Approved by President
Effective Date: June 5, 2017
Responsible Division: Academic Affairs
Responsible Office:  University Provost
Responsible Officer: Associate Provost for Academic Administration and Resources

I. Purpose

This policy establishes the procedure for setting faculty compensation for teaching credit courses as an overload at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU or University). T.C.A. § 49-5-410 limits full-time faculty to teaching no more than two (2) credit courses per semester for extra pay in an institution of higher education. This additional work shall not exceed fifteen (15) clock hours per week or four hundred (400) clock hours out of any nine (9)-month period.

II. Guideline

A.  Introduction. Faculty acceptance of overload assignments for instruction or other purposes is strictly voluntary. Overload assignments should be used only when situations arise that warrant such action and should not be used on a regular basis or in lieu of hiring qualified faculty or instructors. Supervisors must be careful to protect untenured faculty when making overload assignments and should make every effort to distribute overloads fairly as staffing needs allow. Policy 814 Outside Employment, Extra Compensation, and Dual Services Agreements provides that “the minimum rates per credit hour of instruction, as articulated in Policy 223 Faculty Compensation for Teaching Credit Courses as an Overload, must be applied when calculating compensation for extra service for full-time faculty or staff teaching credit courses.”

B.  Rates. The rates set forth in this policy shall be applied for compensation of full-time faculty teaching credit courses in excess of the normal load. Faculty overload pay shall be the same as the compensation for adjunct faculty, the rates for which are published annually.

C.  The rate per credit hour of instruction refers to the number of credits granted toward the faculty load, which may differ from the number of student credit hours.

Forms: none.

Revisions: none.

Last Reviewed: November 2020.

References: Policy 814 Outside Employment, Extra Compensation, and Dual Services Agreements; T.C.A. § 49-5-410.