Administrative Leadership Appointments for Tenured or Tenure-Track Faculty Policy

Administrative Leadership Appointments for Tenured or Tenure-Track Faculty Policy
Type of Policy
Administrative
s1polics Mon, 11/30/2015 - 11:05
Effective Date:
Last Revised:
Review Date:
Policy Owner
Office of the Provost
Contact Name
Michelle Rinehart
Contact Title
Vice Provost for Faculty
Contact Email
michelle.rinehart@gatech.edu
Reason for Policy

This policy guides the appointment of any tenured or tenure-track faculty member to an administrative leadership position at Georgia Tech, on either a regular or interim basis. Examples of these positions include, but are not limited to:

  • vice president/provost
  • dean
  • school chair
  • associate dean
  • associate chair
  • academic program director
  • director of graduate or undergraduate studies
  • director of a research institute or center
  • appointments to leadership roles for a limited term or interim period
Policy Statement

All appointments of tenured or tenure-track faculty to administrative leadership positions are subject to the approval of the faculty member’s school chair, dean/division head, and the Office of Faculty Affairs. Administrative leaders who will report to a dean/division head or higher also require the approval of the related executive (Provost or EVPR). Regular administrative leadership positions should be filled via competitive search.

The payment of supplemental pay for administrative duties is at the discretion of the hiring manager based on the nature of the appointment and the context of the faculty member’s current compensation. Administrative stipends are not and should not be used as a tool to increase a faculty member’s base salary. Nothing in this policy is intended to imply that all appointments to administrative leadership positions require the payment of an administrative stipend or provision of other support.

Appointment Contract, Terms, and Supplemental Pay by Position
The type of contract, length of term, and amount of supplemental pay will be based on the type of administrative appointment. Administrative stipends are not a means for addressing salary inequity.

Supplemental pay may be added to a faculty member’s base salary in return for additional responsibilities and duties associated with a leadership role within the unit/school/lab, college/division, or at the Institute level. The calculation of annual merit or other salary adjustment that may occur while serving in the administrative leadership role will be applied to the stipend and base salary in accordance with applicable USG policies.

The table below provides expected contract and terms for faculty administrative leadership appointments. Any appointment outside these terms would be an exception to this policy and require the approval of the Provost.

Faculty Administrative Leadership Appointments Guidelines

 

Title/Position

 

Contract Type

 

Term

Stipend Range per Contract Year

dean

12-months/fiscal

5 years*

$35K-$50K

school chair

12-months/fiscal

5 years*

$20K-$35K

vice provost/vice president

9-months/academic OR 12-months/fiscal depending on the requirements of the position

5 years**

$20K-$35K

associate dean

3-5years**

$15K-$25K

Any administrative leadership appointments in academic, research units not named above, including, but not limited to: associate chair, academic program director, associate vice provost, associate vice president, director of graduate or undergraduate studies, or director of a research institute or center

3-5 years**

$5K-$20K

*These terms are dictated by Faculty Handbook sections 3.3.10 and 3.3.11.
**Shorter terms are possible at the discretion of the supervisor, but terms should be consistent within a unit unless otherwise justified.

 Additional Requirements Regarding Supplemental Pay:

  • Major units (i.e. colleges, Office of the Provost, Office of the EVPR, or similar) should strive for consistency of supplemental pay for similar positions and consistent with the ranges.
  • The amount of stipend applied within the stated range should be directly proportionate to the size, complexity, and level of the unit being overseen.
  • An individual who may be serving on an academic year (9-month) contract who is appointed to an administrative leadership position that requires a fiscal year (12-month) contract will realize an increase in base salary in the conversion from 9-month to 12-month contract. That salary increase is not intended to replace the additional administrative stipend.
  • Stipend amounts should be paid as a dollar amount within the range and NOT as a percentage of salary.
  • In rare circumstances, a faculty member may hold more than one administrative leadership position and receive more than one stipend; however, the supervisor(s) must ensure that the total salary and expected workload is reasonable to the roles.

Reappointments to Administrative Leadership Positions
Generally, reappointments to administrative leadership positions are possible following a successful administrative review of the faculty member. The Faculty Handbook outlines comprehensive review procedures for school chairs and deans in sections 3.3.10 and 3.3.11, respectively. Deans, school chairs, and vice provosts/vice presidents have discretion to implement reappointment review processes to determine the length, terms, and numbers of reappointments for other administrative leadership positions within their school, college or unit. The terms, stipend, and length of the reappointment may be different than the initial appointment. Conditions for reappointment should be stated in the appointment letter.

Other Possible Support Provided to Faculty in Administrative Leadership Positions
Departments/units may opt to provide any of the following additional support mechanisms to faculty serving in administrative roles. Any additional support should be consistent with department norms and be clearly stated in appointment and reappointment letters, and is subject to applicable Institute and USG policies. Support mechanisms may include, but are not limited to:

  • summer salary (for faculty on 9-month contracts)
  • professional development funds
  • access to discretionary funds
  • travel funds for conferences
  • course(s) release during appointment and after appointment has ended
  • office space
  • student or postdoc/staff support for research activities
  • administrative staff support
  • professional/research leave following appointment (as allowed by applicable Institute and USG policy)

Appointments to Administrative Leadership Positions on an Interim Basis
Faculty members may be asked to step into one of the above listed or similar leadership roles for an interim time period, typically not to exceed one year. The additional compensation provided for the interim period should be proportionate to the level of the leadership role or administrative duties and the complexity and size of the unit.

Payment of additional compensation for interim leadership and administrative duties is at the discretion of the hiring supervisor, subject to approval of Faculty Affairs, and should be based on workload and current responsibilities. Interim appointments do not require 12-month contracts. Any additional compensation associated with serving in an administrative leadership position on an interim basis should not be included in the calculation of merit pay in compliance with USG Policy.

Appointment and Salary Funding Requirements - General
While a tenured or tenure-track faculty member serves in the administrative leadership position, their work department will be the department in which their administrative appointment is held. This may be different than the home department, which is the department where the initial or original faculty appointment is held. The work department will pay their salary unless a different agreement has been reached between the departments.

If, while serving in an administrative appointment, an individual receives an increase to their base salary from new workload or funded by the work department of the administrative appointment, those funds shall be transferred to the base salary line in the home department upon the individual’s return to their home department.

An administrative appointment may be terminated at the pleasure of the appointment supervisor.

Salary Funding Requirements - Tenured/Tenure-track Faculty Members with Rank
The individual’s status as a member of the faculty in their home (academic) department(s) remains unchanged. Tenured faculty will retain tenure. Academic rank does not change.

The home college will retain the individual's faculty salary, as well as the faculty line. At the discretion of the Dean of the home college, the salary funds may be used to support a replacement faculty member, or temporary/part-time or visiting faculty to assist with teaching load.
Upon the individual’s return to their regular faculty position in their home academic department after serving in an administrative leadership role, the school or college will be responsible to cover the base salary with existing salary funds or other funds available to them.

Letter of Appointment Requirements
When appointed to an administrative role on either a permanent or interim basis, the letter of offer/appointment should follow the template found here.

Exceptions
Alternate arrangements may be negotiated based on market or exceptional needs, or circumstances with approval from the Office of Faculty Affairs and the Office of the Provost and subject to all applicable USG and GT policies.

Scope

This policy applies to administrative leadership appointments when the individual simultaneously holds a faculty title.

Policy History
Revision Date Author Description
September 2021                                Office of the Provost                              Updates to salary and contract terms, and salary management when returning to faculty roles.
February 2016 Office of the Provost Codify existing Provost policy