Release From the Instructional Budget (RFIB)

Overview: 

A faculty member who receives external funding to cover part of their regular salary (usually to do research), and that funding is routed through UT Austin, will need to be 'released' from the instructional budget (a.k.a. Release Time). A faculty member’s Release Time request is final-approved at the college level (COLA). There are different leave types that may include a partial or full release from the instructional budget; you can navigate to the appropriate leave type to see the applicable leaves process. This page only pertains specifically to when and how to release a faculty member from the instructional budget. 

Relevant Definitions: 

Instructional Budget (IB): for purposes of this process, the IB is the budgeted account from which tenured or tenure-track (TTT) faculty salaries for an academic unit are paid. 

Return Rule: A requirement related to certain research-related faculty awards (e.g. CRFs) in which a faculty member is released from teaching but remains on the instructional budget; specifies that when the faculty member’s award period is over, they will return to their normal work hours and teaching load in COLA for a required amount of time:

• 2 semesters of 'normal service’ are required for every 1 semester of award time given.  
• A return rule can be deferred by emailing COLA HR with the faculty member’s request. Include reason for deferral and Chair support. 

Release Time (RT): Release time refers to the release of some (or all) of a faculty member’s salary from the instructional budget for a given time period, where the ‘released’ salary is paid instead by one or more other UT accounts. 

• Example 1: One-third of Prof. X’s Fall salary is paid by his Cybernetics grant, so that he can devote more time to his 'brain-bot' project and also teach one fewer class that Fall. 
• Example 2: Prof. X receives a Phoenix Fellowship covering his salary for Spring, and the Phoenix award is paid via UT. 

Academic Personnel Services (APS): the Provost Office team who help to oversee many/most processes related to academic staff and faculty, such as hiring, leaves, promotions, and related matters 

FYI: For Your Information; a courtesy notification; no action needs to be taken by the recipient 

COLA HR: COLA_HR@austin.utexas.edu   

Process: 

COLA Deadlines: 

June 30 – Fall Semester Requests 

October 31 – Spring Semester Requests 

1. Faculty member reaches out to department staff or Chair to request leave. Staff/Chair should discuss with faculty member how taking leave may affect: 
   1. How faculty member is paid by UT: 
      1. Does the faculty member need to work with the Grants Services Office (laresearch@austin.utexas.edu)? External funding that is routed through UT will often route through the Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP). The Grants Services Office will be your point of contact for working with OSP. 
      2. If the receiving an external fellowship that will pay the faculty member directly:  
         1. they may need to go on partial or total LWOP 
         2. they may wish to apply for a SCRF 
         3. It may affect their insurance benefits and related costs 
   2. Any previously committed return rules; if department does not have solid records of faculty leaves taken, check with COLA HR.  
      1. Does the faculty member need to request a deferral of the return rule? 
      2. A return rule can be deferred by emailing COLA HR with the faculty member’s request. Include reason for deferral and Chair support. However, a deferral is not guaranteed, and return rules connected to FDLs cannot be deferred.
   3. Probationary status/promotion & tenure "clock"; see more information on tenure-track probationary period here.
   4. What courses the faculty member would be teaching without the RT; how the RT will change their teaching load during the academic year; and how the RT will impact the course/s the faculty member will no longer teach.
   5. Any departmental responsibilities the faculty member will retain while on leave. 
2. Ensure that, if the Chair was not notified in step 1, that you (dept staff) bring them into the conversation and/or that they are made aware of the potential considerations listed above. 
3. Release time is requested using the Faculty Request for Leave (FRL) form. 
   1. Complete the form based on the specific leave faculty member is taking. 
      1. The percentage faculty member will be on leave is based on their funding amount and their current salary. 
      2. Please include the account numbers for faculty’s funding. Work with the COLA Grants Services Office where applicable. 
   2. The FRL is submitted to COLA HR via the faculty leaves submission portal for review prior to Chair’s signature. Please follow naming convention: "YY-YY_DEPT_Lastname_Semester_FRL"
      1. "YY-YY" = the fiscal year of the leave; ex. "22-23"
      2. "DEPT" = 4-character UT Department code for your unit; ex. "PSYC" (Department of Psychology)
      3. "Lastname" = faculty member requesting the leave
      4. "Semester" = the semester for which the leave is requested (Fall, Spring, or AY, if full year)
   3. COLA HR will create a leave record in the CLASP database and begin processing. 
   4. COLA HR will make any applicable corrections consistent with COLA policy and will route the FRL in DocuSign for the applicable Chair and Dean signatures; the department staff contact will be given View access to the DocuSign envelope.
4. After signatures, COLA HR will complete a Job Costing Tool for the Release Time and send to COLA Finance. 
5. Finance will complete the costing allocation BP in Workday when required and will also complete instructional budget transfer(s). 
6. If any changes occur to your faculty’s funding amounts, funding source, or leave dates, please contact COLA HR with these changes as soon as possible. 

Related Policies and Information: 

HOP 2-2210: Faculty Leaves and Special Academic Assignments 

Faculty Leaves and Related Information (EVPP)

Family Medical Leave Act (Central HR)

Other Related Links: 

Faculty Submissions Portals

Faculty Request for Leave Form

COLA CLASP database (web access)