| Policy Title | Extra Service Compensation for Faculty and Professional Employees |
|---|---|
| Responsible Office | Human Resources |
| Policy Type | Personnel and Payroll |
| Policy Number | 624 |
| Last Revision Date | 1/11/2024 |
General Information
Rules and regulations surrounding extra service compensation within the State University of New York are grounded in several state documents and publications including the the and other guiding memoranda from SUNY. While this information will be included again in the body of this policy, these limitations are critical:
- No faculty or professional employee may earn more than 20% of his or her base salary in extra service compensation during a given calendar year. In the case of faculty, they are allowed to earn additional extra service compensation after their academic year obligation has been fulfilled, during summer months as indicated below.
- Extra service work has to be reviewed and approved for payment prior to when the work commences either on or off campus.
- The extra service request form has to be completed by the department paying the employee with that department director's or dean's (dean only in the absence of a director) original signature, as well as a pay transaction HR Form. This must be forwarded to the Office of Human Resources for processing. This form, with approval signature, is required by the Office of the State Comptroller and SUNY System Administration before payment can occur and is available on line on the Human Resources website (/human-resources/) or from the Office of Human Resources in Couper Administration, Room 244.
- SUNY System Administration establishes the maximum amount of additional extra service compensation faculty members may earn during the summer months.
Faculty
Faculty who are performing certain duties that are in addition to their normal obligations may be paid for such services via the extra service mechanism. Faculty on a leave such as a Sabbatical or Title F are not eligible to earn extra service compensation. These additional services may include credit or non-credit instruction. While the exact requirements for eligibility for extra service compensation may vary according to the particular situation, under no circumstances may the total remuneration exceed 20% of base salary during the academic year; in addition, faculty may earn 1/9 of base salary per month during the summer months.
Faculty members may not be paid for giving lectures or other performances on campus outside of regular courses during the academic year, except as part of approved non-credit course instruction.
Forms Required for On-Campus Extra Service
The office, department's office, or dean’s office initiating the extra service payment is required to complete the extra service request form prior to the individual beginning their additional work as well as the pay transaction HR Form. We realize this is not always possible and that in some instances, such as class coverage, work must begin prior to official approval. However, every effort should be made to receive approval prior to work beginning. The form with the original signature must be submitted to the Office of Human Resources as well as a copy for the appropriate supervisors. The Office of Human Resources will ensure that the appropriate account is charged for these payments. The extra service request form must include the amount of money to be paid, the duties to be performed, the start and end date of the work, and the account to be charged. This information will be reviewed by the Assistant Director of Human Resources and if it fits within acceptable University guidelines for extra service payments, it will be approved. The Office of Human Resources will enter the information in appropriate campus systems to generate the payments in the next available/appropriate payroll.
Approved extra service request forms received after all the work is completed will be paid in a lump sum upon receipt of the approved form. Payment associated with forms submitted after the extra service work has begun will be processed as expeditiously as possible. HR will divide payments due over the pay periods appropriate to the work schedule, with the final payment being made after the work is completed.
Compensation for Summer and Winter Sessions Teaching
Faculty members with an academic year obligation may teach for additional compensation during the summer and winter. The amount of compensation allowable for faculty teaching during the summer is established by the System Administration office in Albany and is as follows.
The maximum amount of compensation for summer duties, including instruction, is 1/9 of the faculty member's base salary per month of non-obligation. Summer session compensation may be received in addition to other extra service monies as indicated above but must stay within the 1/9 per month limit. Winter session is taught during the faculty member's months of obligation and counts towards their calendar year 20% maximum
Faculty members who have twelve-month obligations may receive additional compensation for teaching during the summer and winter sessions under the usual rules for extra service.
Compensation for Other Instructional Activities
All credit courses taught in a faculty members’ school or program are generally considered part of his or her teaching obligation. Extra compensation during the academic year for credit instructions offered by a faculty member’s own unit may be approved by the Dean only when such instruction is given through approved extension courses offered at off campus locations and is financed through the IFR process or other non-state funding. With appropriate approvals from the Dean, faculty may teach credit courses at other schools of ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ during the academic year for additional compensation. Such teaching should be strictly limited and cannot detract from the primary obligations of faculty to their home school. Only those faculty members who are teaching at least two regularly scheduled four credit courses per semester (not counting independent studies or courses that fail to meet the University’s minimum enrollment standards) with a total student enrollment equal to at least the average taught by faculty in their units, will normally be considered eligible to undertake credit instruction in other schools for extra compensation during the academic year.
Except in rare instances, faculty members do not usually teach courses at other colleges or universities for additional compensation during the academic year. Approval of the Dean and Provost is required for such teaching as well as the completion of required paperwork through the Human Resources Office - the UP 8 form. The UP 8 form is required by the SUNY System Administration and the Office of the State Comptroller.
Faculty members may, with the prior approvals of the Deans of their units and the Executive Director of the Center for Innovative and Continuing Education, teach non-credit courses for additional compensation during the academic year under certain conditions. The teaching of non-credit courses should be strictly limited, and cannot detract from the primary obligations of faculty to the University. Only those faculty members who are teaching at least two regularly scheduled four-credit courses per semester (not counting independent studies or courses that fail to meet the University's minimum enrollment standards) with a total student enrollment equal to at least the average taught by faculty in their units, will normally be considered eligible to undertake non-credit instruction for extra compensation during the academic year.
Extra Compensation for Research Activities
Faculty members at ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ may receive additional compensation from externally sponsored projects during semesters in which they are serving full time within established limits (20% of their base salary per calendar year). Faculty members on academic year appointments may receive compensation from sponsored projects at a maximum rate of 1/9 of their academic year salary per month for a maximum of three (3) months during the summer after their academic obligation has been completed. This maximum includes any extra service compensation they receive for summer session instruction or other duties on the state payroll. Exceptions to this policy, sometimes possible with certain sponsorship, must be approved in advance by the Dean of their unit and the Vice President for Research. Faculty members may combine teaching with service on research contracts or grants during the semesters when they are not on regular full time service. Appropriate distributions of salary will be made from the respective sources, but at no time may the total compensation exceed 1/9 of the base salary per month of service.
Professional Employees (non-faculty)
In keeping with the concept of professionalism, most duties assigned to and performed by professional employees are considered to fall within their normal obligation to the University and therefore are not subject to overtime payments or extra service compensation. However, certain assigned activities of professional employees may render them eligible for extra service:
Instructional Activities
A professional employee may receive extra service compensation for instructional activities (credit or non-credit) performed under a faculty title unless this work is part of their professional performance program. Such extra service compensation shall be approved by their immediate supervisor, the Dean of their unit and the Associate Vice President for Human Resources prior to the teaching of the course. Appropriate description of the work to be performed shall be contained on the required extra service request form. The same procedure will be followed as indicated for instructional faculty as noted in this procedure with regard to the form completion.
Other than Instructional Activities
Policies for extra service compensation for other than instructional activities are restrictive and are intended to uphold the fundamental distinctions between the professional service and the classified service. Such compensation may be allowed, however, when all of the following conditions are met:
- The immediate supervisor has to attest to the fact that the performance of the additional service will not interfere with the individual's normal professional obligation.
- The work has to clearly involve only activities and expertise that fall outside of the employee’s normal professional obligation and relationship to their department and the University.
- The work has to be performed in and for a unit other than the one to which they are assigned.
The activities that do not clearly meet all of these conditions are considered to be ineligible for extra service. It is intended that these conditions be applied rigorously and that the administrative review process be carried out on the presumption that all activities of a professional employee fall under his or her normal obligation unless the specific conditions clearly demonstrate otherwise.
Extra Service Performed Outside of the ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ Campus - Faculty or Professional Staff
Should a faculty member or professional staff express interest in performing work at another state agency, they must request this from their immediate supervisor. In addition, the Associate Vice President for Human Resources must review the request to be sure it falls within guidelines required by the state. In considering approval, the supervisor must attest to the fact that the performance of the extra service will not interfere with their full professional obligation on campus. The employee is required to complete the necessary paperwork required by SUNY and the Office of the State Comptroller (for UUP professionals, the UP 8 form; for M/C professionals, the UP 6 form), available in the Office of Human Resources. This paperwork may vary depending on whether the extra service is being performed for another SUNY or another state agency. Approval must occur prior to the work being performed.
Process for Extra Service Payments
It is the responsibility of the faculty or professional staff person to seek approval from their immediate supervisor to do the work involved with the extra service payments. As with all offers of employment, all extra service requires prior approval (both budgetary and appropriateness of work) before a formal offer is made and prior to the commencement of any work. It is the responsibility of the department paying the extra service to work with the employee being paid to complete the required extra service request form and pay transaction HR Form. Therefore, whenever possible and prior to the commencement of the work, the end-user department within the system responsible for paying the faculty or staff member shall sign and forward the extra service request form, as well as a Pay Transaction, with an explanation of the work to be performed and the proposed compensation to the Associate Vice President or Assistant Director for Human Resources for review. This information has to be accompanied by some communication from the supervisor of the employee that they deem the extra service acceptable, subject to final review by Human Resources. The explanatory portion of the form is the method used at the University at the present time to route the required information to the Dean or Director of the appropriate unit and the Associate Vice President for Human Resources. If approved, the Office of Human Resources will notify the department and the employee via email of the approval and the targeted payment dates.
Contacts:
Associate Director of Human Resources, 607-777-6613
Associate Vice President for Human Resources, 607-777-2187