Course Buyout Request

The College of Journalism and Mass Communications will allow faculty members to buyout one class per year provided she/he meets the necessary criteria.

The primary concern that must be addressed when a faculty member applies for teaching buyout is the need to maintain a high-quality educational program at the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. It is also important that teaching buyouts be consistent with college policies and that guidelines for granting buyout be consistently applied across the college. Further, the process should be transparent in that the faculty members utilizing a buyout and the rate of each buyout are disclosed to the entire college.

The following criteria provide the basic guidelines by which faculty buyout requests will be considered:

1. Buyouts are intended to provide release time for faculty with research commitments and external funding. The extent of a faculty member’s research commitment and external funding will be considered when buyout requests are evaluated.
2. Buyouts are intended to benefit the College by enhancing research productivity without adversely affecting teaching.
3. The cost of a buyout of a single course will be 12.5% of a faculty member’s academic year salary.
4. If the cost of hiring an adjunct to teach the affected course is greater than 12.5% of the faculty member’s academic year salary, the Dean may request a higher buyout amount.
5. Adjuncts must be capable of providing a high quality of instruction. The Associate Dean will seek input from faculty within the affected program regarding the best available instructor, including individuals outside of those nominated in the request for a buyout. The final decision regarding selection of a lecturer will rest with the Dean. The decision will be based upon the Dean’s evaluation of which of the possible candidates will provide the best educational program for the students. It is important to note that faculty buyout is a privilege that may not be available due to a shortage of qualified lecturers.

CoJMC Faculty interested in a course buyout must formally request the buyout in writing. The request must be submitted 90 days before the beginning of a semester to the appropriate associate dean in order to allow maximum flexibility in determining the appropriateness of the request and adjusting teaching assignments to maintain educational quality. If the associate dean approves of the request, they will forward to the dean for final approval. The written request for buyout must include the following information:

1. The number and name of the course(s) to be bought out.
2. An explanation of the purpose of the buyout that identifies faculty member’s intended use of the additional time and how the buyout will benefit the college.
3. Identification of the source of the buyout funds.
4. The significance of the faculty member’s research and external funding during the semester for which the buyout is requested.
5. Identification of possible adjuncts that can teach the class. The candidate’s resume and a summary of his/her teaching and professional experience should also be provided. Finally, the candidate’s relationship to the faculty proposing the buyout should be clearly explained, including potential conflicts of interest.

Other limitations on faculty buyout include:

1. Even when someone buys out of a class during the year, course buyout is not the equivalent of faculty development leave or a leave of absence. Faculty are expected to continue to work with students, supervise graduate students and fulfill college service requirements.
2. The Chancellor’s Faculty Residency Policy must continue to be observed. This policy states that faculty members are expected to be present on campus in order to hold office hours, teach, and advise students. (Faculty Residency Policy).
3. UNL’s policy on outside employment must continue to be observed. This policy requires that any outside employment requiring more than two days a month must be approved by the board of regents. (Outside Activity Policy).
4. UNL’s travel policy requires faculty to notify the Dean any time they are away from campus during their academic appointment, including both business and personal travel. Faculty must also notify the dean when they are participating in business-related travel at times not during their appointment (i.e. summer). When travel is funded by the university faculty must obtain approval of a memo of absence and a pre-travel authorization in Firefly. When travel is funded through other means or is personal in nature, approval of a memorandum of absence must be obtain. This policy must continue to be observed during all course buyout situations.