Policy Converting 12-month Faculty Appointment to 9-month Faculty Appointment
Initiation and Approval Process
The CAES Business Office is ready to assist faculty and units with the conversion process. If you have questions, please contact Steve Gibson or Sadie Brown. Individual faculty members or College administration may initiate 12-month (fiscal year) to 9-month (academic year) faculty appointment conversion at any time of the year. Faculty members must route requests through their department head. The Dean and Director will evaluate each request on an individual basis consistent with objectives of the position.
Any 9-month salary over 75% of the fiscal year salary is considered a salary increase. In these cases, the Department/Unit will initiate the Request for Salary Action (RSA) after conversion approval by the Dean. After approval, the CAES Business Office will send the RSA to the Provost for approval. It is reasonable to request a salary over 75% as there is benefit in future earnings to the faculty member as well as immediate salary savings to the Department/Unit and the College.
The Department/Unit and faculty member will fill in and sign the Voluntary Conversion from Fiscal Year to Academic Year form and forward to the CAES Business Office. The Department/Unit will also initiate the personnel action for conversion after the Dean’s/Provost approval. The CAES Business Office will provide the form, any new offer letter, or other communication to the Office of Faculty Affairs to place in the faculty member’s file.
Who is Eligible
Any person with academic rank in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is eligible for contract conversion. Federal appointees in the Cooperative Extension Service are not eligible for 9-month appointment if they wish to retain Federal retirement. This is a one-time, irrevocable decision.
Tenure
A tenured faculty member changing from 12-month (FY) to 9-month (AY) appointment will retain tenure. A non-tenured faculty member on tenure track may apply for tenure in the 9-month appointment.
Period of Appointment
The 9-month appointment will coincide with the academic year at the University.* The academic year begins one week prior to the first day of classes and continues through the last day of final examinations in the Spring semester.
Employment with Supplement Salary
A faculty member on 9-month appointment will be eligible for an additional appointment depending on availability of funds from grants or contracts, summer school, or other outside funding sources. Supplemental compensation for the 3-month period shall not exceed 0.33333 times the current 9-month salary.* Supplemental sponsored project activity must have sufficient resources in addition to the supplemental salary and benefits to provide creditable operating support for the sponsored activity during the three months.
Annual Leave
No annual leave will accrue to faculty on 9-month appointment.* A faculty member changing to a 9-month appointment may use his/her accumulated annual leave before the beginning of the fiscal year of the new appointment or receive a payout of the accrued balance, up to the University’s limit.
Other Benefits
A faculty member changing appointment will continue on state retirement where academic appointment (nine months) counts as one year toward retirement. He/she will continue to be eligible for the other benefits such as medical and life insurance. UGA Payroll will withhold premiums for these benefits during the three month non-appointment period in advance from one of the nine monthly payments. Faculty will continue to accumulate sick leave and will be covered by workers’ compensation during the nine months of employment.
New and Vacant Positions
Departments/Units must define all new and vacant positions as 12-month or 9-month. The Department/Unit Head will develop a statement to justify the contract period of the position to the mission of the department.
*Based on current University of Georgia Policy