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Home » Manual » Faculty » 400 Compensation and Job Categorization of Positions
Overload Compensation
Applicability:
Faculty
Section:
0400 Compensation and Job Categorization of Positions
Policy Number:
408
Effective:
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Human Resources Manual
Policies, Guidelines and Reference Material:

OAR 580-020-0025
Statutory Authority:

ORS 351.070
Introduction
Full-time faculty at Oregon State University may be requested to perform service in
excess of full-time effort for institutional-funded activities. Such activities are considered
overload and may include instruction, education and outreach programming, and
consulting. The University, in delivering the work, has an interest in and obligation to
insure fair compensation across units for work of similar scope, complexity, and
disciplinary content.
The Oregon University System (OUS) has established rules and policies regarding
additional pay to full-time faculty when the faculty member has provided substantial
service over and above the regular services expected (OUS Fiscal Policy Manual 10.33,
Oregon Administrative Rule 580-021-0025, and Oregon State University’s (OSU)
Conflict of Commitment Policy). These state that “activities involving overload time
should not exceed one day in a seven day week, on an average, or its equivalent during
the academic year or other period of appointment” and that no full-time employee “shall
engage in any outside employment that substantially interferes with duties.” The
cumulative total of overload activities and outside professional activities must not
interfere with the performance of the faculty member’s University duties.
Overload Compensation Definition
Overload compensation is monetary remuneration, other than administrative stipend,
paid to an unclassified employee (faculty member) for services in excess of full-time
effort for institutional-funded activities.
Eligibility
Eligible Employees
Unclassified employees appointed at 100% (or 1.0 FTE) may be eligible to receive
overload compensation from the University. They may also be eligible to receive
overload compensation from another OUS institution.
Ineligible Employees
President, Provost, Vice Presidents, Vice Provosts, Deans and other equivalent level
employees are ineligible for overload compensation
Eligible Oregon University System Employees
Unclassified employees employed by other OUS institutions may be eligible for overload
compensation for services provided to Oregon State University. Review and approval of
these requests are to be based on the same policy guidelines applicable to OSU
employees.
Overload Activities Request
A request for authorization to permit and compensate for overload services performed
by an unclassified employee requires signature approval from: the employee’s
supervisor (e.g. academic unit supervisor, dean, vice president, director, etc.); senior
administrator of employing college or division (dean, vice president, vice provost, etc.);
and Business Center Human Resources Manager or the Office of Human Resources
authorized representative. Approval authority may not be delegated below these
management levels.
The Athletic Director may request authorization to permit and compensate for overload
services or to address a contractual agreement for post-season competition and other
contractual requirements. Intercollegiate and non-Intercollegiate Athletics employees
may receive overload compensation for instructional services, camps, and pre-post
season overload work commitments. Overload requests for Intercollegiate Athletics
Department employees or non-Athletics employees requires prior approval of the Vice
President for Finance and Administration.
A request for authorization to permit and compensate for overload services provided by
eligible Oregon University System employees to OSU requires prior approval of the
employee’s supervisor (e.g. department chair/head, dean, vice president, director, etc.)
and an appropriate institutional Human Resources representative. Approval must be
indicated on the request form before the OSU employing college or division requests
approval of the overload compensation. It is expected that as part of authorizing the
request, the Human Resources representative from the OUS employing institution will
verify appointment percent/FTE of the non-OSU employee.
Allowable and Non-Allowable Overload Service Activities
Allowable Service Activities
ECampus curriculum development and course instruction, continuing education
courses, University Honors College, Extension Service education programming,
consulting, seminars, and similar services are allowable activities for overload
compensation. Regular on-campus classes are allowable only under extraordinary or
emergency circumstances with prior approval.
Non-Allowable Services
Time spent in support of Sponsored Agreements is rarely allowable for overload
compensation. Exceptions are limited per OMB Circular A-21 and must be approved in
writing in advance by the sponsoring agency and the University Office of Post Award
Administration.
Work considered part of an employee’s “in-load” responsibilities may not be paid as
overload except under extraordinary or emergency circumstances.
Time and Service Level Limits on Overload Activities
Overload activities, regardless of type or compensation, must be such that the
employee remains in compliance with the University’s Conflict of Commitment Policy
and OUS policies on outside activities.
Overload teaching is not to exceed, on average, the equivalent of one additional course
per term. Further, overload teaching may not be assigned at any time when the quality
of instruction may be jeopardized or when such overload work interferes with regularly
assigned duties.
Allowable service loads for non-teaching activities are established by the deans,
directors, vice presidents, or vice provosts for employees in their college or
unit. Overload duties may not be assigned at any time when such assignments
interfere with regularly assigned duties.
The allowable overload limits defined here are considered maximum loads. The
appropriate dean, director, vice president, or vice provost may set a lower limit for
overload work in cases where there are concerns that additional commitments would
interfere with the full performance of an employee’s normal duties.
If employees have time commitments to other outside activities covered by the policy on
“Outside Activities and Related Compensation” (e.g. consulting, start ups, etc.), the
amount of time allowed for overload activities must be reduced effectively to stay within
allowable limits set by the dean, director, vice-president, or vice provost.
Compensation
Instructional Overload Compensation
Compensation for overload teaching is set by course, not by the number of students or
student credit hours (SCH).
Courses, whether delivered face-to-face or in an asynchronous mode, vary in
complexity and the time they require from an instructor. Instructional faculty members
are assigned to courses based upon their skills and their ability to provide a quality
educational experience. Compensation for instructional work is not done on an hourly
basis.
Compensation provided for overload courses should be consistent with the
compensation provided for similar courses delivered by instructional faculty in their
normal duties. Academic unit supervisors or deans, in consultation with the Vice Provost
for Academic Affairs and International Programs, are responsible for identifying an
appropriate range for overload instruction in their units with a clear justification for how
those compensation levels are set.
Other Overload Compensation
Compensation for non-teaching overload work is to be consistent with compensation for
similar work delivered by an employee in the course of her or his normal full-time duties.
An employee is to be paid their current rate of pay at the time the work is performed,
unless justification supports an alternative rate of pay based on supporting justification.
Overload Activities Request and Compensation for Ecampus Instruction
Much of the instruction delivered on an overload basis is for Ecampus courses. While
the limit of “one average course per term” applies, some additional discussion is
required as Ecampus courses vary greatly in their size and complexity. This policy
provides a threshold that when exceeded requires the academic unit supervisor to verify
the quality of instruction and to examine alternative solutions to ongoing overload
assignments.
Faculty will confer with their academic unit supervisor to establish specific safeguards
for assuring quality and for protecting the faculty member from additional work that
interferes with regularly assigned duties. Ongoing exceptions to the limitation may be
made upon recommendation of the appropriate dean and with the approval of the Vice
Provost for Academic Affairs and International Programs.
Exceptions may also be approved when, because of critical program needs and an
absence of alternatives, an exception is necessary and, because of evidence of current
high quality teaching (on- and off-campus), such an exception is also appropriate. In this
latter case, an exception will be short-term and the academic unit head is expected to
develop alternative programmatic approaches to meet the critical program need(s).
There may be rare cases where delivery of more than one course per term on an
overload basis may be appropriate. Such exceptions require approval by the academic
unit supervisor and the dean and will not be approved on an ongoing basis. In any case,
exceptions will not be granted for more than four overload courses taught in an
academic year.
If an ECampus course does not have sufficient enrollment to cover the costs of
instructor pay, the unit offering the course is responsible for funding the difference to
ensure the instructor receives the overload compensation agreed upon. Exceptions can
be requested for courses that are in development mode or that have other unique
circumstances. Generally, below minimum compensation for a course will not be
approved more than twice in an academic year. Failure to receive authorization prior to
performing work may result in the request being denied and overload compensation not
awarded.
Accounting for Overload Compensation
All overload compensation, and the income and expenses of activities for which the
compensation is paid, shall be channeled through the payroll system on an overload
request form. The academic unit supervisor or unit head is responsible for the
expenditure of funds when authorizing the overload activity.
Overload compensation for instructional services during the period of an employee’s
contract is not considered salary for purposes of Public Employees Retirement System
(PERS) contributions. When computing SAIF premiums, overload is treated the same
as overtime, i.e., one-third of the gross is excluded from the premium base.
If an employee is employed full-time by another employer participating in PERS and is
receiving PERS contributions, all pay for instructional services is to be paid under
account code 10201, Supplemental Unclassified Pay.
Instructional service (Account Code 10201) activities that are typical overload
compensation services include extended education, extension services, consulting,
teaching a course for a faculty member who is on leave or sabbatical, seminars, and
other similar services.
Non-instructional service (Account Code 10202) activities that are typical overload
compensation services include staff support for athletic functions and services in excess
of full-time effort for institution-sponsored activities, including combined FTE for work
done at any of the OUS institutions.
Compensation to a nine-month academic faculty member who teaches a short course
any time between June 15th and September 15th is considered salary and is subject to
PERS contributions. If the same nine-month faculty member holds a full-time
appointment to teach summer session, any overload compensation earned during the
summer term is not subject to PERS.
Payment of Overload Compensation
Payment for services provided through an approved overload request is to be made
after the work has been completed, either on a monthly basis or at the completion of the
period of service. If payment is made to an OUS employee, he or she must be
appointed to an OSU academic wage appointment in order for payment to be made.
Policy Exceptions
Policy exceptions may be made by the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and
International Programs or her designee. Exemptions that request service loads beyond
the allowable limits noted above must clearly document how the time committed to the
overload work does not exceed that allowed by OSU and OUS policy.
Records Retention
Approved overload compensation request forms are a part of an employee’s official
personnel file and are subject to the University’s retention guidelines for personnel
records.
Resources

Overload Compensation Request Form
‹ HonorariumsupOvertime, Exhange Time, & Compensatory Time ›Manual

Faculty
o

000 Introduction
100 Employee Engagement in Creating a Nondiscriminatory, Civil and Productive Community
200 Faculty Appointments and Service
300 Recruitment and Selection
400 Compensation and Job Categorization of Positions
Administrative Stipend
Categorization and Allocation of Positions (including PECBA)
Establishing Salary Rate
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
Honorariums
Overload Compensation
Overtime, Exhange Time, & Compensatory Time
Salary Increases for Promotion in Rank
500 Performance Management
600 Employee Benefits
700 Leaves and Absences
800 Health & Safety
900 Promotion and Tenure
1000 Employee Development
1100 Complaint Resolution
1200 Disciplinary Actions
1300 Separation from Employment
1400 Personnel Records
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Manual Revision Record
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Contact Info
Office of Human Resources,
Oregon State University,
122 Kerr Administration Building,
Corvallis, OR 97331-2132
Phone: 541-737-3103
Fax: 541-737-7771 or 541-737-0553.
E-mail
A division of Finance & Administration.
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