Doug Wilkerson raises an interesting issue regarding return of salary and
finge dollars to departments that have sponsored programs that pay
investigators.

At the College of Charleston, where the teaching load is four courses each
semester, the investigator may "buy" one course release per semester for
each 12.5% of his/her salary and fringes paid by the grant.  Under our
current system, the Provost's office takes enough of the freed-up
departmental salary funds to cover the cost of an adjunct to teach the
course.  The remaining funds stay with the department, although they lapse
at the close of the fiscal year if they are not rebudgeted and spent.
Because most faculty members make significantly more per course than the
adjunct, this can be a nice pot of incentive money for the department.
Understandably, our budget office would like to sweep up these extra
funds, but those of us on the academic side of the house are fighting hard
to keep this from happening.  Although this arrangement can be a great
incentive within departments, there is some concern about maintaining
quality of the teaching program.  We have had some deans that don't
encourage grant-funded course releases because the number of adjuncts in
those colleges is already high.

I'm curious what other instituions' policies are regarding the use of these
freed-up personnel funds and what you think are the pros and cons of using
these funds for incentives.

Barbara H. Gray                                  xxxxxx@cofc.edu
Director of Sponsored Programs                   Phone: (803) 953-5673
University of Charleston, SC                     FAX:   (803) 953-1434
66 George Street
Charleston, SC  29424-0001