To support and encourage faculty research activity, Taubman College provides one of the most generous course buy-out incentives on campus for faculty to request a buy-out of one of their non-core courses per academic year using funds from externally sponsored research (where permitted by the research sponsor).
Course buy-outs are valued at 20% of a faculty’s full time academic year salary (FTR) plus benefits and fringe.
To stimulate early career research faculty, there is also a first-time course buy-out incentive on full Indirect Cost (IDC) bearing external grants or foundation-funded projects with waived IDC for DEI-related research, that are received in the first six years of appointment. This buy-out will be valued at 15% of a faculty’s full time academic year salary plus fringe.
Course buy-outs must be written into the grant budget and must be approved by the Program Chair. Faculty requesting a course buy-out should make their request by April 1 for the following fall term, or by October 1 for the following winter term. The decision on how to replace the course is at the discretion of the Chair. Chairs reserve the right to deny a course buy-out based on program teaching needs.
For faculty considering application to external fellowships that will impact their teaching commitment (such as a Fulbright, Rome Prize, Bellagio or other), faculty are required to advise their respective Program Chair of their intentions at the time of application preparation in order to facilitate program planning.
In some contexts, faculty may seek a variance on the typical rate for a course buy-out, or request a course release by way of salary reduction (also valued at 20% academic salary plus fringe). All approvals for such variation require approval by the Chair and written agreement to the terms by the Dean.