Faculty Handbook

Course Fee Courtesy Policy - Faculty/Academic Staff

Last updated: 6/28/2002

IV. ACADEMIC HUMAN RESOURCES POLICIES (Cont.) 1

The following policy was approved by the Board of Trustees on July 23, 1982, and amended on June 28, 2002.

  1. Dependent children, spouses, and MSU-recognized same-sex domestic partners of eligible faculty and staff (see below) who are appointed prior to the second week of a semester or summer session will be  entitled to a course fee courtesy. The course fee courtesy consists of the credit of an amount equal to one-half of the applicable Michigan resident on-campus undergraduate course fees.
  2. Faculty and staff eligible under the course fee courtesy policy are as follows: full-time tenure system faculty, full-time librarians in the continuous employment system, full-time specialists in the continuing appointment system, individuals appointed full-time in the MSU Extension continuing appointment system, individuals appointed full-time in the Continuing Faculty Appointment System for the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams/National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, individuals appointed full-time in executive management positions and other continuing positions (appointments without end dates) in the Academic Personnel System, full-time Health Programs faculty members upon the commencement of the first additional appointment, full-time fixed term faculty and academic staff with at least 60 Full-Time-Equivalent (FTE) service months, and those who have access to the program by virtue of a labor contract.
  3. Dependent children shall be defined as (a) all legally dependent children of eligible faculty or staff; and (b) such children who have eligible faculty or staff as their legal guardians.
  4. Dependent spouse shall be defined as the legally recognized spouse of an eligible faculty or staff member.
  5. Domestic partner shall be defined as the MSU-recognized same-sex domestic partner.
  6. Course fees shall be defined as the amount associated with credit hour enrollment and shall not include the registration fee or such fees, taxes and charges as may be collected for third parties.
  7. The course fee courtesy will be granted through the semester in which the 120th credit is attempted provided the dependent child or spouse/same-sex domestic partner is registered as a student in good academic standing at Michigan State University in a curriculum leading to the first baccalaureate degree or to a certificate in the Agricultural Technology program. For undergraduate students with transferable credits, the course fee courtesy is granted through the semester in which the combination of transferable credits and Michigan State University credits attempted equals 120.
  8. Except as stipulated below, the Course Fee Courtesy for dependent children and spouses/same-sex domestic partners will be discontinued at the conclusion of the semester or summer session at which the employment of the eligible faculty or staff member is terminated. The dependent children and spouse/same-sex domestic partner of an eligible faculty or staff member participating in the University's Long-Term Disability Program or who dies while on active service or while participating in the University's Long-Term Disability Program retain eligibility as if the eligible faculty or staff member were still living or were not participating in the University's Long-Term Disability Program as long as they meet the other eligibility requirements of the Course Fee Courtesy Policy. The dependent children and spouse/same-sex domestic partner of eligible faculty or staff members who retire in accordance with Michigan State University's retirement policy also retain eligibility as long as they meet the other eligibility requirements of the Course Fee Courtesy Policy.
  9. If the dependent child or spouse/same-sex domestic partner drops courses or withdraws from school during the refund period, any refund applicable to the course fee courtesy will revert to the University.
  10. Dependent children and spouses/same-sex domestic partners of eligible faculty and staff on approved leave of absence will be eligible for the course fee courtesy.

Footnote:

1"Michigan State University discontinued benefits for MSU recognized same-sex domestic partners in order to comply with the Michigan Supreme Court's ruling in National Pride at Work, Inc. v. Governor of Michigan, 481 Mich. 56 (2008).  Accordingly, references to  MSU recognized same-sex domestic partners in this policy have been rendered invalid."

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