Academic Specialist Manual

7.8 Overload Pay

  1. Overload pay is limited to overload work related to instruction and service activities.
  2. Overload pay assignments require prior written approval of the chairperson/director of the applicable department/school and the dean of the applicable college/director of the separately reporting unit. Requests must describe the proposed activity.
  3. Full-time academic specialists are eligible for overload pay provided the total time expended does not exceed an average of four (4) days per month.
  4. An overload assignment must meet the following minimum criteria:
    • Overload pay is appropriate since the designated academic specialist is fully assigned in the department, school or other unit and is satisfactorily performing assigned duties;
    • The proposed assignment, in the opinion of the chairperson/director in consultation with the dean, represents a substantial increase over and above the academic specialist's regularly assigned duties, thus warranting the provision of overload pay.
  5. Overload pay must be approved by the chairperson/director of the department or school and dean of the college/director of the separately reporting unit in which the academic specialist is appointed. Annually the Office of Planning and Budgets shall provide to the Office of the Provost and the deans a summary of overload pay disbursements made in the prior fiscal year.
  6. During the summer, academic specialists appointed on an academic year basis may receive up to 3/9 of their previous year's salary for a full-time assignment in teaching, research and service. In addition, pursuant to the provisions of this policy, they may be eligible to receive overload pay.
  7. Academic Specialists serving as academic administrators may receive overload pay for assignments related to their disciplines and professions but normally not for assignments related to their administrative positions.
  8. In recognition of collegial expectations usual in a community of scholars, payment of honoraria to MSU academic specialists for talks, seminars, etc., provided in usual classroom/seminar settings is not permitted.
  9. Major administrative units may establish a more restrictive policy. Assignments which might normally justify the payment of overload pay may, by mutual agreement, be compensated for by subsequent release time for research, through the assignment of additional graduate assistants/other staff support, or other programmatic support.

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