WPI Faculty Handbook:
Chapter Eight - Certain
Policies on Faculty Benefits and Opportunities
July 1, 2026
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Chapter 8 |
July 1, 2026
(Faculty Handbook, 1980)
(Revised by the Faculty, April 16, 2025)
(Approved by the Board of Trustees, May 16, 2025)
The University encourages members of the faculty to do consulting work and, where appropriate, to expand consulting activities into on-campus research programs. Participation as a consultant for extra compensation must comply with the Conflict of Commitment Policy.
Each member of the faculty who undertakes consulting work or research is encouraged to seek that kind of activity which will enhance his or her long-range professional development, provided, however, that such consulting work complies with the Conflict of Commitment Policy.
In all work with industry, arrangements should be made with the sponsor to permit adequate publication of results, where appropriate, without jeopardizing the proprietary interests of the sponsor.
The University letterhead is not to be used for promotion of one's own business interests or for any purposes other than University business.
(Modified April 14, 2011, October 14, 2011, and November 12, 2025)
Compensation for summer academic activities (including independent study courses, project work and thesis advising) and summer educational youth programs (e.g., Frontiers, STRIVE, and GEMS) will be paid on a lump sum basis. Payment will be made the pay date that corresponds to the pay period tht includes when the activity ends. These will be coordinated by the Summer Programs Office.
Payroll Authorization forms should be submitted to the Provost's office by the respective Department Head for faculty assigned administrative summer responsibilities (e.g., Acting Head, etc.).
First- or second-year faculty members scheduled to receive summer support should contact the Provost's office before June 1 of the year(s) in which the summer support is to be paid.
WPI policy allows faculty members with summer salary and employee benefits budgeted on a sponsored project to receive supplemental income.
Compensation for work performed during the summer will be calculated at the rate of 1/9 of the faculty member's regular academic year salary for each summer month of work and will be paid according to the standard pay schedule.
Authorization forms for summer salary to be charged to sponsored or restricted accounts must be completed, approved by the Department Head, and forwarded to the Provost's office before the 10th of the month in which the salary is to be paid.
Please check with the Office of Sponsored Programs regarding any restrictions on the total amount of supplemental pay allowed by a particular contract or grant.
WPI places no restriction on maximum faculty compensation. Additional duties may receive additional compensation beyond the regular base salary rate. However, faculty with sponsored research projects must comply with limitations on compensation or "total effort" imposed by the granting agency.
Payment for teaching and research activities must be received as salary. From time to time contributions may be made to faculty members' professional development accounts but these deposits may not be taken in place of salary. WPI does not contribute to faculty pension plans for summer academic (non-research) activities.
Faculty are required to participate in WPI's retirement plan on the first day of the month following completion of twelve months of continuous service, if in an eligible class of participants, and working at least 1000 hours per calendar year. The waiting period will be waived for anyone with one year of continuous service as a non-student at any non-profit educational organization or teaching hospital, or already participating in TIAA/CREF immediately prior to the start of employment at WPI.
Detailed information on WPI's Retirement Plan is available in the "Summary Plan Description" available in the Human Resources office.