Johnson School
Cornell University

Support for Teaching And Research (STAR)
Faculty Budget Allocation System

The Johnson School's budget allocation system (STAR) is applicable for regular, full-time tenure track faculty members and others as deemed appropriate by the Dean and/or Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Under this system, in the Spring semester, the Dean's Office establishes an expense budget, totally separate from the compensation package, for each individual faculty member for the next fiscal year. The faculty member can then allocate the funds budgeted to support his or her research or teaching.

Each individual faculty member's basic budget allocation takes into account research responsibility. Budgets reflect research requirements including building or the acquisition of databases not maintained by the School (such as subject-intensive experiments), when productivity is evident. Allowances are made for junior faculty who have not had sufficient time to build a resume as yet. Adjunct, visiting or part-time faculty will normally receive STAR allocations driven by enrollment; e.g., the Xeroxing supplement and TA allowances as indicated under "Add-ons." Exceptions to this will be subject to approval by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Curriculum, or MBA Programs & Administration.

Frequently, STAR allocations are appropriately reduced when a faculty member goes on leave but remains in Ithaca and continues with his/her research and/or travels. Faculty going to another institution at which he/she receives support; i.e., in the form of secretarial assistance, communications, etc., may possibly see their allocations reduced as well. If this is the case, allocations will again be increased to at least that which they were before the leave when the faculty member returns.

Faculty, who are in their terminal year, may also see a reduction in their overall STAR allocations. Support for telecommunications, classroom materials, and on-going research projects to be completed during the faculty members' terminal year at the School will be provided. If additional resources are needed, the faculty member may submit a request in writing to the Dean or Associate Dean for Academic Affairs outlining the rationale for the request.

Underlying the establishment of this budget allocation system is the belief that individual faculty members are in the best position to know how they can most efficiently spend the dollars available to them. Specific dollar amounts centrally budgeted by the School are difficult to trade off. In the past, this has resulted in inequities and inefficiently used resources. The objective of this system is to increase the effectiveness of the School's resources.

ALL items purchased using STAR funds remain the property of the University and not the faculty member. ALL goods and services regardless of the price must be purchased through the University.

Expenditures permissible under University guidelines are generally allowable with these dollars.

Add-ons:

For TA support the following add-on amounts are for full semester, three credit-hour courses, excluding those taught in the executive MBA Programs, and are adjusted for different length and team-taught courses. The calculation is:

# of Students = $TA Allowance (from the table below)/3 (Credit Hours)*(# of Credit Hours of the Course)/# of Instructors

EMBA and Cornell-Queen's EMBA courses are totally separate. Charges when identified as EMBA or CQEMBA are charged directly to the respective Program.

1. Xeroxing Supplement: $4.00 for every registered student taught.

2. TA Allowance: Faculty will receive additional funds as follows:

These additions to the budget will be made based on the number of registered students (normally this determination is made after the University Add/Drop Period).

3. Other Options: Where funds are not sufficient to cover an innovative, creative effort or specific funding is needed for Course Development, a proposal for additional dollars can be made to the Dean or Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

Funds credited, with the exception of those funds earmarked for Course Development, may be used in any way as long as the expenditure is permissible under University guidelines. For example, the TA allocation or reprographics add-ons need not be used to hire a TA or for xeroxing.

Items included in the allocations are as follows:

1. Secretarial and basic RA and TA support; the purchase of books and journal submissions; annual subscriptions to academic journals for the current fiscal year (extended subscriptions for faculty on continuing appointments are allowed); faxes, express mailings and reprographics.

RAs and TAs salaries are billed directly to each individual's STAR allocation. The hourly rates are determined each year by the professor(s) based on effort. The Administrative Service Center can provide you with a cumulative total for student wages charged to your STAR account upon request.

2. Computers and printers, purchased after July 1, 2003, costing in excess of $5,000, will be amortized at a minimum of $5,000 a year for up to three years. This applies to the initial hardware and computer configuration, including one office computer and a laptop, as well as to replacements. Software purchases, regardless of cost, will be fully charged in the year purchased. As upgrades occur, the equipment being replaced will be returned to the School.

3. Enhancement/replacement of computer hardware and elective software.

4. Individual or joint databases.

5. Office equipment and/or furniture in addition to that which is provided in the standard faculty office configuration.

6. Professional travel and related expenses.

7. Other research and/or teaching related expenses not explicitly mentioned as items excluded.

8. Business toll calls.

9. All telecommunications costs are included in the STAR allocations; e.g., equipment, Voice Mail, E-Z Remote, networking ports, and toll calls, etc.

10. Postage.

Major expenditure categories excluded from individual budget allocations are as follows:

1. Office space, utilities, basic office furniture and necessary repairs and maintenance of such items.

2. Mainframe computing time; maintenance for standard microcomputer and printer configurations; as well as basic databases, such as Compustat.

3. Conference travel specifically for recruiting.

4. Course development funds, workshops and classroom visitors. These items are covered outside STAR funds (unless monies are built into the STAR allocation. This is often the case for visiting faculty member).

5. RAs assigned to the faculty member through the Doctoral Program. These assignments will continue to be made to reflect the needs of the Ph.D. students and faculty contributions to the Doctoral Program.

6. Participation as an invited guest in Club Events or other alumni-related activities.

7. Administrative requests including School or University Committee expenditures.

Some general characteristics of the system are as follows:

1. July 1 through June 30, concurrent with the University's fiscal year, is the budget year.

2. Dollars allocated are nontransferable among faculty members, but may be allocated to doctoral students to support research.

3. For faculty on a terminal appointment, fund balances revert back to the School at the end of the appointment. STAR is not considered part of one's over-all compensation package. STAR purchases are University property. Any expense must be submitted within three (3) months if reimbursement is expected.

4. If, on a continuing appointment, account balances carry forward from one fiscal year to the next, up to the amount of one full year's allocation, which is the greater of the former or current fiscal year. Overdrafts must be repaid by personal check before the funds for the next fiscal year can be accessed.

5. All purchases made with STAR dollars are the property of the Johnson School, especially equipment, etc., and should remain at the School; this includes computers purchased from Grants and/or Contracts funding. Equipment can be purchased for the fair market value, as determined by the School's Technology Services Office if the equipment is at least three years old and/or unassignable.

6. Faculty can access their STAR account information on line via Web Financials at https://www.webfinancials.cornell.edu/.

7. A faculty member may elect to allocate any portion of any Summer Support to STAR. The advantage is that purchases are paid for with pretax dollars. This option can be exercised annually but, once decided, is irrevocable.

8. STAR allocations with sufficient balances may be used during sabbaticals to cover the cost of moving office equipment and books to and from the sabbatical location. No personal items can be covered.

9. Technology Services will perform modest equipment repairs without charge to the faculty member. If the equipment is under warranty, Technology Services will request an estimate and champion the repair effort. Repairs estimated to exceed 50% of the fair market value of the equipment will be approved if the faculty member requests it and will be charged to the faculty member's STAR account.

10. Network connectivity through telephone access via Cornell's EZ-Remote modem service is permissible because it is necessary for any off campus access. Road Runner Service, or any of the independent service providers, are not normally reimbursable expenses. Exceptions for research purposes require explicit approval.

11. Tuition payments to a faculty member's respective school until the degree is conferred are unallowable expenses and are the personal responsibility of the faculty member.

12. STAR accounts are capped at twice a faculty member’s normal annual allocation.

Last Modified: October 25, 2007