Affordable Care Act for Academic Employees

Scope

Indiana University Faculty, Adjunct Faculty, Graduate Assistants, and Undergraduate Assistants.

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Policy Statement

The following policies and practices must be implemented by the end of July 2013. Please distribute these policies promptly to the academic units and staff whom you oversee.

1. Faculty (AC1)
   • Effective with academic year (AY) 2013-2014, non-instructional Faculty who are appointed below 30 Standard Hours (75% FTE) shall be reclassified as Temporary (formerly Hourly) positions (an example of non-instructional Faculty is research scientist)
   • Effective with AY 2013-2014, instructional Faculty who are appointed below 30 Standard Hours (75% FTE) shall be reclassified as Adjunct
   • By the end of September 2013, there should be no Faculty (AC1) with an appointment of less than 30 Standard Hours.
2. Adjunct (AC2)
   • Adjunct appointments are to be used for part-time instructional appointments
   • Adjunct faculty may not work more than 29 hours per week on average during any term (spring, fall, or summer)
   • Adjunct Faculty shall notify the hiring department of any appointment at any other IU school or campus
   • By the end of September 2013, only part-time instructional appointments (below 29 Standard Hours) are to be in the Adjunct rank
   • Calculation of Adjunct Hours of Work
3. Graduate Assistant – Graduate (AC3) and Workstudy (WSG)
   • Effective with AY 2013-2014, these appointments shall only be used for appointments of 15 or more Standard Hours (37.5 or more FTE).
   • Effective with AY 2013-2014, Graduate Assistant - Graduate or Workstudy who would otherwise be appointed below 15 Standard Hours shall be reclassified as Temporary (formerly Hourly)
   • By the end of September 2013, there should be no Graduate Assistant - Graduate or Workstudy with an appointment less than 15 Standard Hours.
4. Undergraduate Assistant (AC4)
   • Effective with AY 2013-2014, Undergraduate Assistant - Undergraduates are not eligible for academic appointments. These students/employees should be appointed as Temporary (formerly Hourly) positions.
   • By the end of September 2013, there should be no appointments in the AC4 rank.
5. Medical Residents (RA)
   
   • Effective with AY 2013-2014, Medical Residents should not be appointed below 20 Standard Hours.

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Reason for Policy

The implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires Indiana University to clarify several of its policies regarding the appointment of academic employees. Unlike some other federal employment regulations, the ACA does not include special exemptions for academic or student employees. As a result, the university is in the position of fitting general employment requirements to the special setting of academic employment. To avoid financial penalties and increases in healthcare program expense (which already exceeds $223 million in the coming fiscal year), the University is adopting these interim policies.

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History

This policy was established in 2013 in compliance with the Affordable Care Act. Policy was updated in March 2014 with guidelines for calculation of adjunct faculty members' hours of work.

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