Policies

The College Of Arts and Sciences State Purpose OTPS Surplus/Deficit Policy

Each department/unit is required to keep their State Purpose OTPS spending in line with their allotted State Purpose OTPS budget. If a department overspends its budget it’ll be required to reimburse CAS dollar for dollar. For example, if a department receives a fiscal year OTPS budget of $5,000 and spends $5,200 it will need to reimburse CAS $200. The reimbursement will be deducted at the beginning of the next fiscal year from the department’s OTPS and/or IDC allotment.

CAS Relocation Reimbursement Guidelines for New Hires

  1. It’s the department’s (i.e., Assistant to the Chair or another designated departmental person) responsibility to provide the new hire with the correct relocation reimbursement information. Procurement can provide the department with a relocation package that includes the relevant forms and an explanatory brochure. It’s important that the new hires are provided with the relevant information prior to their move. It’s also important for the department to work with the new hire to ensure that there is a clear understanding of what expenditures are reimbursable.
  2. It’s the department’s responsibility to initiate and keep track of the processing of the appropriate paperwork.
  3. Paperwork flow is as follows: If the Dean is contributing towards the relocation costs, the paperwork goes from the department to the Dean’s office to the Provost’s office to Procurement. If the Dean isn’t contributing towards the relocation costs, the paperwork goes from the department to the Provost’s office to Procurement.
  4. The reimbursement limit for relocation expenditures (previously $3,000) has been removed. Expenses are still subject to the rules and guidelines as published by Procurement.
  5. On average we find when everything is done correctly (for non over-the-limit reimbursements), it takes approximately six weeks after the paperwork is received by the Procurement office for a check to be disbursed.

Individual Faculty Fellowships Guidelines

A fellowship provides funds to an individual to support academic study or research. The recipient has no employer/employee relationship with the organization granting the funds, and no services can be required for the fellowship.

At the time of application for a fellowship, faculty members should notify their department chairs and dean. This is especially important if the faculty member anticipates requesting a leave from the University in order to accomplish the goals of the fellowship. Early notification will also allow for University support to be planned in a timely fashion, and will enable departments to provide guidance on procedures to be followed if the fellowship is awarded. Decisions concerning the scope and level of University support will be influenced by the prestige of the award (e.g. Guggenheim, NIH, NSF, etc.).

When a tenured or tenure-track Stony Brook faculty member is awarded an externally funded fellowship, the faculty member may request, with approval by appropriate administration officials (Department Chair, Dean, Provost and President), one of the following options:

  1. Release time with a reduction in FTE and salary equivalent to the value of the fellowship (less any travel or incidental expenses included in the fellowship). If an individual’s effort and State salary are reduced, there may be benefits implications and TIAA/CREF contributions will be reduced in accordance with the reduced effort.
  2. Remain on full salary and reimburse the University for the percent of release time equivalent to the value of the fellowship (less any travel or incidental expenses included in the fellowship). The University Accounting Department will invoice individuals for any salary reimbursement and reimbursements would be deposited into an income fund reimbursable (IFR) account designated by the Dean.
  3. Release from all University obligations and leave without pay. The individual would be responsible for continuance of benefits and no University contributions would be made to TIAA/CREF contracts for the leave period.
  4. Sabbatical leave, if eligible, at half pay for a full academic year or at full pay for a semester and keep the full value of the fellowship during the sabbatical period. This is subject to the Policies of the Board of Trustees on sabbatical leaves.

In all instances, fellows would deposit their fellowship award checks into their personal bank accounts. Any payments to the University for reimbursement of salary would be by personal check. Fellows are advised to seek advice from a tax consultant regarding any income tax implications.