We are creating a special class of faculty, "Research Faculty".  Although
not limited to sponsored programs employment, that's where we expect almost
all employment to be.  For this class of (non-tenure track) employee we
have written into the policy that on separation, no leave will be paid
for.  This creates a "take it or loose it" situation for this category of
employee.  We did this because state personnel policies applicable to other
faculty or classified (civil service) employees require payout of
accumulated leave and we have been faced with having to find some other
source than the sponsored program.

Many institutions will probably be in the same situation.  So it becomes
important to ensure that PI's manage their projects carefully to ensure
that leave is taken, budgeted for in another way.  If an individual
separates when the project ends, terminal leave is clearly an allowable
cost to the project, in proportion to how much was earned on the
project.  But there has to be money in the account to cover it!  And if the
separation is delayed, then you are past the time of allowable costs!

And if the system is "pay from the last account" (as is ours, too!),
creative reassignment of personnel can really tie the system up in knots!

This problem has plagued research administrators for ages.  Each solution
is situation specific!

Chuck

At 10:56 AM 3/18/2004, you wrote:
>The problem of paying for lump sum annual leave when an employee
>terminates has come up on our campus.  Our normal policy is to pay for
>annual leave from the source, either grant or other, that the employee
>was last paid from.  Unfortunately, if it is a grant that has
>terminated, the department or college must tap into other sources of
>funds for the leave payment.  When it involves retirement of long term
>staff or faculty, this can be a sizeable amount.
>
>Has anyone come up with a workable solution to this problem?  We have
>discussed increasing our benefit rate by some percent to accumulate
>funds for a leave pool.  What would be the implications and problems
>associated with such a move?
>
>We are open to suggestion, and welcome any insight you have to help us
>out.
>
>Thanks.   Diane
>
>
>
>Diane M. Gilliland
>Assistant Director for Research Administration
>Texas Agricultural Experiment Station
>2147 TAMU
>Rm. 5, J K Williams Admin. Bldg.
>College Station, Texas 77843-2147
>
>Phone  979-845-4781
>Fax   979-862-7775
>
>
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Herbert B. Chermside, CRA
Virginia Commonwealth University
PO BOX 980568
Richmond, VA  23298-0568
Voice:  804-827-6036
Fax     804-828-2051
e-mail xxxxxx@vcu.edu

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