Buy-Outs
Faculty may buy out courses or research time with external funding they have obtained. In most departments buy-outs will observe the principles listed below. Departments on formula budgets may have different policies that enable their budgets to work. These departments include Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, and Public Policy Studies.
- Both the department chair and the divisional dean must approve all buy-out requests. It is assumed that in most cases the dean’s approval will be given without question. This step serves mainly to inform the dean about buy-outs and to monitor divisional practices. It should be noted that course relief (e.g., Franklin, SSRI, or chair) is not technically course buy-out.
- A faculty member may not buy out more than one half of the department’s normal teaching load, normally in segments of whole courses. Regular rank faculty members may not reduce their teaching commitments to less than one course per year. Course buy-outs may not be arranged in semesters immediately preceding or immediately following a Duke-sponsored research leave, i.e., sabbatical, Junior Research Leave, or other.
- The cost of buying out one course will be the appropriate fraction of one half of the faculty member’s nine-month salary but not less than the chair requires to replace the course. The appropriate fraction for department’s whose normal teaching load is 1 + 1 will be one fourth; for those with a normal load of 2 + 1, it will be one sixth; for those with a normal load of 2 + 2, it will be one eighth. Course buy-outs for faculty in departments with 2 + 1 teaching loads will be averaged over a two year period; that is, if a faculty member buys out half of the load, it will be up to a maximum of three courses over two years.
- If a faculty member buys out all courses in one semester, it will be expected that they will remain in residence at Duke and carry out all other duties of a faculty member, including graduate supervision, advising, and departmental and university service. Otherwise, the semester will be fully costed (100% of salary plus fringe benefits) or it will be processed as a leave of absence without pay.
- The dean’s office will return to departments’ discretionary funds one half of the proceeds from course buy outs, not including fringe benefits and net of any replacement teaching monies that the dean might provide for the absence.
- Faculty may buy out their research time at the same rate as courses, up to one half of their nine-month salary. The dean’s office will provide faculty paying their salary in this way with a research fund equal to one-half the salary bought out.
February 3, 2005