General Instructor Compensation Information
First-Year Seminars are compensated at $2,500/seminar. Money is allocated to each college from the Office of the Provost at the beginning of the fall semester, and from there funds are sent to departments for further distribution. Departments are responsible for compensating their First-Year Seminar instructors, per their college's policy. If an instructor teaches a seminar that is offered through University College, regardless of faculty or staff status, they will be compensated per the University College policy. This includes seminars offered as research-focused seminars, which are all offered through Undergraduate Research Studies (URES) in University College.
Offer Letters
The University College and the Office of the Provost do not write offer letters or teaching contracts for seminars offered outside of University College. This is the responsibility of each instructor's department or academic unit.
Team Teacher Compensation
In the case of multiple instructors, course scheduling and funding is based on the primary instructor's status and all funding is allocated to the primary instructor's home department for distribution via their college compensation policy. The primary department is typically responsible for compensating both instructors.
Honors Seminars & Research-Focused Seminar Compensation Policies
First-Year Seminars may be designated as Honors, Research-Focused, both, or neither.
Honors Seminars
Honors courses (that are not research-focused) will be scheduled in the instructor's home department and follow their college's FYS compensation policy outlined below.
Research-Focused Seminars
All seminars offered as a research-focused seminar (both Honors and non-Honors seminars) are scheduled in Undergraduate Research Studies-URES (a University College academic unit). Per the University College First-Year Seminar compensation policy, all seminars are compensated in the form of teaching stipends, paid at $2,500/seminar minus fringe/taxes. Additional information regarding the University College compensation policy is listed below.
Carver College of Medicine
Please contact CCOM accounting staff for compensation policy information.
If the instructor's home department is unable to offer undergraduate courses, the seminar will be offered through University College (CSI) and the instructor(s) will be compensated by the University College.
College of Education
Instructors teaching a First-Year Seminar in the College of Education will receive a salary payment in the form of a teaching stipend. Because the total allocation for each First-Year Seminar cannot exceed $2,500, salary payments will be $2,500 less fringe expenses. Stipends are pro-rated if the course is co-taught.
Contact College of Education accounting staff for more information.
College of Engineering
Instructors teaching a First-Year Seminar in the College of Engineering who are permanent, full-time tenure-track faculty will receive $2,500 in professional development or research funds for their teaching efforts.
Contact College of Engineering accounting staff for more information.
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Please see the most up-to-date CLAS First-Year Seminar compensation and teaching policies here. Policies below may have changed.
Faculty:
Tenure track and Clinical track faculty who teach a FYS course will have their funds allocated as Research. Expenses that are allowed on this account are travel, research related expenses, and any supplies related to the course. Food, scholarships, and the faculty members own salary should not be expensed to this account. Certain wages are allowable, please check with your departmental accountant.
P&S, Instructional Track Faculty, and Visitors/Adjuncts:
P&S, Instructional Track Faculty, and Adjuncts who teach a First-Year Seminar will have their funds allocated as salary plus fringe.
College of Public Health
Please contact College of Public Health accounting staff.
College of Pharmacy
Instructors teaching a First-Year Seminar in the College of Pharmacy who are permanent, full-time tenure-track or clinical-track faculty will receive $2,500 in professional development or research funds for their teaching efforts directly from the college. All purchases are subject to University of Iowa purchasing policies. Items purchased with FYS funds become property of the University. More information can be found in the UI Operations Manual or by calling the Accounts Payable, Purchasing, and Travel Department at (319) 335-0115.
Contact College of Pharmacy accounting staff for more information.
Tippie College of Business
Please contact Tippie College of Business accounting staff.
University College
All instructors whose seminar is offered through University College (academic units of URES/CSI), regardless of faculty or staff status, receive a salary payment in the form of a teaching stipend, and will be paid via an adjunct faculty appointment in University College. All instructors will receive a teaching contract for their FYS prior to the start of the fall semester from University College. Because the total allocation for each First-Year Seminar cannot exceed $2,500, salary payments will be $2,500 per seminar less taxes and fringe expenses. Seminars that are co-taught will have compensation split equally among instructors.