> G'day!
>
> I'd like to know how other institutions handle a couple of issues that came
> up in our office recently, dealing specifically with summer benefits and
> student stipends.  Let me preface my request for info by saying that I'm
> coming at you from Gustavus Adolphus College, a small liberal arts college
> (2,300 students) located in south central Minnesota.  While Gustavus is
> certainly not known as a major research institution, it does have a
> reputation of having a very active sciences division which includes a lot of
> student research in addition to that of faculty.   So, in addition to all
> you university folk, I'd especially like to hear from other colleges (I know
> you're lurking out there!).
>
> Q.1.  What is your policy in regard to benefits for research and/or other
> programmatic activities taking place on campus during the summer, beyond the
> required statutory benefits (i.e. social security, workman's comp)?  I'm
> thinking of retirement benefits in particular, but I'm interested in other
> issues you have dealt with as well.
>

At Rutgers, we typically do not charge fringe benefits on faculty
summer salary.  We do, however, charge fringe on student summer
salary (8.4%).  We have one negotiated fringe benefit rate with DHHS,
then we seperate out the different employee types and rates
withing, based on actual (fringe) expenses.

> Q.2.  Does your institution have a standard rate that applies for all
> student stipends, or does it differ according to department/division?  My
> experience here and elsewhere is that it depends upon the
> department/division; a standard across-the-board rate would seem to be a
> more consistent and easier route to take.  Comments?
>

Yes, I have seen that before.  Engineering students, for example,
receive a higher stipend than those in, say, the English department.
But grant funded RAs at Rutgers all received the same salary.
Again, the GA/TA salary, along with faculty salaries are
union.  We have three levels of GA's depending on their
year/status, not their department, so they are pretty much the same
across the board.

I hope this helps.

> Thanks in advance for your feednbback.
> David Muhlena
> Development Associate
> Gustavus Adolphus College
> 800 W. College Ave.
> St. Peter, MN  56082
> e-mail:   xxxxxx@gac.edu
>

michelle christy
rutgers, the state university of nj
xxxxxx@orsp.rutgers.edu