An employee in the Texas AgriLife Extension Service(Extension) who accepts an international assignment may be awarded a salary increment for the duration of the assignment to the extent that such increment is reimbursed by external grant or contract funds associated with the assignment.
Awarding salary increments for international assignment is intended to encourage employees to undertake international responsibilities that serve the mutual interests of Texans and foreign clientele. Broad international engagement of The Texas A&M University System employees strengthens the System’s ability to prepare graduates for future jobs and to serve clientele in the increasingly global economy. The salary adjustment for international assignment also reflects market conditions by enabling employees to receive levels of compensation through System units that are more nearly equivalent to levels of compensation that they would receive by consulting on similar assignments for contractors outside the System.
2.01 Short-term International Assignment.
A short term international assignment is an assignment that requires one’s continual presence overseas for 45 days or less. (This definition is used by the US Agency for International Development for determining on-campus vs off-campus indirect cost rates, and whether personnel are eligible for daily per diem or housing allowance). A Project Stipend comprising an increment of up to fifteen per cent of current salary may be awarded for increased responsibility resulting from the international assignment. Requests for Project Stipends over 15 percent must include specific justification for the higher rate. The Project Stipend will be awarded only for the employee’s participation under a grant or contract, and only if the increment is reimbursable from the grant or contract.
The employee’s supervisor may recommend a level of Project Stipend for approval by the Vice Chancellor for Agriculture and Life Sciences, or Executive Vice President and Provost for faculty with academic appointments, based upon an assessment of increased workload of the employee, increased number of persons supervised, increased level of resources administered by the employee, or other measure of increased responsibility resulting from the assignment.
2.02 Long-term International Assignment.
Salary adjustments for international assignments of more than 45 days will be considered on a case by case basis and may include both an increment for increased responsibility and for change in position. Change in position is deemed to occur if an employee vacates a continuing appointment in order to undertake an international assignment, to which he/she cannot return upon completing the international assignment. An award of a salary increment for change in position is deemed to compensate an employee for costs of learning a new job, job uncertainty, income loss or other factors associated with a change in position.
3.01 All salary adjustments will be approved prior to the employee initiating travel for an international assignment.
3.02 For all requests for salary adjustment, indicate the number of days for preparation, the days for travel, the days in-country on assignment, and the total number of days for the assignment.
3.03 For short term assignments as defined in Section 2.01, use the procedures and forms contained in AgriLife Research Procedure 31.01.01.X1.04, Supplemental Compensation and Dual Employment. In addition:
A. To calculate the compensation, divide the employee=s annual salary by 260 days to derive a daily salary rate; multiply that daily salary rate by the recommended stipend percentage to derive a daily stipend rate; and multiply that rate by the number of days to obtain the total project stipend to be paid to the employee. The calculation will appear as follows:
(Annual Salary 260) X Stipend Rate X Days Paid = Project stipend
B. On the Request for Compensation for Contribution to a Continuing Education or Other Extra Curricular Activity form, annotate the "HRS" area as "Days" and obtain the approval from the Vice Chancellor for Agriculture and the Director.
3.04 For long-term assignments as defined in Section 2.02, obtain prior approval via letter from the faculty or staff member's unit head, through the Vice Chancellor of Agriculture to the Director. Upon approval, by the director, the unit will prepare an EPA with the appropriate changes to salary, position, and/or workstation, and send the approval, to payroll via Laserfiche for processing and filing in the employee’s payroll file.
For questions on salary adjustments, contact the AgriLife Payroll Office at 979-845-4749.