Overbase teaching is any formal course assignment performed in addition to a faculty member’s base teaching load. (Examples of teaching beyond the base teaching load that do not count as overbase teaching include dissertation, thesis, directed study, or senior independent work supervision or providing a limited number of guest lectures in courses taught by other faculty.) The approval of the CAS Dean is required for all overbase teaching by CAS faculty, whether the additional assignment is in CAS (including within the faculty member’s home department), or in another school or college at Boston University. Faculty should not enter into overbase teaching agreements with other Boston University schools and colleges without consulting as appropriate with their Chair or Director.
The normal compensation for overbase teaching is the post-probationary per-course rate for the department in which the teaching takes place, irrespective of the faculty member’s rank. Overbase teaching must not interfere with a faculty member’s ability to perform his or her base teaching, service, and/or research responsibilities.
Provost’s approval is required for certain overbase teaching assignments, including some situations in which staff members teach courses and certain multi-overbase situations for faculty. The overbase paperwork must include a letter from the staff member’s immediate supervisor that clearly states the days and times of the course and clarifies how the teaching responsibilities will not interfere with the staff member’s core duties. It is the responsibility of the department in which the teaching will take place to obtain the staff supervisor’s permission, irrespective of where in the University the staff member is based. The approval process should be initiated in a timely fashion to ensure that, where required, Provost’s approval is granted well before the teaching semester begins. Departments should submit the necessary paperwork at least six weeks in advance of the semester start date.
Any CAS professorial faculty member who receives a course release in a given academic year will not be granted approval to take on a compensated overbase assignment in that same academic year; this policy applies whether or not the overbase teaching assignment is within CAS. This policy can be appealed to the Dean. Any CAS full-time lecturer who receives a course release for administrative work may receive overbase compensation for formal course assignments in addition to their base teaching load. Overbase compensation, for teaching or service, will not normally be paid during periods of leave, including medical leave and childbirth leave. Overbase compensation, for teaching or service, will not be paid during semesters of Workload Reduction granted for childcare.
Please note, substitute teaching, guest lectures, speaking performed at conferences hosted by CAS/BU, and other BU speaking engagements performed by full-time CAS faculty do not normally warrant overbase or honoraria payments.
Departments and programs should use the standard CAS Overbase Form to request overbase payments for additional teaching assignments.