work relates to students. Degrees conferred focuses on the outcome of the programs. The distribution of this time relative to instruction and research will be negotiated during annual reviews. At a minimum, all graduate coordinators will be expected to teach at least 2 courses per year.

    • 75 graduate degrees conferred year rolling average – 3 units, .281 EFT budgeted for service (37.5%)
    • ≤74 graduate degrees conferred year rolling average - 2 units, .188 EFT budgeted for service (25%)

  4. Budgeted service time for the associate department head or other departmental leaders will be based on the three-year rolling average of CHP. There will be two levels of budgeted EFT for service. The distribution of this time relative to instruction and research will be negotiated during annual reviews. At a minimum, all associate department heads or other departmental leaders will be expected to teach at least two courses per year.

    • 10,000 CHP three year rolling average – 3 units, .281 EFT budgeted for service (37.5%)
    • ≤9,999 CHP three year rolling average – 2 units, .188 EFT budgeted for service (25%)

  5. Where department heads are serving multiple roles (i.e., department head and graduate coordinator) their budgeted time for leadership activities will not exceed the total time used if two individuals had these responsibilities and will include budgeted time for administration and service.

Summer Program Management Support

Each department will receive a minimum of $5,000 to be used for Summer program support activities. This money will be divided among the associate head, the graduate coordinator, or other departmental leaders based on the Summer responsibilities of each one.

Periodic Departmental Needs

Departments may have a special need for additional support when departmental or program self-studies must be written. In these situations, department heads may propose to assign service time to a faculty member other than the associate department head or graduate coordinator for a limited time. These proposals should be submitted to the Associate Dean for Academic Programs the semester before the assignment takes place. This associate dean will communicate to the department head the outcome of the Dean’s Cabinet proposal review.

Policy approved June 24, 2004, by the Academic Cabinet

Last revision February 8, 2012