Compensation FT
XI. Salary, Benefits, and Leaves for Full-Time Faculty
A. Salary
1. A faculty member’s base salary shall be specified in her/his contract letter. An initial base salary shall be determined at hiring; subsequent base salaries shall be specified in the annual contract letter. It is the general intent of the College that the subsequent base salaries normally shall equal the previous salary, with adjustments reflecting cost of living, market, equity and merit increases.
2. Full-time faculty shall receive their annual base salary as twelve monthly payments beginning in September and ending in August. Payments are made on or before the 15th of the month by direct deposit into the faculty member’s account at the financial institution of her/his choice.
Current policy at Albright College provides the following benefits, which are subject to change by action of the President or Board of Trustees, or by change in applicable law. Faculty, through the Faculty Executive Committee, will be consulted with respect to proposed benefit changes and notified of actual changes.
1. Eligible Full-Time Faculty Receive Benefits
Eligible Full-Time faculty receive benefits including insurance, access to selected programs self-funded on a pre-tax basis, educational benefits, retirement benefits, personal leaves of absence, professional development leaves of absence including sabbaticals. These benefits are described in Sections 2. through 7. below. Because benefit programs not specific to faculty change frequently, a full description in this Handbook is not feasible.
Benefits are administered by the Office of Human Resources, which should be consulted for specific details. See, https://admin.albright.edu/HRdocs/Faculty-Benefit-overview.pdf.
a. The Domestic Partner of a faculty member may also be eligible for benefits in accordance with College policy and plan documents. The term “Domestic Partner” shall mean a person in a relationship with a faculty member that meets the requirements of the College’s Affidavit of Domestic Partnership, where such Affidavit is properly submitted to the College by the faculty member and his/her Domestic Partner.
2. Insurance
Eligible faculty receive insurance benefits including health insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, long-term disability insurance, term life insurance, travel accident insurance, and workers’ compensation as described in Sections a. through g. below.
a. Initiation and Termination of Coverage
Although full-time faculty may enroll for insurance immediately on the date of commencement of employment, most plans begin on the first day of the following month. Upon termination of employment, most insurance benefits continue through the end of the month during which the last paycheck is issued.
b. Health Insurance
(i) The College will offer health insurance options from which full-time faculty may elect to participate in a group health plan. Coverage will also be offered for the faculty member’s spouse, IRS dependents and Domestic Partner.
(ii) In the event of separation from the College, continued coverage under the College’s group plan may be available to the faculty member, as defined by federal law. Those persons who were insured under the family member’s policy as IRS dependents or spouse but no longer meet the plan’s eligibility requirements may also be eligible for continued coverage, as defined by federal law. Such coverage continuation is commonly referred to as COBRA.
c. Accidental Death and Dismemberment
The College shall provide accidental death and dismemberment insurance for full-time faculty. The College shall pay for the coverage, and benefits follow a rate schedule.
d. Long-Term Disability
The College shall provide long-term disability coverage equal to 60% of a full-time faculty member’s annual base salary, not to exceed $6,000.00 per month less the sum of benefits from other sources. Coverage begins on the first of the month following a faculty member’s employment date. Benefits begin at the termination of Short-Term Disability (one – six months after debilitation) and continue until the faculty member returns to work or reaches retirement age (65 or older, as defined in the plan). During the waiting period, eligible faculty members may collect paid medical leave benefits as described in section 6.a below. Pension plan contributions by the employee and College continue during the period of coverage, however, College-paid health insurance premiums cease at the end of the month during which Short-Term Disability benefits end.
e. Term Life Insurance
The College shall provide, and pay the premium for, term life insurance for full-time faculty members under the age of 65 in an amount equal to twice the faculty member’s annual base salary rounded to the nearest thousand dollars. At age 65 the benefit is reduced in accordance with the terms of the insurance plan.
f. Travel Accident Insurance
Once hired, full-time faculty are covered against accidents occurring while off-campus on College-related activities. To optimize your coverage in connection with College-related foreign travel, contact Administrative and Financial Services Office for a brochure prior to travel. The College pays the cost of this coverage.
g. Workers’ Compensation
The College provides all employees workers’ compensation insurance. Employees injured while working should notify the Office of Human Resources promptly, so that the incident can be properly documented. Further information about workers’ compensation can be obtained from the Office of Human Resources.
3. Employee Funded Benefits Available on a Pre-tax Basis.
The following employee funded programs of the College are available on a pre-tax basis as permitted by federal law.
a. Employee-Funded Dental/Vision Plans
The College shall make available a choice of plans covering the dental and vision expenses of faculty members, their spouses and Domestic Partners, and their IRS dependents. Faculty member electing to enroll shall pay for this coverage.
b. Medical Flexible Spending Accounts
Each year, employees eligible for benefits may elect to place a portion of their pre-tax salary in a health-care account, up to a plan maximum. This account may be used for health expenses allowed by the IRS and not covered by the employee’s insurance. Funds unused at the end of the first quarter following the end of the plan year revert to the College as required by federal law.
c. Dependent Care Spending Account
Each year, employees eligible for benefits may elect to place a portion of their pre-tax salary in a child-care account, up to a plan maximum. This account may be used for child- and day-care expenses. Funds unused at the end of the first quarter following the end ot the plan year revert to the College as required by federal law.
a. Remission of Albright College Tuition
The full tuition of Albright undergraduate courses taken by full-time faculty or Emeritus faculty, their spouse or Domestic Partner, natural or adopted children under the age of 26, and their IRS dependent stepchildren under the age of 26, shall be waived, although they shall still be responsible for room, board, and other fees.
For full-time faculty, the full tuition of Albright graduate courses taken shall also be waived. Faculty enrollement in any course must not interfere with the professional responsibilities of the faculty member. This benefit begins after one year of full-time employment.
i. Additional Rules for Faculty Children
In cases of marital or domestic partner separation, stepchildren of full-time faculty who are IRS dependents of the former spouse or domestic partner of a faculty member are also eligible for this benefit.
Should a faculty member employed by the College for at least three years die while still employed by the College, her/his surviving natural or adopted children, and his/her stepchildren who have IRS dependency status at the time of such death, shall until the age of 26 remain eligible for tuition remission. This benefit covers work towards a first bachelor’s degree for children accepted by the College’s Admissions Office and making normal progress towards the degree.
Non-matriculated courses prior to a first bachelor’s degree are also covered.
ii. Additional Rules for Faculty Spouse or Domestic Partner
A faculty member’s spouse or domestic partner shall receive full tuition remission for undergraduate credit courses taken at Albright College, whether or not the spouse or domestic partner has enrolled for a degree. Should a faculty member employed by the College for at least three years die while still employed by the College, the spouse or domestic partner shall continue to be eligible for the tuition remission benefit unless he/she remarries or enters another domestic partnership.
iii. Continuation in the Event of Layoff
If a person utilizing this benefit matriculated prior to the termination, by reason of retrenchment or other layoff, or retirement of the faculty member, this benefit shall continue with respect to the beneficiary until, in the case of covered children, he/she reaches the age of 26 and, in the case of a spouse/ Domestic Partner, the earlier of three years following such layoff or retirement, or such time as the beneficiary is no longer the spouse or Domestic Partner of the faculty member. This paragraph shall apply only if, at the time of layoff or retirement, the faculty member has been employed by the College for at least three years and such layoff is not due to the misconduct of the faculty member.
b. Reciprocal Tuition Scholarships with Other Colleges & Universities
IRS-dependent children or step-children of eligible full-time faculty members may apply for scholarships at other institutions through exchange programs in which Albright participates. This benefit begins the first semester of full-time employment, although the exchange program’s timetable will likely prevent immediate utilization fo the benefit. At the present time Albright participates in the Tuition Exchange Inc. These scholarships cover tuition only and may be capped, depending on the policies of the program and the exchanging institution. This program is highly competitive. For additional information, contact the Office of Human Resources.
c. Tuition Grants for Dependents of Full-time Faculty to Study at Other Colleges.
The IRS dependents of full-time faculty members who have been in the continuous employ of the College since before January 1, 1976 are eligible for a tuition grant award of one-half of the tuition charged by another College attended, but not more than the Albright tuition. This program applies to dependent children who attend fully accredited colleges not participating in the Tuition Exchange Program and is not available to persons employed after January 1, 1976.
5. Pension Contributions
The College has established a 403(b) program with TIAA-CREF for eligible faculty members who either have been employed by the College for over one year, or already have a TIAA/CREF account from a previous employer. A faculty member may elect to have withheld from his/her compensation 5% of base (contract) salary, and the College shall contribute an equal amount to 10% of the emloyee’s base salary. Additional contributions may be made by the faculty member in accordance with applicable law. Particiapation in the plan is voluntary, until the fifth year of employment, at which time the contribution of 5% of base salary is mandatory under the current College policy of matching at 10%. The College contribution is subject to change by the Board of Trustees with notice to the faculty in accordance with applicable law.
6. Leaves of Absence
Any and all leaves, with the exception of sabbatical leaves, while they count toward years of service, do not count toward tenure and promotion.
a. Medical and Health-Care Leaves With Salary and Benefits (Short-term Disability Leaves)
Eligible faculty members are provided full base salary and full benefits, including College matching contibutions to the retirement plan, during a period of extended illness or disability in accordance with the following schedule. This schedule serves as a general guideline; additional days may be granted on a case-by-case basis depending on individual circumstances.
Length of Service Maximum Length of Paid Leave
Up to 1 year 1 month
Over 1 year up to 2 years 2 months
Over 2 years up to 3 years 3 months
Over 3 years 6 months
Faculty taking pre- and post-partum recuperation leave may qualify for Family Medical Leave pursuant to 6.b. below, in which case the maximum amount of leave pursuant to this subsection a. and subsection b. shall be concurrent. Certification of the faculty member’s condition may be required at the beginning of the leave and periodically during the leave.
b. Family Medical Leave Policy for Full-Time faculty
(i) Eligibility
Full-time faculty members who have taught at the college for at least one year are eligible for paid family medical leave. Albright’s faculty family medical leave policy is supplemental to the Federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Full-time faculty members are eligible to use this program for one incident per year (described below under Terms and Conditions). Faculty members will arrange this leave with the CAO in consultation with Human Resources. Confirmation of the need for the leave is required.
Faculty members who have taught at the College for less than one year may qualify for unpaid leave pursuant to 6.c. below or as required by applicable law.
ii. Terms and Conditions
A faculty member who….
Is a primary caregiver of a biological child within the first year of birth of that child; or
Is a primary caregiver parent of an adopted child within the first year of the adoption of that child; or
Is a primary caregiver of a family member (as defined by FMLA) with a serious medical condition within the first year of the onset of that condition.
….is eligible to apply for a three-course reduction without reduction of salary or benefits., subject to the approval of Human Resources and the Provost’s office with a 12-month period – measured backward from the date of any faculty member’s past family leave usage.
The service load of the faculty member taking leave will also be reduced during the leave. This reduction in course load and service will be formulated and agreed upon in advance in consultation with the department chair, the CAO, and Human Resources.
During the year of reduced load, the College continues to provide benefits.
If the faculty member requires a leave above and beyond what is described here, he/she would be eligible for Unpaid Medical, Child Care, Family Care, and Personal Leaves as described below in X.B.6.c.
c. Unpaid Medical, Child Care, Family Care and Personal Leaves
i. Faculty members with over six months of service at the College, or as specified by law, are eligible for unpaid leaves as described in this Section c. During these leaves, granted at the discretion of the College, the faculty member will not receive base salary nor will the College make contributions to the faculty member’s retirement account. These leaves have a maximum of one year’s duration and, for a given cause, the leave time taken under Medical and Health-Care Leaves, described in Section X.B.6.a. and Family Medical Leave, described in Section X. B.6.b., shall count toward the one-year maximum. If applicable, Medical and Health-Care Leave, pursuant to X.B.6.a, and Family Medical Leave, pursuant to Section X.B.6.b must be exhausted before an unpaid leave under this subsection c. may be used. Whenever possible, a written request for a leave should be submitted with at least a month’s notice to the Chief Academic Officer, and a copy of the request sent to the Office of Human Resources.
ii. During unpaid leaves, the College shall either provide insurance or make it available for purchase.
iii. On return from a leave, a faculty member shall be reinstated in her/his original position with no adverse changes in salary or benefits. A faculty member’s failure to return after a leave shall be considered a resignation.
iv. Unpaid Medical Leave
Faculty who have used up their Medical Leave and Health Care Leave, described in Section X.B.6.a. and/or Family Medical Leave, described in Section X.B.6.b , and who are not eligible for long-term disability insurance, may extend their total combined leave to a maximum of one year, with medical verification, through an unpaid medical leave, during which neither salary nor benefits shall be paid.
v. Unpaid Child-Care Leaves
Faculty who have used up their Family Medical Leave as described in Section X.B.6.b. may be granted unpaid childcare leave as parents or guardians to care for a child upon birth, placement for adoption or placement for foster care. The maximum duration for this leave shall be one year except that the leave time taken for this event under the Family Medical Leave as described in Section X.B.6.b. shall count toward the one-year maximum.
vi. Unpaid Family-Care Leaves
Unpaid family-care leaves are supplemental to the Federal Family Medical Leave Act or a leave described in the Section 6. This unpaid leave permits an employee to care for a child, spouse, or parent with a serious health condition. The College does not provide salary or benefits during these leaves. Certification of the family member’s condition may be required before the leave is granted and also periodically during the leave. Use of leave under this subsection is subject to the one year maximum of combined leave.
vii. Unpaid Personal Leaves
Individuals may be granted an unpaid leave for up to one year to attend to personal matters of a necessary and compelling nature.
These are described in the Faculty Development Section VIII. of this Handbook.
e. Professional Development Leaves
These are described in the Faculty Development Section VIII. of this Handbook.
i. Military Leaves
Military leaves shall be granted based on federal guidelines and generally cover situations where an employee enlists, is inducted, is recalled to active military duty, or is called for reserve training.
ii. Jury and Subpoenaed Witness Duty
All faculty members are eligible for Jury Duty and subpoenaed witness leaves. A faculty member is expected to meet scheduled classes that do not conflict with time spent on jury duty, as a subpoenaed witness, or in travel. Although a faculty member’s salary and benefits shall continue uninterrupted during his leave, any compensation for the duty received from the court should be remitted to the College. Copies of the subpoena should be submitted when requesting the leave.
iii. Administrative Leave
Employees unable to report to work because of arrest or incarceration may be placed on an administrative leave pending the disposition of charges, legal proceedings or further College action.
7. Other Benefits for Full-time Faculty
a. The Albright Learning Center may provide a discount for childcare and pre-school services to College employees.
b. Employee Assistance Program: The College provides free counseling sessions for employees and their household dependents through Inroads at Family Guidance Center, a local center. Inroads offers assistance on a wide range of issues including marital and family, parent/child conflicts, psychological and emotional troubles, grief counseling, financial problems, alcohol/drug treatment and legal access plan. You may access their website www.familyguidancecenter.com . All sessions are completely confidential.
1. A faculty member is eligible for retirement when they have completed at least 10 years of full-time service to the College and reached 60 years of age.
2. Retirement and Phased Retirement Policy:
The College offers a voluntary phased retirement program to full-time members of the faculty. This program is available to full-time faculty members who have a minimum of ten (10) years of service with the College and have reached the age of 60 years or older before September 1 in the first year of the phased retirement period and are no more than 70 years of age before September 1 in the first year of the phased retirement period. Faculty in Phased Retirement are full-time faculty with reduced hours.
Three (3) phased retirement plans are available to eligible faculty members. Plan A allows for a reduction of teaching loads from 18 to 9 over the course of the three year period. This requires a three (3) course load per academic year during the three-year phased retirement. Plan B requires a commitment of 6 courses taught over the three-year phased retirement period, 2 in each academic year. Plan C begins at 3 courses in the first academic year and is reduced to 2 and 1 over the course of the three years. In each plan, participants will be paid a proportion of their full salary and may begin to draw their retirement benefits at anytime during the phased retirement.
a. Process for Phased Retirement:
Eligible faculty member(s) are to declare their intention to enter the phased retirement program before February 1st of the academic year prior to the beginning of the phased retirement. Prior to March 15, the Provost, in consultation with the Department Chairperson, Human Resource Director, and the faculty member, will complete a contract for the phased retirement plan that fits the needs of both the College and the phased retiree. Factors to be considered will be the following: choice of Phased Retirement Plan, specific course assignments during the phased retirement period, and a plan designed to ease transition by mentoring one’s successor.
b. Details of Plans:
i. Plan A:
Three-year phased retirement by reducing teaching load from six to three courses a year. This will result in a total of 9 courses over the period of the three-year phased retirement.
Compensation will be 50% if the compensation for serving in a full-time capacity without a reduced course load
ii. Plan B:
Three-year phased retirement by reducing teaching load from six courses over a 3 year period, 2 courses each academic year.
Compensation will be 33% of compensation for serving in a full-time capacity without a reduced course load.
iii. Plan C:
Three-year phased retirement by reducing teaching load to 6 courses over a 3-year period; three courses in the first year, two courses in the second year, and one course in the third and final year of phased retirement.
Compensation would be 50% of the full-time compensation without a reduced course load for the first year (3 courses); 33% for the second year (2 courses); and 16% for the third and final year (1 course).
c. Related Items:
i. Continued participation in the TIAA-CREF with both the individual and the College contributions based on the actual salary paid.
ii. Health Insurance coverage with the same rate of contribution as a full-time faculty member.
iii. Benefits such as life insurance and long-term disability provided proportionately to the reduced salary.
iv. Participation in the Phased Retirement Program will not alter or affect the years of service of a full-time faculty member. The three years of the phased retirement will count as years of service to the College.
v. Participating faculty members have the right to attend full faculty meetings as well as other faculty committee meetings with full voting rights.
vi. Service on committees and advising students would be commensurate with the teaching load commitment during the phased retirement period.
vii. Participating faculty members will continue active participation in departmental functions, (i.e. attending meetings, strategy planning, etc.), in consultation with the Department Chairperson and the Provost. Participating faculty members will be expected to attend regular faculty meetings, participate in admission events as well as convocation and commencement activities.
ix. During the phased retirement, salary will be adjusted for standard increases (assuming the faculty member receives a satisfactory performance rating) although participants will not be eligible for merit increases.
The College reserves the right to modify or terminate this program. If the program is terminated, those currently participating in the program, as well as those approved for the program, will be able to continue the program to its fruition. In addition, the College will make every effort to accommodate office space requirements for those participants in a phased retirement program but will not guarantee office space that is comparable to that provided to other full-time faculty members. This process will include pertinent consultations with appropriate faculty members.
3. Emeritus Status
a. Emeritus Status shall be given upon retirement from service to full-time faculty members who have completed at least 15 years of full-time service at Albright College prior to retirement.
b. Special cases not in accord with the above provisions may be considered by the Faculty Advisory Committee on Rank and Tenure in consultation with the Vice President of Academic Affairs.
c. The faculty rank accompanying Emeritus status shall be that held at the time the Emeritus status is granted.
4. Continuation of Faculty Privileges During Retirement
The College desires to continue contact with and privileges for retired faculty in every possible way. The College, therefore, extends the following to faculty retired from full-time status:
a. Full faculty library, tuition remission, athletic facilities, and computer system access privileges shall continue to be available to the retired Faculty member upon request and attainment of proper identification card. Spouse’s access privileges remain the same as before retirement (See Section X.B.4.).