TENNESSEE TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

HUMAN RESOURCE SERVICES POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

18. Outside Employment and Extra Compensation

Full-time employment with Tennessee Technological University demands an individual's full-time professional expertise, commitment and energies, and the assigned teaching load of a faculty member constitutes a full-time assignment.  However, the University recognizes the value to its students, its personnel and to the citizens of  Tennessee arising from outside consulting and other professional experiences in which members of the faculty and staff may engage.  Such activities contribute to the quality of instruction, enhance the competency of the individual, contribute to the economic development of the state and bring credit to the institution.  These activities also create valuable links between the institution and the community.

The University also recognizes that, under certain conditions, employees may need to perform additional assignments for which extra compensation may be warranted and sets forth the following general provisions to cover the circumstances and limitations under which outside and/or extra compensation may be appropriate.

18.2 Scope of Policy 

As defined herein, this policy does not apply (a) to normal, short-term professional activities such as participation in symposia, seminars, professional committees, accreditation visits, speaking engagements, exhibitions or recitals, even though honoraria may be received for such participation; (b) when the individual is not within the term of his or her contract period, or is on leave; (c) to avocational activities which are intermittent and culturally and/or academically oriented (e.g., photography, poetry, painting, sculpting, acting, collecting, literary criticism, gourmet cooking, gardening, performing as a musician, etc.); (d) to salaries paid to academic-year faculty for teaching in inter-session and summer sessions which are not considered extra compensation and are addressed in Human Resource Services Policies and Procedures, Section 17 (Summer Pay); or (e) to personnel classified as non-exempt wage and hour employees.

18.3 Provisions of Policy 

18.3.1 Prior to engaging in outside employment or accepting an extra assignment, the faculty or staff member shall notify appropriate supervisors of the nature of the employment and the expected commitment of time.

18.3.2 Outside and/or extra assignments must be performed entirely outside of and in addition to normal work assignments and responsibilities and must not interfere with assigned duties or with regular institutional operations.

EXAMPLE: A faculty member requests a salary supplement to direct a grant for which she/he receives release time.  Does the policy apply?  No, this policy applies only to work completed "in addition to" the individual's full-time job responsibilities.

EXAMPLE: An administrator agrees to teach a credit course for extra pay during his/her normal work hours.  The supervisor agrees to revise his/her regular schedule to include evening office hours that make up the time lost to teaching.  Is this permissible?  Yes, if the supervisor approves.

EXAMPLE:  An advisor requests permission to teach a credit course for extra pay in the late morning, making up work hours missed by working Saturdays.  Is this permissible?  Probably not, since students request advisement during the week, rather than on weekends, this would disrupt the delivery of services.

18.3.3 Outside and/or extra assignments must be consistent with TBR policies and guidelines and with State law.  TCA 49-5-410 limits full-time faculty members to teaching no more than two credit courses per semester and to no more than fifteen clock hours per week or four hundred clock hours per nine-month period for extra pay at an institution of higher education.  Notice that there are no money limits for faculty or administrators who are teaching or conducting research for extra pay.  Staff and administrators teaching courses for extra pay will be held to the same limits as faculty, no more than two credit courses per semester and no more than fifteen clock hours per week or four hundred clock hours per nine-month period.

EXAMPLE: A faculty member is asked to teach three sections of a course for extra pay for one semester after a colleague is suddenly forced to take medical leave.  Can this exception be approved?  No, this regulation is in statute and does not provide for exception.

18.3.4 Outside and/or extra assignments must not constitute a conflict of interest or compete with the institution's education, research or public service programs.

EXAMPLE: A faculty member requests permission to teach a credit course at a private college located near his TBR institution.  Is the permissible?  The President or Director must determine whether or not this creates conflict of interest for the institution.

18.3.5  Outside and/or extra assignments must require only a reasonable time commitment and must not be undertaken with an inappropriate claim that the individual is officially representing the institution in connection with outside employment.

EXAMPLE:  An accounting faculty member requests permission to start a small accounting business, with all work being completed on weekends.  Is this permissible?  Generally, yes, although the President or Director must determine what is "reasonable".

EXAMPLE:  An accounting professor solicits clients for his weekend accounting business using his university business cards.  Is this appropriate?  No, this would lead prospective customers to believe that the accounting business is under the auspices of the university.

18.3.6 If the employment involves other agencies, departments or institutions of State government, it is subject to prior approval of the President, Director or appropriate representative of the other agency, department or institution.  Services rendered by a TBR employee to another state agency or institution of higher education will be paid by the contracting agency to the institution pursuant to TBR Guideline G-030 (General Instructions on Contracts and Agreements).

18.4  The maximum rates per credit hour of instruction shown below shall apply when calculating compensation for extra service for full-time faculty or staff teaching credit courses at colleges or universities.  Presidents or their designees may approve exceptions to these rates when circumstances warrant.  The teaching load credits and extra compensation figures below are shown as examples.

The maximum rates per clock hour of instruction shown below shall apply when calculating compensation for extra service for full-time faculty or staff teaching at technology centers.  Directors or their designees may approve exceptions to these rates when circumstances warrant.  The hours of instruction and extra compensation figures below are shown as examples.

Go Back to Human Resource Services Menu