General Terms of Employment for Academic Staff

(Excerpted from University of Illinois Statutes and the General Rules)

Faculty members are subject to applicable policies of the University contained in the University of Illinois Statutes and General Rules Concerning University Organization and Procedure. Additional policies can be found on the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost home page, the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs home page, and the Faculty Handbook. All of which are subject to modification from time to time. The following excerpts and additional information from the University of Illinois Statutes and The General Rules contain some of the important aspects of the terms of employment and are for the information of the appointee. The information below does not purport to be exhaustive. New faculty appointees are also directed to the UIC web page that will give them access to the Statutes, General Rules, and the home page for the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost, which contain more complete information about the policies referenced below.

  • Faculty terms of employment shall be normally defined as one of the following:
    1. The academic year, which shall consist of two semesters (08/16-12/31, and 01/01-05/15)
    2. Twelve months, including allowable vacation: The twelve month dates can encompass any twelvemonth period but are normally 08/16-08/15
    3. The summer session
    4. Other stated periods (i.e., academic professional employees may also be appointed on a ten-month basis, normally paid over a twelve-month period; others are appointed on a dates indicated basis, etc.).
  • Compensation for services shall be in twelve monthly installments or on a pro rata basis for shorter periods for all faculty members. In other words, for services over the academic year (08/16-05/15), a faculty member will be paid over twelve months (08/16-08/15). Certain exceptions to this policy of paying in twelve-monthly installments includes temporary (“visiting”) faculty and low percent time temporary adjunct faculty, who may be compensated in monthly installments during the period over which services are rendered. Refer to the Faculty Handbook, Section V. A. for further information.
  • Members of the faculty required to render services during the academic year may be employed in the Summer Sessions, or to perform research or other services during a period not exceeding two months, and receive, for each month of such service, additional compensation at the monthly rate of one-ninth of the full-time rate paid for services required during the preceding academic year. Such employment may be for longer periods during the summer only upon advance approval. NOTE: Faculty in the Tutorium Office are appointed on a ten month basis, and may render services for an additional month each year and receive additional compensation at the monthly rate of one-tenth of full-time rate paid for services required during the previous appointment year. Those faculty members required to render service for twelve months, with allowable vacation, shall not receive additional compensation for services rendered during the summer. For faculty members rendering services partly on a twelve-month basis and partly on an academic year basis, this regulation applies only to the twelve-month portion
  • Faculty members, who provide service on a twelve-month basis, shall earn 24 days of vacation each academic year, defined as 08/16-08/15. During a partial year appointment, vacation shall be prorated. Vacation shall be arranged to accommodate the convenience of the faculty member and the requirements of the unit. Vacation may be accumulated up to a maximum of 48 working days; however employees with the University may be required to utilize all vacation benefits during the year earned or prior to the last day of employment. Vacations taken during the holiday recesses, other than the actual holidays recognized by the University, shall be considered a part of the annual vacation allowance of 24 days.
  • Holidays recognized by the University shall be New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and such other days as may be determined by the president of the University. Holidays being observed at UIC can be found on the Human Resources website Holiday Schedule page for the current year.
  • Faculty members (with the exception of those classifications noted below) earn 25 days of sick leave each academic year, the first 12 of which are cumulative and may be carried over. Additional requirements for sick leave eligibility include participation in the State Universities Retirement System or the Federal Retirement System, and an appointment for at least 50 percent time to a position in which service is expected to be rendered for at least nine consecutive months. Postdoctoral research associates, faculty members on an F-1 or J-1 visa (who are not classified as Resident Aliens), SURS annuitants, and those who are appointed for less than 50 percent time and/or for less than nine consecutive months, earn sick leave of 13 work days for each appointment year, no part of which will be cumulative. Sick leave, like vacation, is earned on an academic year service basis of 8/16 through 8/15 and is prorated for partial year appointments.

The links below provide a summary of the plan provisions and enrollment information for the State and University benefits.

  • Benefits Announcements
    • This section includes specific details on benefits plans, changes to benefits, and accessing general and personal benefits information. Learn more about the individual benefit plans by selecting one of the links from the left margin. For a summary of all benefit plans, select one of the following links:
      • Benefits Summary – broad overview of the administration of and types of benefits available to faculty.
      • Benefits Overview – printable (Adobe Acrobat) booklet providing an overview of faculty benefits at the University of Illinois.
      • Other highlighted topics in this section include:
        • Benefit Choice – information and enrollment about the annual open enrollment period.
        • Benefits Forms – printable (Adobe Acrobat) forms used for benefits enrollments, changes, and claims processing.
        • Benefits Resource Materials – printable (Adobe Acrobat) benefits information
  • The University of Illinois Statutes (Article IX, Section 3.a.) provide that only the Board of Trustees has the authority to make formal appointments to the faculty. Once the necessary appointment processing information is complete, an electronic Notification of Appointment, via NESSIE (Net-driven Employee Self-Service and Information Environment) will be available for viewing by the employee.
  • Logon identification and password information for the NESSIE site access should be established for the new faculty member by the hiring unit. New faculty must process online appointment and payroll documents through the NESSIE New Hire Section.