EXPLANATION OF STATISTICAL DATA

Academe, Mar/Apr 2006

Instructional Faculty. The instructional faculty is defined as all those members of the instructional-research staff who are employed full time, regardless of whether they are formally designated "faculty." It includes all those whose major regular assignment (at least 50 percent) is instruction, including release time for research. Faculty on sabbatical leave are counted at their regular salaries even though they may be receiving a reduced salary while on leave. Replacements for those on leave with pay are not counted; replacements for those on leave without pay are counted. All faculty members who have contracts for the full academic year are included, regardless of whether their status is considered "permanent." Institutions are asked to exclude (a) instructional faculty who are not employed on a full-time basis; (b) instructional faculty whose services are valued by bookkeeping entries rather than by full cash transactions unless their salaries are determined by the same principles as those who do not donate their services; (c) instructional faculty who are in military organizations and are paid on a different scale from civilian employees; (d) administrative officers with titles such as dean of instruction, academic dean, associate or assistant dean, librarian, registrar, coach, or the like, even though they may devote part of their time to classroom instruction; and (e) graduate or undergraduate students who assist in the instruction of courses, but who have titles such as teaching assistant, teaching associate, or teaching fellow.

Salary. This figure represents the contracted salary excluding summer teaching, stipends, extra load, or other forms of remuneration. Department heads with faculty rank and no other administrative title are reported at their instructional salary (that is, excluding administrative stipends). Where faculty members are given duties for eleven or twelve months, salary is converted to a standard academic-year basis by applying a factor of 9/11 (81.8 percent) or by the institution's own factor, reflected in a footnote to the appendix tables of this report.

Benefits. Benefit amounts tabulated here represent the institution (or state) contribution on behalf of the individual faculty member; the amount does not include the employee contribution. The major benefits include (a) retirement contribution, regardless of the plan's vesting provision; (b) medical insurance; (c) disability income protection; (d) tuition for faculty dependents (both waivers and remissions are included); (e) dental insurance; (f) social security (PICA); (g) unemployment insurance; (h) group life insurance; (i) workers' compensation premiums; and (j) other benefits in kind with cash alternatives (for the most part, these include benefits such as moving expenses, housing, cafeteria plans or cash options to certain benefits, bonuses, and the like). see also the footnote to tables 1OA and 1OB.

Compensation. Compensation represents salary plus institutional contribution to benefits. It is best viewed as an approximate "cost" figure for the institution, rather than an amount received by the faculty member.

Institutional Categories

Category I (Doctoral). Institutions characterized by a significant level and breadth of activity in and commitment to doctoral-level education as measured by the number of doctorate recipients and the diversity in doctorallevel program offerings. Included in this category are those institutions that grant a minimum of thirty doctoral-level degrees annually. These degrees must be granted in three or more unrelated disciplines.

Category IIA (Master's). Institutions characterized by diverse postbaccalaureate programs (including first professional), but not engaged in significant doctoral-level education. Specifically, this category includes institutions not considered specialized schools in which the number of doctoral-level degrees granted is fewer than thirty or in which fewer than three unrelated disciplines are offered. In addition, these institutions must grant a minimum of thirty postbaccalaureate degrees annually and either grant degrees in three or more postbaccalaureate programs or, alternatively, have an interdisciplinary program at the postbaccalaureate level.

Category IIB (Baccalaureate). Institutions characterized by their primary emphasis on general undergraduate baccalaureate-level education and not significantly engaged in postbaccalaureate education. Included in this category are institutions that are not considered specialized and in which the number of postbaccalaureate degrees granted is fewer than thirty annually or in which fewer than three post-baccalaureate-level programs are offered and that either (a) grant baccalaureate degrees in three or more program areas, or (b) offer a baccalaureate program in interdisciplinary studies.

Category III (Two-Year Institutions with Academic Ranks). Institutions that confer at least 75 percent of their degrees and awards for work below the bachelor's degree and utilize academic ranks.