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Faculty Handbook: Guidelines for Faculty Compensation

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In the computation of faculty salaries at the time of appointment, one full year of professional activity as an educator at the post-secondary level with a full load (equivalent to 20- 22 semester credits) transfers as one full year of experience at Whitworth with corresponding placement on the faculty salary scale. Postsecondary teaching activity in other roles (adjunct faculty, summer university programs, etc.) can be accumulated to arrive at the equivalent of full years. Supervised postsecondary teaching activity as a graduate teaching fellow or assistant in graduate school, carried out while completing doctoral work, will not count as transferable
equivalent experience; autonomous or unsupervised teaching responsibilities may be acceptable.

Ordinarily, two full years of professional activity as an educator below the postsecondary level will transfer as one full year of collegiate experience for the computation of salary. Exceptions shall be made in cases where teaching experience below the postsecondary level is a prerequisite or a highly desirable qualification for one's university teaching assignment.

Ordinarily, three full years of professional activity in an enterprise allied to one's academic discipline but not within an academic institution will transfer as one year, unless that activity may be regarded as research at a level comparable to academic work, in which case, it may transfer on a one year to one year basis. Other exceptions may be made in cases where nonacademic experience is a prerequisite or a highly desirable qualification for one's teaching assignment.

The calculations for tenure and promotion may result in a value of full-time equivalent years different from the value utilized for the faculty salary schedule

4.1 COMPENSATION FOR REGULAR FACULTY ON FULL TIME APPOINTMENTS
4.1.1 Compensation for regular faculty members is made according to the faculty salary schedule. Proposals for changes in the salary schedule and other conditions of employment are made to the Faculty Assembly by the faculty Economic Welfare Committee (see 2.2.4.3). The Faculty Assembly presents its proposals in the form of resolutions to the administration through the dean of faculty. The dean of faculty makes his or her recommendation on faculty compensation to the Cabinet and the president. The faculty is also represented at the regular meetings of the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board by the chair of the Faculty Economic Welfare Committee, who, in consultation with the dean of faculty, may prepare and present information relating to faculty compensation.

It is the responsibility of the Faculty Economic Welfare Committee to review the internal structure of the faculty salary schedule and to make recommendations for changes and improvements in its arrangement to the Faculty Assembly, and through the dean of faculty to the administration.

4.1.2 The procedure for the issuance of contracts is defined in Section 3.5.

4.1.3 Regular faculty members are paid in 12 equal payments for the work done during the academic year.

4.1.4 Regular faculty members may arrange to teach one or more of the courses of their contracted course load in the evening university. Such arrangements must be approved by the department chair, by the responsible administrator of the evening university program, and by the dean of faculty. No additional compensation will be paid for such courses.

4.1.5 The contracted faculty member may arrange the reduction of the paid out salary in order to gain income tax advantages, to deposit tax-sheltered funds, and to increase contributions to the retirement plan. Such arrangements require the completion of a written agreement with the vice president for business affairs.

4.2 COMPENSATION FOR REGULAR FACULTY ON PART-TIME APPOINTMENTS
Regular faculty members may be employed to teach for the university on a part-time contract basis ("contracted faculty") as defined in 1.1.1.1b. The dean of faculty will establish the contracted partial salary as the stated proportion of the assigned rank and step on the faculty salary schedule. The proportion is computed as tenths of scale depending upon the responsibilities beyond classroom instruction or its equivalent which are described in the contract. Benefits and tuition waivers are available in direct proportion to the amount of the contract. All partial contracts will specify the assigned rank and step and indicate that such appointments are non-tenure track. Such appointments are renewable on a yearly basis..

4.3 COMPENSATION FOR CONTINGENT FACULTY
The compensation amount for a semester credit taught by a lecturer or adjunct faculty person in any university program is established by the dean of faculty in consultation with the department chairs group. Variable rates of compensation may be approved for varying levels of education and rank.

4.3.2 The contracted instructional salary is divided into equal monthly payments over the employment period. The employment period may be one of the following:

Fall term September through December (four payments)
Jan term January (one payment)
Spring term February through May (four payments)
Academic year September through May (nine payments)
Summer term various course periods as described in the summer calendar

4.3.3 For the payment of full compensation, the required enrollment in a course is eight students, and the university reserves the right to cancel courses with fewer students. The university and the instructor may agree to continue courses with fewer than eight with the instructor's salary pro-rated to the number of students enrolled. The dean of faculty may decide that courses essential to program requirements in a given year will carry full compensation regardless of enrollment.

4.3.4 Independent studies are not usually offered through contingent faculty. Any studies being undertaken must be approved by the department chair and the dean of faculty. Contingent faculty will receive compensation for overseeing approved independent studies.

4.3.5 Fringe benefits and tuition remission are not available to adjunct faculty. Benefits for lecturers and senior lecturers are described in a document entitled “Benefits for Contingent Faculty” which is available in Academic Affairs or the Human Resources office.

4.4 COMPENSATION FOR GRADUATE ASSISTANTS
Graduate assistants may be salaried and/or receive a tuition waiver according to the programming and budgeting plan of the employing department. The salary figures are set by the dean of faculty in accordance with the requirements of the specific position.

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