Policy on Faculty Workload Credits in Applications Seeking External Support

Principles for approval of requests for workload credits 

Faculty members are expected to have a workload equivalent to 18 faculty workload credits per year or an average of 36 workload credits over two years.  Subsequent to meeting the above requirement:

• • A faculty member may submit requests for workload credits toward the 18-credit annual workload in applications seeking extramural support, but shall receive no more than three extramurally-supported workload credits across all applications awarded during an academic year.
  • Under exceptional circumstances, a faculty member may submit requests for additional workload credits in applications seeking extramural support, but shall receive no more than six extramurally-supported workload credits across all applications awarded during an academic year.
  • All requests for workload credits in applications seeking extramural support must be approved by the faculty member’s Department Chair or Program Director and the Dean of the Faculty/Vice President for Academic Affairs.
  • All requests for workload credits in applications seeking extramural support that require the hiring of a faculty member must be reviewed with Loretta Greenholtz, Space Management and Planning Coordinator for Academic Affairs.

Principles for costing out workload credits in an application seeking extramural support

1)      The following budgeted rates will be used:

Applications submitted through the Office of Sponsored Research

The rate budgeted for workload credits in an extramural application is benchmarked at 4.5% of the base salary of the faculty member multiplied by the number of workload credits requested, plus the applicable fringe benefits rate in effect at the time the workload credits are applied.

Applications submitted through the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations

The rate budgeted for a faculty workload release (equivalent to 3-4 workload credits) in an extramural application is benchmarked at $10,000 plus the applicable fringe benefits rate in effect at the time the faculty workload release is taken. However, in the event of extraordinary budget constraints or limitations imposed by the sponsor, the rate budgeted may be reduced with advance approval of the Dean of the Faculty/Vice President for Academic Affairs to an amount that is the greater of $6,000 plus the applicable fringe benefits rate or the current per credit plus the applicable fringe benefits rate.

2)   In the event that workload credit costs are budgeted as institutional matching/cost-sharing expenses or institutional contributions, the costs shall be based on the formula used in applications submitted through the Office of Sponsored Research.

 

^{Approved 7/23/2026 by DOF/VPAA}