Academic Appointments
An academic appointment refers to the formal designation given to faculty members or graduate assistants by an educational institution, outlining their role, responsibilities, and duration of employment. For faculty, an academic appointment typically includes teaching, research, and service duties, and it can vary in terms of rank, such as assistant professor, associate professor, or full professor. These appointments often come with specific terms regarding tenure, promotion, and contract renewal.
For graduate assistants, an academic appointment usually involves assisting faculty with teaching, research, or administrative tasks while also pursuing their own studies. Graduate assistant positions often provide financial support through stipends, tuition waivers, or other benefits. Both types of appointments contribute significantly to the academic and research environment of the institution, each fulfilling vital roles within the academic community.
Faculty Positions
A faculty member is an individual who holds and academic appointment, either full-time or part-time, and performs a combination of teaching, research, clinical, and/or service functions. These appointments typically fall in three broad categories: tenured/tenure-track, renewable term and temporary. Regular tenured/tenure-track and renewable term appointments will be twelve-month or nine-month faculty as outlined below.
Twelve Month Faculty Pay
Twelve-month faculty provide services year-round, during both the academic year and non-academic year periods. These employees are paid on the biweekly payroll schedule over a period of 12 months or 26 biweekly pay periods.
Nine Month Faculty Pay
Nine-month faculty provide services during the academic year period (August 16 – May 15). These employees are paid on a biweekly payroll schedule. There are two payment options in which nine-month faculty can be paid: non-deferred pay (9-over-9 or 20 biweekly pay periods) and deferred pay (9-over-12 or 26 biweekly pay periods).
Non-Deferred Pay Option (20 biweekly pay periods/9-over-9)
Nine-month faculty members have the option of receiving the nine months of pay over the 20 academic-year biweekly pay periods. With this option, salary is fully disbursed as it is earned during the nine-month appointment.
Deferred Pay Option (26 biweekly pay periods/9-over-12)
Nine-month faculty members also have the option of receiving nine months of pay over a twelve-month period (26 biweekly pay periods). With the deferred pay (9-over-12 option), salary is not fully disbursed as it is earned. That is, a portion of the salary is held back or “deferred” from the payments made during the academic year period and paid during the non-academic year period. The term “deferred compensation” is used to distinguish between the amount earned versus the amount paid.
4.5 Month Faculty Pay
4.5 contracts are distributed over a single academic semester (Fall or Spring) and are paid through a total of 10 biweekly paychecks. Please see the academic payroll calendar for a complete list of pay days.
Faculty Payment Option
Nine month faculty members in regular tenured/tenure-track and renewable contract appointments will have the option to elect their pay distribution cycle per the guidelines below. The option to elect the payment option is not available to faculty members in temporary appointments as they are paid in full during the terms of their appointment.
- NEW Nine Month Faculty: Beginning Fall 2024, there is no longer a default payment option for new nine month faculty. Departments completing ePAFs will be required to attach the Faculty Payment Option Form to the hire ePAF.
- New faculty members must complete the Faculty Payment Option Form and turn in to their department payroll/HR coordinator by August 1st (for fall start dates) or by the first day of their appointment for midyear start dates. New faculty hires should have an ePAF effective date that is the first day of the first biweekly pay period for the semester they are starting in. Please see the Academic Payroll Calendar for reference.
- Hire ePAFs for nine month faculty that do not have the Faculty Payment Option Form attached will be recycled/denied.
- EXISTING Nine Month Faculty: Existing faculty members who would like to change their payment option, must complete the Faculty Payment Option Form and the forms are due to their department payroll/HR coordinator by August 1st.
- Academic Year 2024-2025: Departments will email completed Faculty Payment Option forms for EXISTING nine month faculty to payroll@ou.edu.
- Future Years: Departments will be required to submit a job change ePAF to update the payment option with an ePAF effective date that is the first day of the first biweekly pay period for the academic year. Please see the Academic Payroll Calendar for reference. The job change ePAF must be submitted prior to the start of the academic year.
- ePAFs that do not have the signed Faculty Payment Option Form attached will be recycled/denied.
- Faculty Stepping Down from Twelve Month Appointments: Beginning Summer 2024, faculty stepping down from twelve month positions to nine month positions must complete the Faculty Payment Option Form and the forms are due to their department payroll/HR coordinator prior to the first day of the effective date of their step down. Departments completing ePAFs will be required to attach the Faculty Payment Option Form to the job change ePAF.
- Job change ePAFs for faculty stepping down from a twelve month appointment to a nine month appointment that do not have the Faculty Payment Option Form attached will be recycled/denied.
For questions about the Faculty Payment Option form please email payroll@ou.edu.
Payment Option Impact on Benefits
Nine month faculty members in benefits eligible positions are eligible to participate in benefits throughout the entire calendar year. Participation is not limited to the nine month service period. Your payment election will have no impact on your benefits coverage, if enrolled, but will change the amount of premiums deducted from your paychecks:
- Nine month faculty paid over 12 months (26 biweekly paychecks) will have benefits deducted over 26 paychecks, if enrolled.
- Nine month faculty paid over 9 months (20 biweekly paychecks) will have benefits deducted over 16 paychecks (September – April), if enrolled.
Premiums for benefits deducted over the 20 paychecks will be higher to allow for the value of the full calendar year premium to be deducted over the academic year. The higher premiums collected during the academic year will be used to maintain employee benefit coverage during the non-academic year period.
Graduate Assistantships
Graduate assistantships provide students with the opportunity to gain meaningful work experience while helping cover the cost of their education.
Many academic units and other administrative areas employ graduate students on a part-time basis as graduate assistants. Graduate assistantships are awarded and governed by the individual appointing units. For more information and resources on Graduate Assistantships please visit the Graduate College website.
Stipend Distribution
If you receive a Graduate Assistantship, you should be provided an offer letter from your hiring department and you must complete new hire paperwork with the Human Resources Office BEFORE you can begin working. Your hiring department (or the Shared Business Services Center on behalf of your hiring department) will send you instructions on how to complete your new hire paperwork. You cannot begin working and will not receive pay until your paperwork is completed and your employment has been verified.
Academic Year Appointments (Fall/Spring Semesters):
- Stipends are distributed evenly over 10 pay periods per semester.
- For those GAs appointed for both fall and spring, stipends are distributed evenly over 20 pay periods throughout the academic year.
12-Month Appointments
- Appointments beginning in a fall semester must align with the first payroll begin date/ePAF effective date on the fall semester calendar to establish QGA status.
- Appointments beginning in a spring semester must align with the first payroll begin date/ePAF effective date of the Spring semester calendar..
- Appointments beginning outside the 20 academic year pay periods may start on any biweekly payroll begin date designated as part of the Summer (SUM) semester on the biweekly academic payroll calendar.
Payroll Dates vs. Semester Dates
Each year, the Graduate College, in collaboration with Human Resources and Payroll Services, will publish payroll begin dates/ePAF effective dates that align with the stipend distribution schedule for each academic year. These payroll begin dates/ePAF effective dates will likely not correspond with the start and end dates of work related to the appointment. Instead, they ensure that the required assistantship stipend is distributed evenly over the semester or academic year preventing any gaps or fluctuations in pay.
Information for Payroll/HR Coordinators
Aligning GA Appointments with the Academic Payroll Cycle
GTA appointments must follow the academic pay period dates that span a full semester unless the appointment is only for a short course (i.e. a course that does not last a full semester). For example, a GTA appointed for the FA25 semester, should have an ePAF effective date (which is the payroll start date) of 8/9/25. If the appointment is only for the fall, then their last working date on the termination ePAF would be 12/26/25. If they will continue working in the spring, do not terminate or put them on leave; simply leave them in active status through the spring semester.
GRA appointments are not required to follow the academic pay period dates but should when possible. If a GRA has an offer letter appointing them for a semester and/or academic year then you should follow the academic payroll dates when submitting their ePAF.
