Faculty-Inactive vs. 0% FTE
Related content: COE: Managing Professional Track Faculty in Workday
Page menu:
Faculty without active employment
For professional-track faculty who will not be actively employed in the upcoming long semester (fall or spring), the department Academic HR Partner must take one of two actions effective the last day of the semester during which they are active (December 31 or May 15):
a) Termination: The faculty member’s contract is not being renewed, and there is no expectation that they will be actively employed at UT Austin within the next three academic years. (Note: If employment in a different position and/or unit at UT Austin will continue, the department should work with the other employing unit to process a Switch Primary Job and End Additional Job in Workday rather than terminate.) See COE: Managing Professional Track Faculty in Workday > Terminate.
b) Inactivation: The faculty member’s active employment is ending, but they are expected to return to active employment in the department within the next three academic years. An inactivated Professional Track faculty member remains on “roster” and is eligible for reactivation for up to three academic years from the date of inactivation. After three inactive years, their employment will be programmatically terminated, and rehire will require a new PAR. See COE: Managing Professional Track Faculty in Workday > Inactivate.
Note that with chair permission, inactivated faculty can retain some or all employee privileges (UT email, ID card, library privileges, network access, etc.), and these can be assigned within the inactivation BP in Workday. See COE: Managing Professional Track Faculty in Workday > Privileges for inactive faculty.
Example scenarios for inactivation:
The faculty member’s current contract is ending, and there will be a break in service before their next contract. (Note that summer does not count as a break in service.)
The faculty member taught a course in fall but will not teach in spring. They are expected to teach again the following fall.
0% FTE appointments
University and College best practice is to inactivate professional-track faculty who are not actively employed, but are expected to return to active employment within three years. In some circumstances however, the department chair may opt to reduce a faculty member’s FTE to 0% at the end of their active employment period rather than inactivate them. These 0% FTE positions should be used sparingly and only when justified by departmental business need. A 0% appointment should never be used where compensation for duties is appropriate, or if compensation can be made via Payroll on a job with Scheduled Weekly Hours.
Any Workday Job Change business process that reduces an active faculty member’s FTE to 0%, the comments must indicate the department chair’s approval and a brief description of the faculty member’s continuing services for the department and/or justification for their continuing active appointment.
Example scenarios for reducing faculty FTE to 0% rather than inactivating:
A member of teaching faculty had their course cancelled for low enrollment, but they will continue to serve in an uncompensated capacity on a departmental committee requiring active employment.
A professional-track faculty member plans to resign from UT Austin at the end of the academic year. They will not have compensated responsibilities during their final semester, but need continuing active employment in order to facilitate transition of research, student mentorship, and other faculty activities.
A current faculty member in Department XYZ has concurrent faculty and/or staff UT Austin employment outside of Department XYZ for a total FTE of 100%. They will be compensated for performing faculty-related duties on a short-term basis for Department XYZ. Because the total of all UT jobs is already 100% FTE, they cannot be paid via Scheduled Weekly Hours on their Department XYZ position. Instead, the department pays them by processing an Allowance or One-Time Payment on the 0% position.
All 0% faculty positions should be reviewed annually by the department chair and AM to determine whether their continuance is appropriate and in the best interest of the department. Departments should also be aware of any effects the inclusion of 0% faculty may have on headcounts, compensation statistics, and other departmental reporting.
Be aware that University requirements for 0% FTE faculty include the following:
An active contract must be maintained in Workday. See Contracts - COE Guidelines.
All active faculty regardless of FTE must complete annual evaluations. See COE: Faculty Annual Review.
Retired faculty
Retired faculty are always hired via Modified Service, which requires compensation. Retired faculty cannot be inactivated in Workday; at the conclusion of a Modified Service contract, the retiree’s employment is always terminated.
Return to page menu
Please send suggested additions to this page and notifications about broken links to COE-FacultyAffairs@austin.utexas.edu.