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Course Buyouts, Releases and Banking

Please note that course buyouts, course releases, and course banking do not constitute leaves that relieve faculty from scholarly/creative, service, or other teaching or advising obligations.

Course Buyouts

Course buyouts are available to tenured/tenure-track faculty only. The buyout rate for one course is 15 percent of the faculty member’s 9-month annual salary, or $15,000 whichever is less, plus the pro-rated fringe benefits amount .  Funding received from a course buyout offsets the salary of the faculty member and may not be used as a supplement to their salary.

  • Funding from professorships cannot be used to fund course buyouts.
  • Please note that course buyouts, course releases, and course banking do not constitute leaves that relieve faculty from scholarly/creative, service, or other teaching or advising obligations.

For purposes of planning, please consult with the Senior Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs at the first possibility of a course buyout opportunity, ideally one academic year before the requested semester of buyout (e.g., April 30, 2023 for Spring 2024 buyout; December 5, 2023 for Fall 2024 buyout). This preliminary consultation allows the Senior Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs to consult with the Dean and other members of the school’s leadership in preparation for a formal course buyout request.

To formally request a course buyout, submit a Course Buyout Approval form the Senior Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs as soon as funding for the course buyout is secured but no later than five weeks before course registration opens for the relevant semester.

Course buyouts are not considered approved until this form has been signed by the Dean and returned to the requesting faculty member.

Signed forms will be distributed to the the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and Curriculum, the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research, the Director of Course Scheduling, the Assistant Dean for Business and Finance, the Human Resources Consultant and other appropriate accounting and grants coordinators.

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Course Releases

Course releases are provided to faculty who serve in an administrative position in the school. Three course releases per year are given to the Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs. Two course releases per year are given to Associate Dean for ABIDE, Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and Curriculum. Other administrative appointments receive one course release per year as noted in their appointment letters.

For purposes of planning, please consult with the Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs at the first possibility of a course release request, ideally one academic year before the requested semester of release. This preliminary consultation allows the Senior Associate Dean to consult with the Dean and other members of the school’s leadership in preparation for a formal course release request.

To request a course release not provided by an administrative appointment, a Request for Course Release form must be completed and submitted to the Dean for approval. Unless a course release is negotiated during the hiring process, course release requests should be made one academic year before the requested semester of release.

Course releases are not considered approved until this form has been signed by the Dean and returned to the requesting faculty member. Signed forms will be distributed to the Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and Curriculum, Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research, Assistant Dean for Business and Finance and other appropriate accounting and grants coordinators.

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Course Banking and Overloads

All tenured/tenure-track faculty members at the Hussman School have the option to teach overloads with no additional compensation so that they may take one semester off from teaching in the future. An overload is considered to be two (2) extra courses above their normal course load. These extra classes must be taught in the regular academic year, and not during summer or special break sessions.

  • The semester release must be used within one academic year of the overload being completed. Faculty members are expected to maintain research and creative activity and perform service duties such as serving on a committee, advising students, and other assignments that may be handled remotely.
  • If several faculty members request teaching leave at the same time, the School reserves the right to delay some of those leaves.
  • It is not possible to bank course releases received from administrative appointments.
  • If a faculty member banks courses as course overloads and then leaves the university prior to receiving the planned course releases, the faculty member will receive no compensation for the unused course releases.
If requesting a course overload or course banking, the faculty member must submit a Course Release Approval form to the Dean one academic year in advance of the proposed overload so that arrangements may be made to accommodate the overload schedule.

The faculty member will work with the Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs to determine overload schedule and dates for leave.

Course overload/banking plans are not considered approved until this form has been signed by the Dean and returned to the requesting faculty member. Signed forms will be distributed to the Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and Curriculum, Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research, Assistant Dean for Business and Finance and other appropriate accounting and grants coordinators