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How do teaching buy outs work?



The Next CEO of Stack OverflowHow does “buying out” of teaching work?How do you answer “Oh, you're a professor? What do you teach?”How hard do early-career academics in the United States work, really?What if a faculty member is not successful in obtaining the summer salary from a funding agency?Negotiating mathematics postdoc salary when having an offer with higher salaryIs it normal for math grad students to be required to take summer classes to work?Why do academics work only nine months of the year?What is a soft-money research position?Course load expectations for teaching track and how to negotiate for coursesHow do professors choose their summer salary?Why do researchers need universities?Why do professors use course-buyouts?










19















Normally a professor is paid for eight to nine months each academic year for teaching several courses in the period. However, if a professor gets research grant, he can support himself by the grant in the summer months, or teach less courses.



I'd like to know how it works exactly. Let's say, if a professor only teach the half of the normal load of courses, then he will receive half of his normal salary from the department and the rest is covered by the grant, right? If the grant is large enough, can he choose not teaching any course without loss of pay?










share|improve this question



















  • 4





    Variations of professors' pay is probably proportional to the number of professors...

    – Solar Mike
    2 days ago






  • 2





    There is huge variation in how it works. What is true one place will be utterly false in another. Some are fully funded by outside sources and don't need to "teach" other than guiding doctoral students. But in many (most?) places the grant recipient can't manage the funds her/himself. An administrative office does and disburses funds when given appropriate documentation. You need to ask the question locally if it is of real concern to you.

    – Buffy
    2 days ago







  • 1





    Guiding doctoral students also needs teaching (graduate) courses generally. I want mainly how it works in mathematics

    – Math Wizard
    2 days ago






  • 3





    "Guiding doctoral students also needs teaching (graduate) courses generally" - not at all. Advising PhD students is often completely independent of coursework.

    – Bryan Krause
    2 days ago






  • 2





    At [most] US schools you are told a breakdown of the position's time. E.g., 60% research, 20% teaching, 20% service. So buying out of half of your classes is not worth half of your salary.

    – Austin Henley
    2 days ago















19















Normally a professor is paid for eight to nine months each academic year for teaching several courses in the period. However, if a professor gets research grant, he can support himself by the grant in the summer months, or teach less courses.



I'd like to know how it works exactly. Let's say, if a professor only teach the half of the normal load of courses, then he will receive half of his normal salary from the department and the rest is covered by the grant, right? If the grant is large enough, can he choose not teaching any course without loss of pay?










share|improve this question



















  • 4





    Variations of professors' pay is probably proportional to the number of professors...

    – Solar Mike
    2 days ago






  • 2





    There is huge variation in how it works. What is true one place will be utterly false in another. Some are fully funded by outside sources and don't need to "teach" other than guiding doctoral students. But in many (most?) places the grant recipient can't manage the funds her/himself. An administrative office does and disburses funds when given appropriate documentation. You need to ask the question locally if it is of real concern to you.

    – Buffy
    2 days ago







  • 1





    Guiding doctoral students also needs teaching (graduate) courses generally. I want mainly how it works in mathematics

    – Math Wizard
    2 days ago






  • 3





    "Guiding doctoral students also needs teaching (graduate) courses generally" - not at all. Advising PhD students is often completely independent of coursework.

    – Bryan Krause
    2 days ago






  • 2





    At [most] US schools you are told a breakdown of the position's time. E.g., 60% research, 20% teaching, 20% service. So buying out of half of your classes is not worth half of your salary.

    – Austin Henley
    2 days ago













19












19








19


2






Normally a professor is paid for eight to nine months each academic year for teaching several courses in the period. However, if a professor gets research grant, he can support himself by the grant in the summer months, or teach less courses.



I'd like to know how it works exactly. Let's say, if a professor only teach the half of the normal load of courses, then he will receive half of his normal salary from the department and the rest is covered by the grant, right? If the grant is large enough, can he choose not teaching any course without loss of pay?










share|improve this question
















Normally a professor is paid for eight to nine months each academic year for teaching several courses in the period. However, if a professor gets research grant, he can support himself by the grant in the summer months, or teach less courses.



I'd like to know how it works exactly. Let's say, if a professor only teach the half of the normal load of courses, then he will receive half of his normal salary from the department and the rest is covered by the grant, right? If the grant is large enough, can he choose not teaching any course without loss of pay?







funding united-states academic-life salary






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 17 hours ago









user2768

14.9k33859




14.9k33859










asked 2 days ago









Math WizardMath Wizard

21517




21517







  • 4





    Variations of professors' pay is probably proportional to the number of professors...

    – Solar Mike
    2 days ago






  • 2





    There is huge variation in how it works. What is true one place will be utterly false in another. Some are fully funded by outside sources and don't need to "teach" other than guiding doctoral students. But in many (most?) places the grant recipient can't manage the funds her/himself. An administrative office does and disburses funds when given appropriate documentation. You need to ask the question locally if it is of real concern to you.

    – Buffy
    2 days ago







  • 1





    Guiding doctoral students also needs teaching (graduate) courses generally. I want mainly how it works in mathematics

    – Math Wizard
    2 days ago






  • 3





    "Guiding doctoral students also needs teaching (graduate) courses generally" - not at all. Advising PhD students is often completely independent of coursework.

    – Bryan Krause
    2 days ago






  • 2





    At [most] US schools you are told a breakdown of the position's time. E.g., 60% research, 20% teaching, 20% service. So buying out of half of your classes is not worth half of your salary.

    – Austin Henley
    2 days ago












  • 4





    Variations of professors' pay is probably proportional to the number of professors...

    – Solar Mike
    2 days ago






  • 2





    There is huge variation in how it works. What is true one place will be utterly false in another. Some are fully funded by outside sources and don't need to "teach" other than guiding doctoral students. But in many (most?) places the grant recipient can't manage the funds her/himself. An administrative office does and disburses funds when given appropriate documentation. You need to ask the question locally if it is of real concern to you.

    – Buffy
    2 days ago







  • 1





    Guiding doctoral students also needs teaching (graduate) courses generally. I want mainly how it works in mathematics

    – Math Wizard
    2 days ago






  • 3





    "Guiding doctoral students also needs teaching (graduate) courses generally" - not at all. Advising PhD students is often completely independent of coursework.

    – Bryan Krause
    2 days ago






  • 2





    At [most] US schools you are told a breakdown of the position's time. E.g., 60% research, 20% teaching, 20% service. So buying out of half of your classes is not worth half of your salary.

    – Austin Henley
    2 days ago







4




4





Variations of professors' pay is probably proportional to the number of professors...

– Solar Mike
2 days ago





Variations of professors' pay is probably proportional to the number of professors...

– Solar Mike
2 days ago




2




2





There is huge variation in how it works. What is true one place will be utterly false in another. Some are fully funded by outside sources and don't need to "teach" other than guiding doctoral students. But in many (most?) places the grant recipient can't manage the funds her/himself. An administrative office does and disburses funds when given appropriate documentation. You need to ask the question locally if it is of real concern to you.

– Buffy
2 days ago






There is huge variation in how it works. What is true one place will be utterly false in another. Some are fully funded by outside sources and don't need to "teach" other than guiding doctoral students. But in many (most?) places the grant recipient can't manage the funds her/himself. An administrative office does and disburses funds when given appropriate documentation. You need to ask the question locally if it is of real concern to you.

– Buffy
2 days ago





1




1





Guiding doctoral students also needs teaching (graduate) courses generally. I want mainly how it works in mathematics

– Math Wizard
2 days ago





Guiding doctoral students also needs teaching (graduate) courses generally. I want mainly how it works in mathematics

– Math Wizard
2 days ago




3




3





"Guiding doctoral students also needs teaching (graduate) courses generally" - not at all. Advising PhD students is often completely independent of coursework.

– Bryan Krause
2 days ago





"Guiding doctoral students also needs teaching (graduate) courses generally" - not at all. Advising PhD students is often completely independent of coursework.

– Bryan Krause
2 days ago




2




2





At [most] US schools you are told a breakdown of the position's time. E.g., 60% research, 20% teaching, 20% service. So buying out of half of your classes is not worth half of your salary.

– Austin Henley
2 days ago





At [most] US schools you are told a breakdown of the position's time. E.g., 60% research, 20% teaching, 20% service. So buying out of half of your classes is not worth half of your salary.

– Austin Henley
2 days ago










3 Answers
3






active

oldest

votes


















20














Nearly every school will have a different policy on buying out of teaching.



In the US, many universities have a breakdown of the position's time. For example, you may be hired to do 60% research, 20% teaching, 20% service. At some universities, this means the grants must cover the percentage of your salary that you are buying out of. At others, there is a flat buyout price (presumably the amount it costs to pay an instructor). Although, some also have requirements for a minimum number of courses you must teach per year (can't buy out).






share|improve this answer




















  • 2





    @DanRomik Changed it to "many". I have heard it commonly brought up at conferences and nearly every place I interviewed. I didn't know my position had a time breakdown until recently (it wasn't in the offer or any of the initial paperwork), so it is possible that yours does too.

    – Austin Henley
    yesterday


















15














It is complicated. The amount a grant is charged when a professor "buys out" from a course generally factors in the professor's salary and benefits as well as the replacement teaching costs (salary, benefits, office etc).



The number of courses a professor can buy out of varies. Some departments will let you buy out of all courses, others will require you to teach 1 course a year and some will not let you buy out at all. The exact number can vary year to year depending on the teaching needs of the department, past buy outs, total grant/overhead income, and other factors.



You should not take a TT job expecting to buy out of all teaching and it is not unreasonable to ask during the hiring process what the buy "rules" are.






share|improve this answer























  • Having just interviewed last year, I agree with StrongBad. Every school I interviewed with had different policies for buying out of teaching. Some were a percentage of your salary, some were flat rates. Few let you buy out of all of them, most had restrictions on how much you can buy out.

    – Austin Henley
    2 days ago







  • 2





    @MathWizard TT means tenure-track.

    – Austin Henley
    2 days ago











  • Yes, tenure-track position requires some teaching and you must teach some courses in order to prove yourself

    – Math Wizard
    2 days ago


















3















Normally a professor is paid for eight to nine months each academic year for teaching several courses in the period.




No, professors are paid for doing many things, including teaching. See this question.




However, if a professor gets research grant, he can support himself by the grant in the summer months, or teach less courses.




That’s a misleading statement that’s only approximately correct. Many professors don’t receive summer salary but that doesn’t mean they can’t “support themselves in the summer months” - the base salary is usually adequate for supporting oneself. And it’s not always an option to teach fewer courses - that depends on the nature of the grant and on the department agreeing to a course buyout.




if a professor only teach the half of the normal load of courses, then he will receive half of his normal salary from the department and the rest is covered by the grant, right?




No, again your math shows that you are assuming the incorrect premise that professors are only paid to teach. Even if there is a well-defined percentage X such that X percent of the professor’s salary is given for teaching (there isn’t always such a number), the amount that will be charged to the grant for a course buyout may not directly correspond to a simple arithmetical calculation of the sort you suggested. As others have noted, every institution will have its own policies about such things.




If the grant is large enough, can he choose not teaching any course without loss of pay?




Professors never “choose” how much they teach. They get assigned teaching by their department, and are required to teach the number of courses that they are assigned. But given appropriate grant funding, they can request permission from the department for a course buyout, and if that permission is granted then they can teach less than the normal load. In some places this is a routine matter and effectively professors can assume that permission will always be granted; in others it may not be.



Also note that it’s not just the size of the grant that matters. The grant budget and policies of the funding body have to be compatible with using the money for a course buyout. That won’t always be the case even when the grant is “large enough”.






share|improve this answer

























  • Many professors don’t receive summer salary but that doesn’t mean they can’t “support themselves in the summer months” I don't think the OP literally meant they thought profs would starve without a summer salary

    – Azor Ahai
    9 hours ago






  • 1





    @AzorAhai I don’t know what OP meant, but what they wrote seemed to suggest that professors who don’t receive summer salary would have trouble supporting themselves. When people here ask loaded questions they not only confuse the people trying to answer the question but they may also mislead readers of the thread, so I thought it made sense to point out the imprecision. But I agree my answer is on the pedantic side, perhaps a bit more than was necessary.

    – Dan Romik
    7 hours ago












  • I think the rest of your answer is fine, I just thought that line was maybe a little compared to the rest and could have been part of why you attracted some early downvotes (I didn't downvote). I don't feel like you're being "picky on words."

    – Azor Ahai
    6 hours ago











  • @MathWizard because I don't think there are anything wrong in Well you're just straight up wrong about those things, which is what Dan is trying to explain to you. | Also you said in your first comment "So this post is really picky on words" and then in your most recent one "Picky on words is not my own feeling, as reflected by others." Please don't try to make that my opinion.

    – Azor Ahai
    6 hours ago











  • This is just a question in which I ask some of my thought. They may not be accurate or right, so that they can be answered.

    – Math Wizard
    6 hours ago












Your Answer








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3 Answers
3






active

oldest

votes








3 Answers
3






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes









20














Nearly every school will have a different policy on buying out of teaching.



In the US, many universities have a breakdown of the position's time. For example, you may be hired to do 60% research, 20% teaching, 20% service. At some universities, this means the grants must cover the percentage of your salary that you are buying out of. At others, there is a flat buyout price (presumably the amount it costs to pay an instructor). Although, some also have requirements for a minimum number of courses you must teach per year (can't buy out).






share|improve this answer




















  • 2





    @DanRomik Changed it to "many". I have heard it commonly brought up at conferences and nearly every place I interviewed. I didn't know my position had a time breakdown until recently (it wasn't in the offer or any of the initial paperwork), so it is possible that yours does too.

    – Austin Henley
    yesterday















20














Nearly every school will have a different policy on buying out of teaching.



In the US, many universities have a breakdown of the position's time. For example, you may be hired to do 60% research, 20% teaching, 20% service. At some universities, this means the grants must cover the percentage of your salary that you are buying out of. At others, there is a flat buyout price (presumably the amount it costs to pay an instructor). Although, some also have requirements for a minimum number of courses you must teach per year (can't buy out).






share|improve this answer




















  • 2





    @DanRomik Changed it to "many". I have heard it commonly brought up at conferences and nearly every place I interviewed. I didn't know my position had a time breakdown until recently (it wasn't in the offer or any of the initial paperwork), so it is possible that yours does too.

    – Austin Henley
    yesterday













20












20








20







Nearly every school will have a different policy on buying out of teaching.



In the US, many universities have a breakdown of the position's time. For example, you may be hired to do 60% research, 20% teaching, 20% service. At some universities, this means the grants must cover the percentage of your salary that you are buying out of. At others, there is a flat buyout price (presumably the amount it costs to pay an instructor). Although, some also have requirements for a minimum number of courses you must teach per year (can't buy out).






share|improve this answer















Nearly every school will have a different policy on buying out of teaching.



In the US, many universities have a breakdown of the position's time. For example, you may be hired to do 60% research, 20% teaching, 20% service. At some universities, this means the grants must cover the percentage of your salary that you are buying out of. At others, there is a flat buyout price (presumably the amount it costs to pay an instructor). Although, some also have requirements for a minimum number of courses you must teach per year (can't buy out).







share|improve this answer














share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer








edited yesterday

























answered 2 days ago









Austin HenleyAustin Henley

16.7k95295




16.7k95295







  • 2





    @DanRomik Changed it to "many". I have heard it commonly brought up at conferences and nearly every place I interviewed. I didn't know my position had a time breakdown until recently (it wasn't in the offer or any of the initial paperwork), so it is possible that yours does too.

    – Austin Henley
    yesterday












  • 2





    @DanRomik Changed it to "many". I have heard it commonly brought up at conferences and nearly every place I interviewed. I didn't know my position had a time breakdown until recently (it wasn't in the offer or any of the initial paperwork), so it is possible that yours does too.

    – Austin Henley
    yesterday







2




2





@DanRomik Changed it to "many". I have heard it commonly brought up at conferences and nearly every place I interviewed. I didn't know my position had a time breakdown until recently (it wasn't in the offer or any of the initial paperwork), so it is possible that yours does too.

– Austin Henley
yesterday





@DanRomik Changed it to "many". I have heard it commonly brought up at conferences and nearly every place I interviewed. I didn't know my position had a time breakdown until recently (it wasn't in the offer or any of the initial paperwork), so it is possible that yours does too.

– Austin Henley
yesterday











15














It is complicated. The amount a grant is charged when a professor "buys out" from a course generally factors in the professor's salary and benefits as well as the replacement teaching costs (salary, benefits, office etc).



The number of courses a professor can buy out of varies. Some departments will let you buy out of all courses, others will require you to teach 1 course a year and some will not let you buy out at all. The exact number can vary year to year depending on the teaching needs of the department, past buy outs, total grant/overhead income, and other factors.



You should not take a TT job expecting to buy out of all teaching and it is not unreasonable to ask during the hiring process what the buy "rules" are.






share|improve this answer























  • Having just interviewed last year, I agree with StrongBad. Every school I interviewed with had different policies for buying out of teaching. Some were a percentage of your salary, some were flat rates. Few let you buy out of all of them, most had restrictions on how much you can buy out.

    – Austin Henley
    2 days ago







  • 2





    @MathWizard TT means tenure-track.

    – Austin Henley
    2 days ago











  • Yes, tenure-track position requires some teaching and you must teach some courses in order to prove yourself

    – Math Wizard
    2 days ago















15














It is complicated. The amount a grant is charged when a professor "buys out" from a course generally factors in the professor's salary and benefits as well as the replacement teaching costs (salary, benefits, office etc).



The number of courses a professor can buy out of varies. Some departments will let you buy out of all courses, others will require you to teach 1 course a year and some will not let you buy out at all. The exact number can vary year to year depending on the teaching needs of the department, past buy outs, total grant/overhead income, and other factors.



You should not take a TT job expecting to buy out of all teaching and it is not unreasonable to ask during the hiring process what the buy "rules" are.






share|improve this answer























  • Having just interviewed last year, I agree with StrongBad. Every school I interviewed with had different policies for buying out of teaching. Some were a percentage of your salary, some were flat rates. Few let you buy out of all of them, most had restrictions on how much you can buy out.

    – Austin Henley
    2 days ago







  • 2





    @MathWizard TT means tenure-track.

    – Austin Henley
    2 days ago











  • Yes, tenure-track position requires some teaching and you must teach some courses in order to prove yourself

    – Math Wizard
    2 days ago













15












15








15







It is complicated. The amount a grant is charged when a professor "buys out" from a course generally factors in the professor's salary and benefits as well as the replacement teaching costs (salary, benefits, office etc).



The number of courses a professor can buy out of varies. Some departments will let you buy out of all courses, others will require you to teach 1 course a year and some will not let you buy out at all. The exact number can vary year to year depending on the teaching needs of the department, past buy outs, total grant/overhead income, and other factors.



You should not take a TT job expecting to buy out of all teaching and it is not unreasonable to ask during the hiring process what the buy "rules" are.






share|improve this answer













It is complicated. The amount a grant is charged when a professor "buys out" from a course generally factors in the professor's salary and benefits as well as the replacement teaching costs (salary, benefits, office etc).



The number of courses a professor can buy out of varies. Some departments will let you buy out of all courses, others will require you to teach 1 course a year and some will not let you buy out at all. The exact number can vary year to year depending on the teaching needs of the department, past buy outs, total grant/overhead income, and other factors.



You should not take a TT job expecting to buy out of all teaching and it is not unreasonable to ask during the hiring process what the buy "rules" are.







share|improve this answer












share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer










answered 2 days ago









StrongBadStrongBad

86.1k24215422




86.1k24215422












  • Having just interviewed last year, I agree with StrongBad. Every school I interviewed with had different policies for buying out of teaching. Some were a percentage of your salary, some were flat rates. Few let you buy out of all of them, most had restrictions on how much you can buy out.

    – Austin Henley
    2 days ago







  • 2





    @MathWizard TT means tenure-track.

    – Austin Henley
    2 days ago











  • Yes, tenure-track position requires some teaching and you must teach some courses in order to prove yourself

    – Math Wizard
    2 days ago

















  • Having just interviewed last year, I agree with StrongBad. Every school I interviewed with had different policies for buying out of teaching. Some were a percentage of your salary, some were flat rates. Few let you buy out of all of them, most had restrictions on how much you can buy out.

    – Austin Henley
    2 days ago







  • 2





    @MathWizard TT means tenure-track.

    – Austin Henley
    2 days ago











  • Yes, tenure-track position requires some teaching and you must teach some courses in order to prove yourself

    – Math Wizard
    2 days ago
















Having just interviewed last year, I agree with StrongBad. Every school I interviewed with had different policies for buying out of teaching. Some were a percentage of your salary, some were flat rates. Few let you buy out of all of them, most had restrictions on how much you can buy out.

– Austin Henley
2 days ago






Having just interviewed last year, I agree with StrongBad. Every school I interviewed with had different policies for buying out of teaching. Some were a percentage of your salary, some were flat rates. Few let you buy out of all of them, most had restrictions on how much you can buy out.

– Austin Henley
2 days ago





2




2





@MathWizard TT means tenure-track.

– Austin Henley
2 days ago





@MathWizard TT means tenure-track.

– Austin Henley
2 days ago













Yes, tenure-track position requires some teaching and you must teach some courses in order to prove yourself

– Math Wizard
2 days ago





Yes, tenure-track position requires some teaching and you must teach some courses in order to prove yourself

– Math Wizard
2 days ago











3















Normally a professor is paid for eight to nine months each academic year for teaching several courses in the period.




No, professors are paid for doing many things, including teaching. See this question.




However, if a professor gets research grant, he can support himself by the grant in the summer months, or teach less courses.




That’s a misleading statement that’s only approximately correct. Many professors don’t receive summer salary but that doesn’t mean they can’t “support themselves in the summer months” - the base salary is usually adequate for supporting oneself. And it’s not always an option to teach fewer courses - that depends on the nature of the grant and on the department agreeing to a course buyout.




if a professor only teach the half of the normal load of courses, then he will receive half of his normal salary from the department and the rest is covered by the grant, right?




No, again your math shows that you are assuming the incorrect premise that professors are only paid to teach. Even if there is a well-defined percentage X such that X percent of the professor’s salary is given for teaching (there isn’t always such a number), the amount that will be charged to the grant for a course buyout may not directly correspond to a simple arithmetical calculation of the sort you suggested. As others have noted, every institution will have its own policies about such things.




If the grant is large enough, can he choose not teaching any course without loss of pay?




Professors never “choose” how much they teach. They get assigned teaching by their department, and are required to teach the number of courses that they are assigned. But given appropriate grant funding, they can request permission from the department for a course buyout, and if that permission is granted then they can teach less than the normal load. In some places this is a routine matter and effectively professors can assume that permission will always be granted; in others it may not be.



Also note that it’s not just the size of the grant that matters. The grant budget and policies of the funding body have to be compatible with using the money for a course buyout. That won’t always be the case even when the grant is “large enough”.






share|improve this answer

























  • Many professors don’t receive summer salary but that doesn’t mean they can’t “support themselves in the summer months” I don't think the OP literally meant they thought profs would starve without a summer salary

    – Azor Ahai
    9 hours ago






  • 1





    @AzorAhai I don’t know what OP meant, but what they wrote seemed to suggest that professors who don’t receive summer salary would have trouble supporting themselves. When people here ask loaded questions they not only confuse the people trying to answer the question but they may also mislead readers of the thread, so I thought it made sense to point out the imprecision. But I agree my answer is on the pedantic side, perhaps a bit more than was necessary.

    – Dan Romik
    7 hours ago












  • I think the rest of your answer is fine, I just thought that line was maybe a little compared to the rest and could have been part of why you attracted some early downvotes (I didn't downvote). I don't feel like you're being "picky on words."

    – Azor Ahai
    6 hours ago











  • @MathWizard because I don't think there are anything wrong in Well you're just straight up wrong about those things, which is what Dan is trying to explain to you. | Also you said in your first comment "So this post is really picky on words" and then in your most recent one "Picky on words is not my own feeling, as reflected by others." Please don't try to make that my opinion.

    – Azor Ahai
    6 hours ago











  • This is just a question in which I ask some of my thought. They may not be accurate or right, so that they can be answered.

    – Math Wizard
    6 hours ago
















3















Normally a professor is paid for eight to nine months each academic year for teaching several courses in the period.




No, professors are paid for doing many things, including teaching. See this question.




However, if a professor gets research grant, he can support himself by the grant in the summer months, or teach less courses.




That’s a misleading statement that’s only approximately correct. Many professors don’t receive summer salary but that doesn’t mean they can’t “support themselves in the summer months” - the base salary is usually adequate for supporting oneself. And it’s not always an option to teach fewer courses - that depends on the nature of the grant and on the department agreeing to a course buyout.




if a professor only teach the half of the normal load of courses, then he will receive half of his normal salary from the department and the rest is covered by the grant, right?




No, again your math shows that you are assuming the incorrect premise that professors are only paid to teach. Even if there is a well-defined percentage X such that X percent of the professor’s salary is given for teaching (there isn’t always such a number), the amount that will be charged to the grant for a course buyout may not directly correspond to a simple arithmetical calculation of the sort you suggested. As others have noted, every institution will have its own policies about such things.




If the grant is large enough, can he choose not teaching any course without loss of pay?




Professors never “choose” how much they teach. They get assigned teaching by their department, and are required to teach the number of courses that they are assigned. But given appropriate grant funding, they can request permission from the department for a course buyout, and if that permission is granted then they can teach less than the normal load. In some places this is a routine matter and effectively professors can assume that permission will always be granted; in others it may not be.



Also note that it’s not just the size of the grant that matters. The grant budget and policies of the funding body have to be compatible with using the money for a course buyout. That won’t always be the case even when the grant is “large enough”.






share|improve this answer

























  • Many professors don’t receive summer salary but that doesn’t mean they can’t “support themselves in the summer months” I don't think the OP literally meant they thought profs would starve without a summer salary

    – Azor Ahai
    9 hours ago






  • 1





    @AzorAhai I don’t know what OP meant, but what they wrote seemed to suggest that professors who don’t receive summer salary would have trouble supporting themselves. When people here ask loaded questions they not only confuse the people trying to answer the question but they may also mislead readers of the thread, so I thought it made sense to point out the imprecision. But I agree my answer is on the pedantic side, perhaps a bit more than was necessary.

    – Dan Romik
    7 hours ago












  • I think the rest of your answer is fine, I just thought that line was maybe a little compared to the rest and could have been part of why you attracted some early downvotes (I didn't downvote). I don't feel like you're being "picky on words."

    – Azor Ahai
    6 hours ago











  • @MathWizard because I don't think there are anything wrong in Well you're just straight up wrong about those things, which is what Dan is trying to explain to you. | Also you said in your first comment "So this post is really picky on words" and then in your most recent one "Picky on words is not my own feeling, as reflected by others." Please don't try to make that my opinion.

    – Azor Ahai
    6 hours ago











  • This is just a question in which I ask some of my thought. They may not be accurate or right, so that they can be answered.

    – Math Wizard
    6 hours ago














3












3








3








Normally a professor is paid for eight to nine months each academic year for teaching several courses in the period.




No, professors are paid for doing many things, including teaching. See this question.




However, if a professor gets research grant, he can support himself by the grant in the summer months, or teach less courses.




That’s a misleading statement that’s only approximately correct. Many professors don’t receive summer salary but that doesn’t mean they can’t “support themselves in the summer months” - the base salary is usually adequate for supporting oneself. And it’s not always an option to teach fewer courses - that depends on the nature of the grant and on the department agreeing to a course buyout.




if a professor only teach the half of the normal load of courses, then he will receive half of his normal salary from the department and the rest is covered by the grant, right?




No, again your math shows that you are assuming the incorrect premise that professors are only paid to teach. Even if there is a well-defined percentage X such that X percent of the professor’s salary is given for teaching (there isn’t always such a number), the amount that will be charged to the grant for a course buyout may not directly correspond to a simple arithmetical calculation of the sort you suggested. As others have noted, every institution will have its own policies about such things.




If the grant is large enough, can he choose not teaching any course without loss of pay?




Professors never “choose” how much they teach. They get assigned teaching by their department, and are required to teach the number of courses that they are assigned. But given appropriate grant funding, they can request permission from the department for a course buyout, and if that permission is granted then they can teach less than the normal load. In some places this is a routine matter and effectively professors can assume that permission will always be granted; in others it may not be.



Also note that it’s not just the size of the grant that matters. The grant budget and policies of the funding body have to be compatible with using the money for a course buyout. That won’t always be the case even when the grant is “large enough”.






share|improve this answer
















Normally a professor is paid for eight to nine months each academic year for teaching several courses in the period.




No, professors are paid for doing many things, including teaching. See this question.




However, if a professor gets research grant, he can support himself by the grant in the summer months, or teach less courses.




That’s a misleading statement that’s only approximately correct. Many professors don’t receive summer salary but that doesn’t mean they can’t “support themselves in the summer months” - the base salary is usually adequate for supporting oneself. And it’s not always an option to teach fewer courses - that depends on the nature of the grant and on the department agreeing to a course buyout.




if a professor only teach the half of the normal load of courses, then he will receive half of his normal salary from the department and the rest is covered by the grant, right?




No, again your math shows that you are assuming the incorrect premise that professors are only paid to teach. Even if there is a well-defined percentage X such that X percent of the professor’s salary is given for teaching (there isn’t always such a number), the amount that will be charged to the grant for a course buyout may not directly correspond to a simple arithmetical calculation of the sort you suggested. As others have noted, every institution will have its own policies about such things.




If the grant is large enough, can he choose not teaching any course without loss of pay?




Professors never “choose” how much they teach. They get assigned teaching by their department, and are required to teach the number of courses that they are assigned. But given appropriate grant funding, they can request permission from the department for a course buyout, and if that permission is granted then they can teach less than the normal load. In some places this is a routine matter and effectively professors can assume that permission will always be granted; in others it may not be.



Also note that it’s not just the size of the grant that matters. The grant budget and policies of the funding body have to be compatible with using the money for a course buyout. That won’t always be the case even when the grant is “large enough”.







share|improve this answer














share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer








edited yesterday

























answered yesterday









Dan RomikDan Romik

87.3k22189286




87.3k22189286












  • Many professors don’t receive summer salary but that doesn’t mean they can’t “support themselves in the summer months” I don't think the OP literally meant they thought profs would starve without a summer salary

    – Azor Ahai
    9 hours ago






  • 1





    @AzorAhai I don’t know what OP meant, but what they wrote seemed to suggest that professors who don’t receive summer salary would have trouble supporting themselves. When people here ask loaded questions they not only confuse the people trying to answer the question but they may also mislead readers of the thread, so I thought it made sense to point out the imprecision. But I agree my answer is on the pedantic side, perhaps a bit more than was necessary.

    – Dan Romik
    7 hours ago












  • I think the rest of your answer is fine, I just thought that line was maybe a little compared to the rest and could have been part of why you attracted some early downvotes (I didn't downvote). I don't feel like you're being "picky on words."

    – Azor Ahai
    6 hours ago











  • @MathWizard because I don't think there are anything wrong in Well you're just straight up wrong about those things, which is what Dan is trying to explain to you. | Also you said in your first comment "So this post is really picky on words" and then in your most recent one "Picky on words is not my own feeling, as reflected by others." Please don't try to make that my opinion.

    – Azor Ahai
    6 hours ago











  • This is just a question in which I ask some of my thought. They may not be accurate or right, so that they can be answered.

    – Math Wizard
    6 hours ago


















  • Many professors don’t receive summer salary but that doesn’t mean they can’t “support themselves in the summer months” I don't think the OP literally meant they thought profs would starve without a summer salary

    – Azor Ahai
    9 hours ago






  • 1





    @AzorAhai I don’t know what OP meant, but what they wrote seemed to suggest that professors who don’t receive summer salary would have trouble supporting themselves. When people here ask loaded questions they not only confuse the people trying to answer the question but they may also mislead readers of the thread, so I thought it made sense to point out the imprecision. But I agree my answer is on the pedantic side, perhaps a bit more than was necessary.

    – Dan Romik
    7 hours ago












  • I think the rest of your answer is fine, I just thought that line was maybe a little compared to the rest and could have been part of why you attracted some early downvotes (I didn't downvote). I don't feel like you're being "picky on words."

    – Azor Ahai
    6 hours ago











  • @MathWizard because I don't think there are anything wrong in Well you're just straight up wrong about those things, which is what Dan is trying to explain to you. | Also you said in your first comment "So this post is really picky on words" and then in your most recent one "Picky on words is not my own feeling, as reflected by others." Please don't try to make that my opinion.

    – Azor Ahai
    6 hours ago











  • This is just a question in which I ask some of my thought. They may not be accurate or right, so that they can be answered.

    – Math Wizard
    6 hours ago

















Many professors don’t receive summer salary but that doesn’t mean they can’t “support themselves in the summer months” I don't think the OP literally meant they thought profs would starve without a summer salary

– Azor Ahai
9 hours ago





Many professors don’t receive summer salary but that doesn’t mean they can’t “support themselves in the summer months” I don't think the OP literally meant they thought profs would starve without a summer salary

– Azor Ahai
9 hours ago




1




1





@AzorAhai I don’t know what OP meant, but what they wrote seemed to suggest that professors who don’t receive summer salary would have trouble supporting themselves. When people here ask loaded questions they not only confuse the people trying to answer the question but they may also mislead readers of the thread, so I thought it made sense to point out the imprecision. But I agree my answer is on the pedantic side, perhaps a bit more than was necessary.

– Dan Romik
7 hours ago






@AzorAhai I don’t know what OP meant, but what they wrote seemed to suggest that professors who don’t receive summer salary would have trouble supporting themselves. When people here ask loaded questions they not only confuse the people trying to answer the question but they may also mislead readers of the thread, so I thought it made sense to point out the imprecision. But I agree my answer is on the pedantic side, perhaps a bit more than was necessary.

– Dan Romik
7 hours ago














I think the rest of your answer is fine, I just thought that line was maybe a little compared to the rest and could have been part of why you attracted some early downvotes (I didn't downvote). I don't feel like you're being "picky on words."

– Azor Ahai
6 hours ago





I think the rest of your answer is fine, I just thought that line was maybe a little compared to the rest and could have been part of why you attracted some early downvotes (I didn't downvote). I don't feel like you're being "picky on words."

– Azor Ahai
6 hours ago













@MathWizard because I don't think there are anything wrong in Well you're just straight up wrong about those things, which is what Dan is trying to explain to you. | Also you said in your first comment "So this post is really picky on words" and then in your most recent one "Picky on words is not my own feeling, as reflected by others." Please don't try to make that my opinion.

– Azor Ahai
6 hours ago





@MathWizard because I don't think there are anything wrong in Well you're just straight up wrong about those things, which is what Dan is trying to explain to you. | Also you said in your first comment "So this post is really picky on words" and then in your most recent one "Picky on words is not my own feeling, as reflected by others." Please don't try to make that my opinion.

– Azor Ahai
6 hours ago













This is just a question in which I ask some of my thought. They may not be accurate or right, so that they can be answered.

– Math Wizard
6 hours ago






This is just a question in which I ask some of my thought. They may not be accurate or right, so that they can be answered.

– Math Wizard
6 hours ago


















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