Reassigned time, sometimes called assigned time or buyout, is an arrangement in which a grant funds a reduction in a faculty member's teaching load for a semester. The faculty member's salary does not change. Instead, the grant reimburses the department for the cost of the teaching reduction, freeing the faculty member to dedicate that time to grant-related work.
Example: A faculty member normally teaches 15 Weighted Teaching Units (WTUs) per semester. A grant provides funding for 3 WTUs of reassigned time in Spring. The faculty member teaches 12 WTUs that semester. The grant is charged the cost of those 3 WTUs at the faculty member's base rate. The department uses those funds to cover the instructional gap.
Reassigned time is a semester-based mechanism. It must be planned, approved, and processed before the semester begins. It cannot be applied retroactively.
Key Constraints
- Fully executed award required. Reassigned time must be charged to an award that is fully executed and has an open CFS account.
- Must be budgeted. The cost must be included in the grant budget. If not originally budgeted, a sponsor-approved modification may be required.
- No retroactive processing. If the semester has started, the window has closed.
Weighted Teaching Units (WTUs)
WTUs are the unit of measure for faculty instructional workload at CSU. A full-time Academic Year faculty member's standard load is 15 WTUs per semester, or 30 WTUs per academic year.
For cost calculation purposes:
1 WTU = 45.33 hours of time and effort
- 170 Academic Year duty days × 8 hours per day = 1,360 total Academic Year hours
- 1,360 hours ÷ 30 WTUs = 45.33 hours per WTU
Reassigned time is always calculated at the faculty member's base rate of pay. There is no flexibility in the rate.
What Reassigned Time Is Not
Reassigned time is not additional pay. The faculty member does not receive a separate payment. The transaction is between the grant and the department. The faculty member teaches less and works on the grant instead.
Reassigned time does not apply to summer or winter intersession in the same way it applies to Fall and Spring. Those periods use a different mechanism. See Additional Employment.
Relevant Policies
How to Request Reassigned Time
Reassigned time is initiated through the college and requires coordination with ORSP. Faculty do not submit requests directly to ORSP.
For step-by-step instructions, deadlines, required information, and contacts, see the Reassigned Time Request page.