Section 1: Terms of Employment

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1.1 College of Engineering Apportionment Policy

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents’ Bylaw 4.2 stipulates that each tenure-track and non-tenure track member establish an apportionment of effort among five broad categories: Teaching, Research, Service, Administration and Extension. The apportionment is not the actual time spent but of what one might expect in productivity. So for example, unless there is a sensible explanation, it would be expected that faculty members teaching the same number of course credit hours would have the same apportionment of effort.

1.1.1 College of Engineering Teaching Apportionment

The calculation of teaching load for teaching apportionment is based on teaching sections assigned to the faculty member. A teaching section is a scheduled class meeting (lecture or recitation) during which an instructor meets with an officially enrolled group of students. A single teaching section can be split into smaller sections by the instructor to enhance teaching effectiveness, but the instructor only receives apportionment credit for the one teaching section. No additional apportionment credit beyond the number of credit hours assigned to laboratory sections will be used in determining teaching load.

In order to ensure consistent apportionment procedures in the College of Engineering, the following policy should be followed:

Credit Hours Taught per Academic Year	% FTE Academic Year Teaching Apportionment	% Apportionment for Academic Year all other categories:  Research, Administration, Outreach and Extension
3	20%	80%
6	30%	70%
9	40%	60%
12	50%	50%
15	60%	40%
18	70%	30%
21	80%	20%
24	90%	10%
27	100%	0%

A typical apportionment for an engineering faculty member engaged actively in research is anticipated to be: 50% teaching; 40% research; 10% service.

A typical apportionment for an engineering or construction management faculty member primarily engaged in teaching is anticipated to be 70% teaching; 10% research; 20% service.

Apportionment categories are defined by the Senior Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs at http://bf.unl.edu/bfpolicy/SignatureAuthority.pdf .

1.1.2 College of Engineering Research Apportionment

This intent of this document is to convey the research expectations of faculty in College of Engineering (COE). One goal of the college is to significantly increase its external research funding. A representative faculty member in the college is expected to devote approximately 50 percent of their effort to teaching, 40 percent to research, and 10 percent to service. The Research Policy of the COE recommends as a target for each faculty member, $60,000 for each 10% of allocated research effort. For example, if you are apportioned at 30% research you are expected to bring in $180,000 each year.

Each faculty member, in conjunction with their unit administrator, must establish their apportionment each year. The research apportionment will be used in the faculty members’ and the departments’ annual evaluation for research. Faculty members’ annual performance will be judged in accordance with the current Promotion and Tenure Criteria.

1.1.3

College of Engineering Service Apportionment

Only in rare circumstances can a faculty member apportion more than 0.15 FTE for service, and these instances must be approved by both the unit administrator and the Dean of Engineering. The calculation of service load for service apportionment is based on service on university committees, professional and technical society committees, leadership positions in professional and technical societies and community service. It specifically excludes professional consulting of any kind since this activity is sanctioned under University of Nebraska Board of Regents Policy.

1.2 College of Engineering Teaching Buyout Policy

In order to further our research mission, College of Engineering faculty may from time to time, at the discretion of the Department Chair, buyout of teaching responsibilities for one or more courses given the following parameters:

1. Faculty should not be allowed to buyout of courses for the following reasons:
   • pursuit of external business interests that may compete with the mission of the University of Nebraska
   • activities that may result in circumstances that may be detrimental to the department in question.
2. The amount of compensation required to buyout of a course is to be determined by mutual consent between the respective Department Chair and the Associate Dean for Academic Programs.
   • It is to be a reasonable amount that would be necessary to fund an alternative source to teach the course in question,
   • in no case less than 10% of the faculty member’s academic year salary prorated for the semester.
   • This amount is to be returned to the Department Chair for his/her dissemination

1.3 College of Engineering Policy Faculty Overload Payments Policy

The College of Engineering provides equitable salary for faculty in similar disciplines with similar performance ratings. The College of Engineering does not allow overload payments to College of Engineering faculty for performing additional duties within the college. To the maximum extent possible, meritorious performance will be rewarded through increases to salary base, college and university professorship programs, the college faculty fellow program, and tenure and promotion processes. Meritorious performance is a measure of quality.

1.4 College of Engineering Consulting and Outside Employment Policy

The University encourages its faculty to engage in professional activities outside the University as a means of broadening their experience and keeping them abreast of the latest developments in their specialized fields; provided such activities do not interfere with their regular duties at the University or represent a conflict of interest. They may accept temporary or occasional employment of up to two days per month for such professional services when such employment is recommended by the dean of the college or director of the division involved and approved by the Chancellor and the Board of Regents.

For the complete policy, refer to the UNL website. The address is http://www.unl.edu/svcaa/policies/outside_activity.shtml

1.5 College of Engineering Academic Leave of Absence Policy

Download the Academic Leave Form 2010

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents has established an academic leave of absence policy. The Faculty Development Program (paid leave) is limited to persons who have held full-time appointments within the University of Nebraska for at least six years at the rank of assistant professor, associate professor or full professor. Faculty Development Fellowships will be available on a competitive basis, rather than as an automatic reward for years of service. The program cannot be used for the purpose of pursuing an advanced degree.

• All leaves are subject to the provisions of section 3.4.3.1 of the Bylaws of the Board of Regents (below).
• If the leave is to be without pay, it will normally be granted if it meets the conditions of the Bylaws of the Board of Regents.
• Faculty who are contemplating applying for a faculty development fellowship (FDF) should discuss their application with the departmental chair prior to its submission.

Procedures for submitting faculty development fellowship applications

Please submit faculty development fellowship applications for to the Dean of the College of Engineering at least six months in advance (for Fall Semester and Academic Year applicants no later than February 1; for Spring Semester applicants no later than July 1)

Applications must contain the following:

• A cover page using the FDL cover form.
• A signed copy of the FDL Acknowledgment form.
• A completed Application for Leave of Absence
• A proposal (no more than five pages) by the applicant describing the purpose, expected accomplishments and anticipated benefits of the proposed FDF. The proposal must address the criteria below.
• The applicants current CV.
• If the applicant has had a previous leave with pay, an updated report on the activities and accomplishments from that leave.

The criteria for the award of FDF’s will be the following:

1. Potential for the applicant to increase her (his) ability to attract external funding is the primary factor in judging proposals
2. The FDF proposal must present a clear goal and plan
3. The benefits of the leave to the University and the faculty member must be explained in terms of departmental, college and campus priorities.
   

Procedures for Recommending the Award of an FDF

1. A faculty committee will review all FDF applications and make a recommendation to the Dean of the College of Engineering
2. The Dean will either approve or disapprove the FDF applications
3. All approved FDF applications will be forwarded to the Sr. Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs with a recommendation for approval.

Reporting Requirements

Upon return to normal academic duties, a person awarded a fellowship must file a written report with the Senior Vice-Chancellor of Academic Affairs and Dean of the College of Engineering that compares the faculty member's actual activities with those outlined in the proposal, the relationship of these activities to his or her intellectual, artistic, and/or professional growth within his or her discipline, and the ways in which the faculty member feels that experience gained during the fellowship will improve his or her performance as a faculty member at the University.

Appendices

FDL Cover Page
Application For Leave of Absence

1.6 College of Engineering Policy on Inclement Weather

The College of Engineering operates at two distinctive locations, Lincoln and Omaha. Weather activity could have differing impacts on these locations. The affects could cause one location to close operations at a time when operations at the other location remain in force. For the purposes of attendance, the primary location of employment will govern such that employees based in Lincoln will follow the closure directives of the University of Nebraska - Lincoln and the employees based in Omaha follow the closure directives of the University of Nebraska – Omaha. The time reporting protocol for all College of Engineering employees will follow the standards established by the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.

For additional information related to closures due to inclement weather: see
Lincoln: http://bf.unl.edu/bfpolicy/InclementWeather.shtml
Omaha: http://www.unomaha.edu/security/emergenc.htm

1.7 College of Engineering Apportionment Appeals Committee

The College of Engineering (COE) Apportionment Appeals Committee (AAC) exists in response to BOR 4.3 (b) (2). The AAC is responsible for reviewing and deciding issues of faculty apportionment that are unresolved between a faculty member and the faculty member's unit administrator. The AAC is concerned with apportioned responsibility (e.g., teaching, extension, service, research, and administrative responsibilities) and issues related to the equitable expectations for each apportionment.

Click on the COE Apportionment Appeals Committee PDF for the full document and information.

 

Section 2: Resource Allocation

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2.1 College of Engineering Matching Funds Policy

Oftentimes it is necessary to show some matching when applying for grants. Due to financial exigencies, the College of Engineering must limit matching funds on grants as much as possible. However, in certain cases, matching funds will be considered.

1. Proposals for grants or contracts shall not volunteer cost-sharing nor matching
2. Written evidence of REQUIRED match must be submitted at the time of the request and routed with the proposal.
3. Principal Investigators are encouraged to seek in-kind cost-sharing alternatives to the maximum extent possible prior to requesting matching funds.
4. Commitments from other departments or units, including the Vice Chancellor for Research Office, does not constitute a commitment from the College of Engineering.
   

2.2 College of Engineering Travel Funding Policy

From time to time faculty may need to request funding for travel. In this case the Department Chair for the faculty member in question should request support in writing from the Associate Dean for Research. The following guidelines will apply:

1. Partial funding for travel is generally available from the Dean’s office only when the faculty member is traveling to a potential funding source.
2. Funds are available only when the faculty member has insufficient resources in their P.I. Discretionary account.
   

2.3 College of Engineering F & A (Indirect Cost) Return Policy

The College of Engineering typically recovers one-third of the Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs generated by sponsored projects within the College. The College of Engineering will share with Departments and Principle Investigators the recovery of all F&A returned to the College. Distributions will be allocated into separate funds. The following formulae will be used when determining allocations:

• PI’s will receive 20% of the amount recovered by the College that is directly attributed to their sponsored projects that earmark F&A return to the College of Engineering.
• Departments will receive 30% of the amount recovered by the College that is directly attributed to their PIs’ sponsored projects that earmark F&A return to the College of Engineering.
• The College of Engineering will retain the remaining F&A recovery.

2.4 College of Engineering Space Policy

Space within the College of Engineering is allocated by the Dean. Requests for space generally should be submitted in writing by Department Chairs to the Associate Dean for Academic Programs. Space will be allocated based on the following prioritizations:

1. Office space for faculty, staff and supported graduate students in the college will have the highest priority.
2. Classroom space will have the next highest priority.
3. Labs utilized at least partially in courses will have the next highest priority.
4. Labs used only for research will have the next highest priority.
5. Space not mentioned in items one through four will have the lowest priority.

2.5 College of Engineering Laboratory Space Policy

Lab space is to be assigned by Department Chairs based on need and available space. However, due to severe space shortages in the College of Engineering , the following guidelines may apply:

1. Faculty who haven’t had any external funding during the previous three year period will be given lower priority for lab space than those with current funding.
2. Faculty who have external funding, but have not utilized their labs within their funded research programs during the previous three year period will be given lower priority for lab space than those with current funding.
3. Faculty designated as “teaching faculty” with no research component in their apportionment may not be granted laboratory space

2.6 UNL College of Engineering College Cost-Sharing Policy Faculty Recruitment

The College of Engineering will make funds available to assist academic departments and programs within the College of Engineering and the Durham School to aggressively pursue exceptional candidates that bring diverse perspectives to the classroom and to the recruitment process when faculty positions are vacant. This policy applies only to standard searches and does not apply to opportunity hires. As indicated below, the College of Engineering will financially support departmental and program offers to exceptional candidates as follows, based on the availability of institutional funds provided (does not include College of Engineering funds):

1. First Year of Hire: The College of Engineering will transfer to the Department, in the form of discretionary funds, 50 percent of the temporary institutional funds provided towards these exceptional candidates, as well as 50 percent of any permanent institutional funds provided.
2. Second Year of Hire: The College of Engineering will transfer to the Department, in the form of discretionary funds, 30 percent of the temporary institutional funds provided towards these exceptional candidates, as well as 30 percent of any permanent institutional funds provided.
3. Third Year of Hire: The College of Engineering will transfer to the Department, in the form of discretionary funds, 20 percent of the temporary institutional funds provided towards these exceptional candidates, as well as 20 percent of any permanent institutional funds provided.

Section 3: Business Operations

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3.1 College of Engineering Authorization of Expenditure Policy

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents has established signature delegation limits for all UN campuses. This policy can be accessed at http://bf.unl.edu/policies/. In order to ensure compliance with this statement and the established policies and procedures at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, every expenditure using college funds must be approved by a college administrator. College administrators are defined as the Dean, the Associate and Assistant Deans, and their designees. The most appropriate method of gaining college approval is through Faculty Service Representatives in Engineering Administrative Services.