Some questions about university faculty during the summer

[StatGuy2000]

Hi everyone!

I saw the following thread on Reddit about university faculty during the summer.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskAcademia/comments/2h729e/do_professors_get_summers_off/

Some of the respondents claim that college/university faculty do not get paid at all during the summer in the US. I was surprised to hear this, because I thought that the base pay for tenured and tenure-track university faculty (both in the US and elsewhere) was based on a 12-month pay schedule (with additional pay depending on course load).

Following up on this Reddit thread:

1. For those PF members who are currently tenure-track or tenured faculty -- do you get paid during the summer?

2. To those PF members who are postdocs -- does your pay (which I presume is based on either external funding like NSF) carry over during the summer?

 

[Vanadium 50]

Typically, the university pays 9 months, and the research grant pays 2, and there's a month off. It can be arranged so that one gets 11/12ths every month. One can teach in the summer instead of research, and that tends to be more complicated financially.

 

[StatGuy2000]

Typically, the university pays 9 months, and the research grant pays 2, and there's a month off. It can be arranged so that one gets 11/12ths every month. One can teach in the summer instead of research, and that tends to be more complicated financially.

Thanks Vanadium 50, for your follow-up.

From what I have heard, things are different with Canadian universities, but it may well work out to roughly the same paywise.

 

[jtbell]

At the college where I work, faculty contracts are for 9 months. For budgeting convenience, I think most of them choose to have their salary payments spread out over 12 months. If they teach summer school courses, they get paid extra during those months, as a percentage of their normal 9-month salary, as a function of the number of "contact hours". If they do research during the summer, they may get paid from their grants for that.

 

[jw6661]

All teaching jobs can divide so you get paid during summer months. A lot of teachers/professors have summer jobs. One teacher I knew made 20-25,000 during the summer WSOP (world series of poker) He was a poker dealer for 20 years during the summer months. You get tipped well.

Some professors lecture because of the benefits. Their other job is to write and do research. Writing books is big money now a days. Notice how some professors now a days require you to read their book?

Some Art professors take jobs at universities because it is steady. A painting can sell for 50,000. Gallery takes Half! They like to be around college age people because of the ideas they get from their graduate students. etc. Helps keep their minds fresh.

ART Professor jobs are getting harder to get. Some want you to have an MFA and an MA.

If you are thinking of becoming a teacher/professor. It is very rewarding job. However there are theories out there that a college bubble is coming and some schools might "close" Over supply of law schools at the moment in America!