OUTSIDE STUDIES PROGRAM

Outside Studies Program:

A program of research or scholarly activity or professional development undertaken during a period when an Employee is relieved of other duties. Employees do not have an entitlement to OSP, only an entitlement to apply.

Faculty Dean:

Throughout this policy and its support documents references to Faculty Deans include Administrative Heads for non-Faculty academic units such as the TLC.

The following categories of teaching and research academic staff will be eligible to apply for OSP:

Associate Lecturer (Level A) or equivalent occupying continuous positions;
Lecturer (Level B - E) or equivalent;
Other staff members employed on contracts, that provide for OSP.

Staff eligible to apply for OSP must normally be employed continuously at Murdoch University for at least 3 years prior to application for an OSP.

Approval of an OSP and the length of leave granted up to a maximum of twelve (12) months will be at the discretion of the Faculty Dean.

Staff members who are eligible to apply for an OSP may also apply for funds in respect of travel appropriate to the program. The minimum amount allocated by the Faculty Dean will be in accordance with the scale of grants approved for the year.

The following restrictions apply to staff who have previously had OSP approved:

For OSP of less than six (6) months the previous OSP must have been completed at least two (2) years previously;
For OSP of six (6) months or more the previous OSP must have been completed at least three (3) years previously.
At the completion of their last OSP, in the report on OSP outcomes applicants must have been approved by the Faculty Dean as having met the requirement for being considered for future OSP.

Applications are to be submitted on the approved form to the Faculty Dean by the due date. The approved form can be found in appendix A.

Applications are not normally considered earlier than one year prior to the commencement of the proposed OSP, although Faculty Deans may seek information on intentions to apply up to three years in advance. In order to assist staff to plan the timing of their leave applications, staff may indicate their intentions within their Faculty.

Applicants for OSP who wish to take any form of leave (paid or leave-without-pay) in conjunction with an OSP should include the appropriate application form with their application for OSP.

Annual leave will continue to accrue at the usual rate, whilst the staff member is on OSP.

The inclusion of nominal credits does not imply that staff have an entitlement to OSP, or to a particular length of OSP, only an entitlement to apply.

The nominal credit determined by the Vice Chancellor is based on the following:
For service prior to 1/1/85: 1 month per year
For service from 1/1/85 to 30/6/90: 1.5 months per year
For service from 1/7/90: 2 months per year.

Nominal credit for OSP will accrue to a maximum of 12 months, at the rates approved by the Vice Chancellor.

Nominal credits are to be taken into consideration in determining the length of leave to be granted.

Up to four years service towards the calculation of OSP nominal credit, arising from immediately previous employment at another Australian University or approved tertiary institution is normally granted at the time of appointment. Where such credit is granted, the staff member must normally be employed at Murdoch University for at least three years before an OSP may be taken.

Service with the University for the purpose of calculating OSP nominal credit does not include periods of secondment to or service at other institutions or organisations unless there is express prior written agreement to include this period of time by the Faculty Dean and Director of Human Resources.

The Faculty Dean in assessing applications shall consider whether:

The proposal is likely to lead to tangible outcomes that will enhance the ongoing research, teaching or professional activities of the staff member

The proposal is congruent with the Strategic Plan of the Faculty of which the applicant is a member

The outcomes of the last period of OSP were satisfactory

The staff member has been consistently productive, as evidenced by PDR process documentation since the last OSP

Sufficient funds are available in the school for all staff who have applied to receive travel grants in the year requested

The operational requirements of the School can be arranged to enable the staff member to be absent at the time(s) requested for the period(s) requested

The Faculty Dean may:

Approve the application as submitted

Approve the application with amendments in the content of the program

Approve the application with amendments in the total period of leave and/or length of parts of the leave

Approve the application with amendments in the timing of the leave, and/or the division of the leave into parts

Any combination of the clauses above

Not approve the application

The Faculty Dean may take any enquiries and seek any information which they considers necessary when dealing with applications.

An applicant or staff member on OSP shall not make any major changes to an OSP proposal or approved program without written approval of the Faculty Dean.

An applicant whose application for an OSP is rejected or modified will have the opportunity to seek an explanation in writing from the Faculty Dean. If the applicant is dissatisfied with the process followed in the decision that led to the rejection or modification of an application they may ask the Deputy Vice Chancellor (DVC) (Faculty) to review the decision of the Faculty Dean. The DVC (Faculty) will take advice from a review panel comprising of) the President of Academic Council as Chair, and two members of academic staff: a nominee of the Vice Chancellor and a nominee selected by the applicant from a pool of staff representatives or from their industrial organisation neither of whom can be members of the Senior Executive nor current OSP applicants. The review panel may make any enquiries and seek any information that the review panel considers necessary in conducting a review. After considering the recommendations from the review panel, the DVC (Faculty) may confirm or vary the decision of the Faculty Dean.

The applicant must, within one month of resuming duty following completion of an approved OSP, submit a written report explaining the proposed objectives and actual outcomes achieved from the OSP to the Faculty Dean and School Dean.

Within three months of resuming duties following completion of an approved OSP, the applicant must offer a presentation on actual outcomes achieved from the OSP to a group of staff members from their School or from compatible areas.

On reviewing the Report and the presentation, the Faculty Dean will respond in writing to the staff member, stating whether each proposed objective has been met, partially met or not met. The Faculty Dean will provide written feedback to the staff member on the acceptability of the outcomes, and any additional work or conditions that may apply before further OSP approvals will be granted, within one month of the receipt of the report.

Faculty Deans must provide a report to Academic Council annually, which includes a summary of objectives met.

The Faculty Dean shall decide on the amount of an OSP Support Grant in respect of the travel appropriate for each program approved. The minimum amount is to be in accordance with the scale of grants approved by the Vice Chancellor.

The support grant is a one off payment made to staff by Murdoch University for undertaking OSP. The support grant amount is the extent to which the University will fund staff to undertake OSP. Staff are not entitled to make further financial claims on the University via reimbursements, purchasing cards or other means for various costs.

The support grant is a fixed amount determined prior to undertaking OSP which will be paid by the University via its payroll and taxed at your marginal tax rate. Employees can apply to the ATO for a PAYG withholding variation (if you intend to incur tax deductible expenditure equal to (or in excess of) the allowance amount.  A successful variation will allow the University to pay the support grant without PAYG withholding tax being deducted.  A request must be submitted directly to the ATO using the following form:
http://www.ato.gov.au/content/downloads/n5425-03-2007.pdf
Sufficient time must be allowed for processing of the request by the ATO.

Where the applicant is accompanied for a period of at least twelve weeks (this may be continuous or split) during an OSP by a spouse or dependent child or children or all or any of these, the applicant may receive additional support.

Where an additional support grant has been paid and the spouse and/or dependent child or children do not then accompany the applicant for at least twelve weeks, this may be continuous or split) the total additional support grant paid in respect of the spouse and/or child or children shall be re-paid to the University.

In cases where a member of the academic staff on a fractional contract is holding a concurrent appointment with another employer, the amount of any grant calculated shall normally be reduced to the fraction specified in the contract.

Staff must make their travel arrangements with a University-approved travel agent as any OSP travel is subject to the normal requirements of the University Travel policy.

An applicant shall resume normal duties at the University immediately following the end of a period of absence which includes OSP, for a period of at least twice the period of OSP taken.

Should an applicant submit a resignation to take effect during the course of an OSP or during an equal period immediately following it, the Vice Chancellor may require full or part repayment of any OSP support grant paid by the University to support that OSP. Repayment may also be required in respect of any salary paid in advance and representing service not completed.

Applicants whilst on OSP shall, as far as practicable, assist the University in activities such as purchasing material, interviewing candidates for appointment and making enquiries and investigations on its behalf if asked to do so.

The Vice Chancellor may, on the recommendation of the Faculty Dean, reduce the salary of an applicant who would be or was in receipt of outside remuneration including travel grants) which, after allowance for reasonable expenses connected with the approved OSP not covered by the OSP support grant, is expected or did exceed the normal allowable level of outside remuneration had the applicant remained on duty at the University, with the consequence that the applicant may be required to make a refund to the University.

Where salary has been withheld as above, the applicant may, following the return from approved OSP and on submission of a statement of earning and expenditure to the level of detail required by the Australian Taxation Office, apply to their Faculty Dean for an adjustment of any salary so withheld.

Faculty Deans are responsible to the Vice Chancellor for the following:

maintenance of records of nominal credit for each member of staff who is eligible for OSP

confirmation that teaching, research supervision, and other duties are adequately covered during an applicant's absence

approving (with or without modification), or not approving applications for OSP within 6 weeks of receipt of application

confirmation that the approved OSPs meet the University's requirements within this policy

authorising the payment of OSP support grants

recommending to the Vice Chancellor any variations to the salary of staff who receive or are likely to receive outside remuneration during the period of OSP requested

reviewing outcomes of OSPs taken by staff members in their Faculty and providing written feedback to those staff members on the acceptability of the outcomes, and any additional work or conditions that may apply before further OSP approvals will be granted

presentation to the Academic Council each year of a report and analysis of the outcomes, achievements and issues arising from OSPs undertaken by staff in their Faculty in the previous year. This report will include:

the number of OSPs approved in that year

the number of reports submitted on time

the number of reports not submitted on time

the number of OSP with no reports submitted

of the objectives of all OSP approved, how many were met, partially met and not met

summary of benefits to the individuals, Schools and Faculty as a result of these OSP.

It is the Faculty Dean's responsibility to inform applicants that if they resign from the University during the course of the OSP or during an equal period immediately following it that they may be asked to refund to the University any monies related to OSP.

Staff members applying for OSP are responsible to the Executive Dean for:

providing all details requested on the application form including a copy of the previous OSP outcomes, if applicable, by the due date

making travel and accommodations bookings for themselves and other persons approved to accompany them

obtaining approval for any change to approved OSP plans or grants

declaring any remuneration in addition to their University salary and OSP grant that has been received or will be received for activities undertaken during the OSP

undertaking any additional duties to assist the University during the period of OSP

reporting in full by the due date on the outcomes of the OSP, in the format requested

acknowledging that if resigning from the University within 12 months of return from OSP you may be asked to refund to the University any monies related to OSP.

OSP application and reporting forms are as approved by the DVC responsible for Faculties.

Academic Staff Collective Workplace Agreement 2006
ATO PAYG Income Tax Withholding Variation form:
http://www.ato.gov.au/content/downloads/n5425-03-2007.pdf
Outside Studies Program Application Form
Outside Studies Program Report on Outcomes
Purchasing Card Expenditure and Acquittals
Support Grant Fare Base (current version)