Applied Music Lessons

Contracts for teaching are sent to applied faculty prior to the academic year or term in which they will teach. As enrollments warrant, the contract may or may not state a guaranteed payment for a given number of students. The contract may include a payment-per-student clause. Applied faculty residing outside the Northfield area are offered reimbursements which are described in the contract letter.

Payments are generally made monthly (ten or twelve months per year) or by the term. Payments are made based upon enrollment as established generally by the end of the fourth week of the term. If a student drops before that time, that student is not counted in the applied faculty member’s teaching load. However, compensation is given for all lessons taught to any student who drops before that time.

Overload and Underload Teaching

In order to achieve the maximum degree of equity in the program, the following plan for handling underload and overload teaching is utilized for those faculty on contracts:

  • If a faculty member teaches more students during the academic year than is provided for in the contract, the faculty member is paid an additional fee for that teaching.
  • If, however, a faculty member’s teaching load falls beneath the contracted load during the academic year, the faculty member will not be paid for subsequent additional teaching (beyond the contracted load) until the amount of the underload for which the faculty member has been paid is compensated for by additional teaching.

Below are some examples of how this plan works:

  • If a faculty member is contracted to teach six hours each term, and in Fall teaches four hours, in Winter six hours, and in Spring eight hours, the faculty member will be paid, following the contract, for six hours each term. Since the faculty member was underloaded by two hours in Fall, the faculty member will not be paid for the two hours of overload teaching in Spring.
  • If a faculty member is contracted to teach six hours each term, and in Fall teaches four hours, in Winter six hours, and in Spring ten hours, the faculty member will be paid, following the contract, for six hours each term, plus two hours of additional teaching for Spring.
  • If a faculty member is contracted to teach six hours each term, and in Fall teaches six hours, in Winter eight hours, and in Spring four hours, the faculty member will be paid, following the contract, for six hours each term, plus two hours of additional teaching for Winter.
    • Please note that, in this example, even though two additional hours in Winter and two hours under the contracted teaching load in Spring could be thought to balance each other out over the course of a year, payments for additional teaching are made each term, not just once at the end of the year, so a payment for the additional teaching in Winter term would be made. This kind of situation is unlikely to occur, however, as teaching loads are usually lowest in Fall, and increase in Winter and Spring.

These calculations of underload teaching do not carry over from one academic year to the next.

Mileage

Applied Faculty on a yearly contract may qualify for mileage reimbursement. Applied Faculty that qualify will be required to keep a log of your trips, detailing date, purpose, and mileage. Mileage may be claimed only for trips that involve teaching. Teaching is understood to include attending student rehearsals and student performances and for participation in juries. Please note that mileage reimbursements have been determined to be taxable income.

The mileage rate will be that set by Carleton as of July 1 for the academic year. You may request reimbursement once per term, or no more often than once per month. The college requires that teaching loads justify the number of trips per week to campus for which reimbursement will be paid.

The following mileage guidelines are used:

  • If the teaching load is up to 5 hours (up to 10 half-hour students or equivalent), then a mileage reimbursement for one teaching day per week will be considered standard.
  • If the teaching load is between 5 ½ and 10 hours (between 11 and 20 half-hour students or equivalent), then a mileage reimbursement for two teaching days per week will be considered standard.
  • If the teaching load is between 10 ½ and 15 hours (between 21 and 30 half-hour students or equivalent), then a mileage reimbursement for three teaching days per week will be considered standard.
  • If the teaching load is between 15 ½ and 20 hours (between 31 and 40 half-hour students or equivalent), then a mileage reimbursement for four teaching days per week will be considered standard.

In some cases, it may be impossible for a faculty member to teach the normative number of students on the normative number of days and one additional trip per week will be necessary; in such special circumstances, mileage reimbursement will be allowed accordingly.

Questions regarding mileage reimbursements should be directed to the Music Department Chair.

Ensemble Participation

Occasionally, applied faculty members may be invited to perform with the Department’s ensem­bles, such as the Orchestra, Symphonic Band, or Choirs. Fees for these services are paid separately.

Chamber Music and Jury Participation

These payments are described in the contract.