Effective Date Jan 1, 2016

11.2 Adjunct Faculty Tuition Reduction Benefits

Policy

This policy details the method by which adjunct faculty and their eligible dependents may enroll, at a reduced rate, in regular credit courses at Florida Tech. Any exception to this policy will require the approval of the President.

1. Eligible dependent must be enrolled, and making satisfactory progress, in a degree granting program (“transient” students matriculated at other institutions will be considered as satisfying this condition).
2. Only regular credit courses are eligible for tuition reduction under this policy. Short courses, workshops, seminars, continuing education courses, and flight training courses are examples of excluded courses. Doctoral programs must be approved by the provost.

Procedure

1. Nominally, an Adjunct Faculty member earns one tuition reduction unit for each credit taught. A “bank” savings account is established for each Adjunct Faculty member. The account has a record of units earned, units redeemed, and a cumulative balance. Units earned before Summer 1988 do not have an expiration date. Units earned after June 15, 1988 must be redeemed within five years or they expire. Earliest earned units are redeemed first.
2. The introduction of the semester calendar in Fall 1993 required that units earned and units taken as quarter hours be converted. The number of unused quarter hour credit units in the account at the end of the Summer 1993 term are converted to semester hour credit units by multiplying the number of quarter hours by .67. For example: an account with 100 quarter hours will have the equivalent of 67 semester hours (100 X .6700 = 67.00).
3. The value of the tuition reduction will be reported as earnings on the IRS Form 1099 that is provided to the adjunct faculty member at the end of each calendar year.
4. Tuition Reduction units are redeemable as follows:
   1. Self:
      Semester hours that are “banked” may be redeemed for one semester hour credit at 100% tuition reduction.
   2. Spouse:
      Semester hours that are “banked” may be redeemed for 50% of one semester hour credit of tuition reduction.
      
      A maximum of one unit may be redeemed for each credit taken. Specifically, a spouse may not redeem two (2) semester hour credits at 50% each in order to obtain a reduction of 100% of the tuition.
   3. Dependent Child:
      Dependent children are those who are financially dependent upon the adjunct faculty member. The IRS definition of dependent status shall apply in all cases.
      Semester hours that are “banked” may be redeemed for 85% of one semester hour credit of tuition reduction.
      
      A maximum of one credit may be redeemed for each credit taken.
      Each dependent child is limited to 150 semester hour credits, or sufficient credits to earn one undergraduate degree, whichever is less. Dependent children earning an associate’s degree remain eligible to complete an undergraduate degree. These limits include the equivalent semester credits for quarter hour credits taken before Fall 1993. For example, a student who utilized 100 quarter hour credits before Fall 1993 will have taken the equivalent of 67 semester hours towards the limit of 150 semester hours.
5. Adjunct Faculty who are also regular Employees will not accrue Adjunct credits but will fall under 11.1 Tuition Remission.
6. Employees using a tuition benefit under this policy must be matriculated in a degree-granting program at Florida Tech, inclusive of courses offered through University Alliance, Certificate Programs, Continuing Education and at all Florida Tech locations, including those abroad. An exception from the degree-granting criteria is available in those cases where the employee is approved for professional development purposes.
7. Dependents must be enrolled in a degree granting program and making satisfactory progress toward the degree (“transient “students matriculated at other institutions will be considered as satisfying this condition).
8. Only regular credit courses are covered under this policy. Short courses, workshops, seminars, and flight fees are excluded. Regular credit courses taken for “audit” are only covered for employees if the course has been approved for professional development purposes.
9. The tuition portion of directed study is covered by this policy, but the per credit directed study fee is not covered by this policy and must be paid by the student.
10. The applicant for tuition benefits must meet all the requirements of Florida Tech with respect to entrance examinations, admission and academic standing. All fees and expenses not covered by this policy must be paid by the due date shown in the catalog. This policy provides remission for tuition only; no other fees or expenses are covered.
11. The application must be submitted to the Office of Human Resources by the due date for tuition and fees in the catalog. The applicant proceeds with registration the same as any other student.
12. The tuition benefit for employee or spouse is granted on a “space available” basis. The “space available” limitation does not apply to dependent children. A course is determined to have “space available” if the course has the necessary number of registered students to justify offering the course for the semester, not counting employee and/or spouses enrolled under this policy, and has not reached the enrollment limit for the course section.
13. Dependents may earn only one degree from Florida Tech through this tuition benefits program; however, dependents earning an associate’s degree remain eligible for a sufficient number of credits as may be needed to earn a bachelor’s degree.
14. The university reserves the right to audit use of this program and, where appropriate, pursue collection for improper use.