Departmental Faculty Budget Allocation
FIN-ECO PPS 3.01
Departmental Faculty Budget Allocation
Texas State University
Department of Finance and Economics
Adopted 12-8-2010
The purpose of this policy is to set forth the guidelines for allocation and distribution of the departmentally available funds for each academic year. The policy describes the general parameters to be used by the Chair.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Each year the department is allocated a specific sum for use in its operations. The amounts allocated consist of categories including salary dollars, wages, travel, and M&O. This PPS shall affect those categories of wages, travel, and M&O. Although the categories are distinct, for the purpose of expenditure, the University treats the three as essentially one sum which may be utilized for any of the three purposes. To that end, the department will treat all three categories as one sum for the purposes of this PPS.
1. PROCEDURES
At the inception of each academic year, the Chair of the Department will review the expected necessary departmental expenditures for the ensuing year. Such departmental needs would include the expected routine cost of office operations, student labor, postage, copies, telephone, shipping, and equipment repair or replacement. Additionally, the estimated cost of extraordinary matters which are likely to occur, such as those attributable to searches for faculty or staff will be included. All such expected costs will be accumulated and established as the “operational fund” which must be retained by the department to fund operations for the involved year.
Following establishment of the operational fund amount, the Chair shall have the obligation to determine the allocation available to each faculty member. To that end, faculty shall be divided into two groups, those on continuing contract and those not on continuing contract. Each faculty member on continuing contract will be given an equal amount for use during the academic year. Faculty not on continuing contract will vary in amount based upon the percentage assigned under their contract and expectations of productivity. It is expected that continuing faculty will receive a proportionately greater sum than non continuing faculty due to the expectations of publication and its attendant requirements. The allocation given the faculty member will be for their discretionary use for such purposes as may be allowable under State rules for the use and expenditure of such State funds. Expected uses include faculty student assistance, long distance telephone, travel, submission fees, equipment acquisition, software acquisition, and express mail. If a matter is not otherwise dealt with in this PPS, the Chair shall determine the appropriate pool from which expenses shall be paid.
On or about the first of May of each year, the Chair shall notify faculty that all sums remaining in their allocations not spent or encumbered will be recaptured by the department on May 30 of the academic year. Following the May 30 date, the Chair will identify the sums remaining at the disposal of the department during the summer of the academic year, and utilize those sums as deemed appropriate by the Chair, after advice and consultation with the faculty at large, and in particular the Personnel Committee.
2. REVIEW OF POLICY
2.01. This policy shall be reviewed every three years. To that end, every third year, or upon call by the Personnel Committee, the Chair of the Department shall convene a committee of at least four tenured faculty and two non-tenured faculty to review and make recommendations. Upon return of recommendations, the Departmental Faculty under continuing contract shall meet to consider changes to the policy. A quorum for convening or continuing the meeting shall be 75% of the continuing contract faculty. Adoption of the policy shall be by majority vote of the Personnel Committee.
2.02. Reconsideration of this policy may be called by the Department Chair or by a majority of the Personnel Committee prior to the fixed three year review. In the event of either such call, the procedure for review shall be the same as set forth above.