FSU Nuts & Bolts: RES Funds
2/13/2023
We all receive emails reminding us of an upcoming deadline. We read it and then say to ourselves – oh, yeah, I need to do that before the deadline. Sometimes we do meet the deadline and other times grading, advising, committee work, and family life causes us to miss the deadline.
This issue of Nuts & Bolts is a reminder to submit your RES funds. But first..
Help us push for a larger pay raise!
Yes, we have asked you in two prior Nuts & Bolts for support. We thank those who signed the petition. The more names the more power.
We are asking one more time to please complete the petition. Based on the number of signatures collected, we, the FSU, are lagging other unions in the UMass system. Nothing against our sibling campus but the UMass Dartmouth Faculty Federation is ahead of us. We are larger than UMD. Greater Boston has the highest cost of living in the Commonwealth. We need higher raises.
Watch for some of us walking the halls seeking signatures this week………………….
Research and Educational Support (RES) fund
Our contract (Article 26.6.1(a) and 26.6.6.1(b)) includes a pool of money for eligible faculty and librarians to be reimbursed for specific expenses. The funding pool contains $150,000 of which $37,500 is reserved for non-tenure track faculty and librarians.
Eligibility
Faculty and librarians whose appointments are at 50% FTE (2-2) or greater.
How do I know my amount?
On October 27, 2022, Thomas Miller, Associate Vice Chancellor Academic Administration and Finance, sent you an email with the subject line: FY23 RES Fund Eligibility Letter. The email states the dollar amount of your RES funding.
For this fiscal year, the amounts for a Senior Lecturer II 75%FTE (3-3) is about $80 whereas an Associate Professor is in the $220 range.
How to obtain my funding?
This is a reimbursement which must cover expenses of the current fiscal year that ends June 30, 2023. Up until recently, we completed a reimbursement form, attached receipts and submitted to our Dean’s office for processing. Now, we the faculty member and librarian must complete an online form and upload receipts.
Miller’s email contains details with links to the form. You may also reach out to your department administrative assistant for direction. If you completed the form last year, you could edit it for this year.
What types of items are eligible for reimbursement?
Article 26.6.2 (a) to (j) lists what is and what is not reimbursable. Reimbursements include such items as books, subscriptions, and professional membership dues.
If an item of which you are seeking reimbursement is greater than your expense, you will only be reimbursed up to your allotted amount. Example: Professional membership is $139, and your RES is $80. You submit the receipt for your $139 expense.
What happens if I decide not to request my funds?
If at the close of the fiscal year, there are unspent monies then the remaining funds are transferred to the Healey Library budget.
Sincerely,
Caroline Coscia
FSU President
Senior Lecturer II
Political Science Department