course buyout

Definition

An arrangement where faculty receive external funding to pay for release from teaching obligations, essentially paying the university to not teach a class. It's the professor's version of paying someone to do your chores.

Example Usage

Her massive NSF grant included enough money for a course buyout each semester, freeing her to focus on research while a contingent instructor covered her Intro classes.

Origin

Developed alongside increased emphasis on external research funding at R1 institutions

Fun Fact

Course buyouts can create a perverse incentive where universities benefit financially from faculty teaching less, as the grant overhead often exceeds the cost of hiring an adjunct replacement.

Source: Research university faculty policies and grant administration guidelines

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