HR 340 - Full-time Faculty Compensation Policy
Number: HR 340
Effective: January 26, 2026
Last Reviewed: December 23, 2025
Department: Human Resources
Last Revision: December 23, 2025

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to establish CWI’s compensation program for CWI’s full-time faculty employees in accordance with state and federal law and CWI policy.

Scope

Applies to all full-time faculty employees at CWI.

Definition

Academic Year: The Academic Year includes the Fall and Spring Semesters, as defined in the Academic Calendar published in the CWI Catalog.

Additional Assignments: Temporary responsibilities outside a faculty member’s Regular Duties. These include:

  1. Activities sponsored by Enrollment and Student Services or concurrent enrollment duties;
  2. Special projects assigned as additional duties;
  3. Teaching additional classes not included in Regular Duties, on an exception basis.

Base Salary Period (Obligated Workdays): The period during which faculty are contractually obligated to perform Regular Duties, compensated through their base salary.

Contact Hours: The total number of direct instruction hours assigned to a class based on the total number and types of credits as noted in the CWI Academic Catalog.

Faculty Contract:  An annual agreement outlining faculty responsibilities. All faculty contracts run from August 1 to July 31, with obligated workdays varying by faculty type.

Faculty Effort: Compensated time spent on College activities, including Teaching, Institutional Engagement, and Professional Development.

Independent Consulting and Outside Employment: Professional services provided to external entities not affiliated with CWI. The College is not a party to any related agreements or funding. Governed by HR 210 and HR 270 policies. Compensation is excluded from IBS and Supplemental Pay.

Institutional Base Salary (IBS): Annual compensation for Regular Duties during the Base Salary Period, regardless of funding source or activity type. Excludes compensation for consulting, supplemental pay, bonuses, awards, honoraria, tuition reimbursements, and one-time payments.

Institutional Engagement: Service-related contributions to students, the College, or the community that support CWI’s mission. Activities are documented in the Faculty Planning and Activity Reporting (FPAR) form.

Intra‐College Consulting: Professional services provided within CWI’s organizational units. Typically, part of contractual obligations and not eligible for Supplemental Pay, except as noted in this policy.

Percentage of Responsibility: A variable used to calculate Total Workload Hours, representing compensated work outside direct instruction for each course.

Periods Outside the Academic Year: Faculty may be compensated for work outside the Base Salary Period at a rate not exceeding their IBS. This compensation is not considered Supplemental Pay.

Professional Development: Activities that enhance faculty performance, student success, or institutional stability. Documented in the FPAR form.

Non-Teaching Duties: Institutional Engagement and Professional Development activities, typically comprising 25% of a full-time faculty member’s Regular Duties.

Release Time: Time allocated for non-teaching projects in place of assigned contact hours. Release time is included in IBS and not separately compensated. Ongoing needs are defined in job descriptions; unique needs are documented via special project forms.

Regular Duties: Responsibilities defined in a faculty member’s job description, including Teaching and Non-Teaching Duties as outlined in the Faculty Handbook.

Supplemental Pay: Compensation exceeding IBS, paid for approved Additional Assignments outside the employee’s job description, during the Base Salary Period, and through College-administered payroll.

Total Workload Hours: Average weekly time required to complete teaching activities for an assigned course.

Policy

CWI recognizes the significant role that its workforce plays in fulfilling its mission. As an employer, CWI understands that maintaining a competitive compensation system is critical to its goal of delivering a quality educational experience. Thus, CWI strives to provide compensation for its employees to attract qualified applicants, retain employees committed to public service, and motivate employees to maintain the highest standards of performance

Total Rewards Philosophy

CWI is committed to providing affordable access to quality teaching and learning opportunities for the residents of its service area. In fulfilling its mission, CWI strives to foster an environment that embraces respect for the worth of each employee and to pursue the same in its total rewards package that includes salary, benefits, policies, and procedures. CWI desires to attract, retain, and motivate employees through a total rewards system that is equitable internally, competitive externally, aligned with State guidance, and affordable within CWI’s budget. This total rewards package is guided by the principles outlined in HR-160 Compensation Policy.

Professional Development 

Faculty create a professional development plan through the annual completion and review of the Faculty Planning and Activity Reporting (FPAR) form in accordance with accreditation expectations. Career Technical Education (CTE) Faculty must consider the requirements for the State Division of CTE when creating their FPARs. Funds are available, upon approval, to support these endeavors. Faculty participating in professional development requiring financial support submit a Professional Development Request for approval by the Department Chair and Dean, or their designees.

Faculty participating in an approved professional development activity outside of their Base Salary Period, are covered by CWI policies and processes including, but not limited to liability coverage, workmen’s compensation, and travel support. Time engaged in professional development activities outside of their Base Salary Period will not be compensated as time worked unless specifically approved by the Dean, or their designee, in advance, for exceptional situations (simultaneous supervision of students and professional development at a national conference, for example). Upon approval, professional development requests may include opportunities during the Base Salary Period in which case faculty work with their supervisor to determine appropriate support for their students during the professional development activity.

Promotions and compensation

A full-time faculty’s Institutional Base Salary may not exceed the maximum salary range of their job. If receiving an annual merit increase causes the employee’s Institutional Base Salary to exceed the maximum of the pay range, the employee will receive a one-time lump sum payment equaling the annualized total of their merit in excess of the salary range maximum on the second pay period in August.

Faculty Rank and Promotion

 Rank-eligible faculty at CWI are eligible for the following ranks:

  • Instructor
  • Assistant Professor
  • Associate Professor
  • Professor

Faculty advancement in rank is conferred through a process including faculty peer review and instructional administration review as noted in the Faculty Handbook.

Compensation for Rank Promotion

The Provost, or their designee, works with Faculty Senate Leadership and President’s Cabinet to determine consistent and appropriate compensation within the resources available.

Workload

Faculty effort is distributed across Teaching, Institutional Engagement, and Professional Development. While the balance of these activities may vary by faculty member and semester, the distribution must support both individual faculty interests and the College’s commitment to delivering high-quality credit instruction. This flexibility enables faculty to contribute in ways that best support program excellence and institutional goals.

Standard Workload Expectations

All full-time, rank-eligible faculty are expected to engage in:

  • Teaching: Standard assignment is 30 Total Workload Hours per semester, calculated using contact hours, percentage of responsibility, and session length. This represents 75% of the full-time workload.
  • Institutional Engagement and Professional Development: These activities average of ten hours per week, making up the remaining 25% of the workload.

Release Time activities are counted in standard workload and contribute to the 30 Total Workload Hours of Teaching.

Exceptions to Standard Workload

When a faculty member’s workload deviates from the standard distribution, the change must be approved and documented following the Instruction Approved Release Time Procedure.

Exceptions must meet the following criteria:

  1. Consistent application across all faculty;
  2. Integration of the release time activity into the annual faculty evaluation process.

Assignments that exceed the Standard Workload are subject to Supplemental Pay and INST-160: Overloads: Exceptional Teaching Assignments.

FACULTY BENEFITS

Full-time faculty receive benefits as outlined in HR 180 Employee Benefits policy. Faculty receive personal days based on faculty type. Support and Teaching Faculty accrue vacation leave per pay period. Vacation leave is to be scheduled in advance and with approval of the department supervisor. Vacation should be scheduled to provide the least disruption to the student learning experience.

All faculty are expected to maintain all teaching obligations during semesters in which they are teaching. 

FACULTY TYPES

There are five positions recognized as full-time faculty at CWI.  The positions differ by base salary period, benefits, and rank eligibility. The Faculty Types include Faculty, Faculty Coordinator, Faculty Department Chair, Year-Round Faculty, and Teaching and Support Faculty. The table below outlines the obligations and benefits for each type.

Type Obligated Workdays Leave benefits Teaching responsibility Service responsibility Typical use
Faculty 173 days 2 personal days per year 30 total workload hours each semester 10 hours per week during obligated workdays This is the most prevalent type of faculty. These faculty are primarily assigned to teaching responsibilities in the Fall and Spring Terms.
Faculty Coordinators 195 days 3 personal days per year 30 total workload hours each semester Full time service on obligated days outside of the academic calendar and 10 hours per week during the academic calendar. This position is used to support a specific program outside of course offerings and provides administrative time before Fall semester and after Spring semester.
Faculty Department Chairs 217 days 3 personal days per year 12 to 20 total workload hours each semester Full time service on obligated days outside of the academic calendar and 20 to 28 hours per week during the academic calendar. This position provides for faculty supervision and department leadership with approximately 50% of the teaching obligation of Faculty and 44 additional workdays for administrative time.
Teaching and Support Faculty Admin Calendar Admin Leave with sick and vacation hours 40 hours a week as noted in the Faculty Expectations Document Not Rank Eligible These positions serve in the Math Solutions Center specifically.
Year-Round Faculty 217 days 3 personal days per year 30 total workload hours each semester 10 hours per week during obligated workdays These faculty are primarily assigned to teaching responsibilities in the Fall, Spring, and Summer terms.

SUPPLEMENTAL PAY

Compensation during the Base Salary Period for the performance of temporary Additional Assignments may be paid in excess of the Institutional Base Salary for all or part of that period if approval for compensation is obtained in accordance with this policy. The employee’s supervisor must ensure that any employee approved for Supplemental Pay continues to meet expectations in performance of their Regular Duties. In any event, the total amount of approved Supplemental Pay shall not exceed 30 percent (30%) of Faculty Effort above and beyond Regular Duties. (Example: Regular Duties include 30 total workload hours of teaching so Faculty Effort cannot exceed 42 total workload hours of teaching in any semester.) Supplemental compensation by grants will also be limited by the grant award documentation.

  1. Supplemental Pay for Teaching Overload: Pay for Overloads is covered in policy INST 160 Overloads – Exceptional Teaching Assignments.
  2. Supplemental Pay from Special Projects: Compensation during the Base Salary Period for the performance of Special Projects under Additional Assignments approved by the Provost may be paid in excess of the Institutional Base Salary for all or part of that period if approval for compensation is obtained in accordance with the Procedures section of this policy. CWI’s office of Human Resources maintains the approved rates for common activities completed as Supplemental Pay. All other Supplemental Pay is compensated at the faculty’s IBS rate.
  3. Work Not Considered Eligible for Supplemental Pay: Work normally conducted as part of the employee’s Regular Duties are not eligible for Supplemental Pay. Bonuses, one-time payments, and incentive pay are not classified as Supplemental Pay.

GRANT-FUNDED COMPENSATION

Compensation for grant-related projects is only allowed when:

  • The approval of the CWI Sponsored Programs Office and the Principal Investigator or Project Director of the grant is obtained.
  • Time and Effort reporting is provided as required

RIGHT TO CHANGE COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

CWI reserves the right to change general compensation for any reason deemed appropriate. Compensation may also be adjusted based upon job performance and the availability of funds to maintain a solvent CWI budget. Hours worked may be reduced or employees may be laid off as necessary to meet budgetary constraints as set forth in HR 190, or as workload changes.

Referenced