C180: Special Administrative Component

Approved by: Faculty Senate
Effective Date: August 27, 2013
Responsible FS Committee: Policy Committee and Operations Committee Office Responsible for Administration: Office of the Provost and HSC Vice President for Academic Affairs

Policy Rationale

This policy is designed to ensure appropriate oversight, fairness, and transparency in the establishment and allocation of Special Administrative Components. A Special Administrative Component (SAC) is a salary amount, in addition to base salary, which is designed to provide incentive to and compensation for a faculty member who is willing to take on extra administrative duties. This policy is applicable to SACs and other similar salary components that are paid to faculty members for carrying out certain specified administrative duties.

Policy Statement

SACs cannot be paid for work that is considered a normal part of faculty service workload, for example, serving on search committees or other assignments that are limited in scope and time, and for which special qualifications are not required. All SACs are incorporated into faculty contracts, and thus are ultimately approved by the Office of the Provost or the Executive Vice President for Health Sciences (EVPHS) as a part of the faculty contract approval process.

Colleges and other administrative units which award SACs must have written policies that specify the type of administrative work for which a SAC may be awarded; how the compensation is determined, including a standardized payment scale to ensure equity; and established SAC terms and criteria for renewals. These policies must be approved by the Office of the Provost or the Office of the (EVPHS), and be available for review in the offices awarding the SACs (e.g. offices of the chair, dean, director, or other administrator).

Applicability

All UNM academic faculty and administrators, including the Health Sciences Center and Branch Campuses.

Definitions

Special Administrative Component (SAC). A SAC is a component of a faculty member’s salary that is paid to the faculty member for carrying out certain specified administrative duties that are in addition to the faculty member’s non-administrative duties.

Who should read this policy

• Professors and academic staff
• Academic deans and other executives, department chairs, directors, and managers
• Administrative staff responsible for academic appointments

Related Documents

Faculty Handbook:

• C50: Faculty Contracts
• C140: Extra Compensation Paid by the University

Related HSC Procedures

Contacts

Direct any questions about this policy to the Office of the Provost or the Office of the EVPHS, as appropriate.

Procedures

1. SACs are generally built into departmental budgets and based on historical labor-cost calculations. In some cases they are set by negotiation to persuade a faculty member to assume a particular responsibility. For administrative efforts within an academic department, the chair normally sets the value of each SAC, and the college or school deans review and approve the departmental SACs; for deans and directors the Provost or EVPHS sets the value of the SAC. For SACs awarded in independent centers and institutes, and for cross-college activities, SAC recommendations may be made collaboratively by appropriate administrative officers; these recommendations require approval by the Provost or the EVPHS. The EVPHS may define different procedures and guidelines for HSC SACs provided they are consistent with items 2, 3, 4, and 5 below.
2. The Office of the Provost or the EVPHS has the responsibility to approve all SACs. Therefore, guidelines governing the creation and administration of SACs are set by those offices. The following guidelines set the appropriate values, eligibility requirements, and processes for initiating and terminating SACs. Equity considerations and the tracking and reporting of SACs are functions of those offices as well. The Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs or the HSC Vice President for Academic Affairs is charged with implementing and monitoring these guidelines.
3. Colleges and other administrative unit policies should include the following:
   1. The work and title for which the SAC is awarded should be specified (this should make clear the duties and responsibilities connected with this work).
   2. A compensation amount should be assigned to the SAC. This amount could be based on the following factors: the numbers of people being managed (faculty, staff, graduate/undergraduate students); budget; grants administered by the unit; and special programs or projects which have impact and contribute to the larger University mission. If other factors are used, these should be clearly identified.
   3. The compensation amount referred to in 3.b. should derive from a general standardized payment scale; the amount of the SAC should reflect the factors identified in 3.b., and in the interests of equity should be awarded consistently. (The amounts could be a set dollar amount or a range, or the SAC could be a set percentage of base pay.)
   4. The term of the SAC should be defined, and criteria for renewals should be clear. Once the term of service is complete, the SAC will also end.
4. In practice, when a SAC is awarded, the request to create the appropriate faculty contract should include a brief description of the specific qualifications of the individual for carrying out the duties and responsibilities as described above. That request should also include the term of the SAC.
5. At the end of each fiscal year the Office of the Provost or the Office of the EVPHS will submit a report to the Faculty Senate Operations Committee that lists all SACs. This report will be posted on the Provost’s and EVPHS’s websites. The report will include each faculty member’s name, college or school, amount of SAC, and purpose of the SAC.

History

• August 25, 2022 - Updated title of Executive Vice President for Health Sciences, per FHB Policy A53 procedures
• August 27, 2013 – Approved by the Faculty Senate.