Resolution on Extramural Fringe Benefit Rate

PSF 8/10-11

Recently, the UW-System administration announced significant increases in extramural fringe benefit rates.  These increases were much larger for the comprehensive institutions that for the doctoral campuses, and required that grant recipients revise their budgets or ask the granting institutions for additional funding. 

Whereas, a viable program of extramural grants and contracts is vital for scholarly activities at both the comprehensive and doctoral universities in the UW-System; and

Whereas, the recent increases in extramural fringe benefit rates for faculty, staff and students at the comprehensive universities are many times greater than the increases at the doctoral campuses; and

Whereas, this disproportionate imposition of rate increases amounts to an unfair taxing of the comprehensive campuses; and

Whereas, the increase in fringe benefit rates has created a budget shortfall for existing grant funded projects; and

Whereas, in most cases the only means of dealing with the shortfall is to decrease the salaries of project personnel; and

Whereas, excessively high fringe benefit rates will result in making proposals from the UW-System comprehensive campuses less competitive than those from other states;

Be it Therefore Resolved, that the Faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside request that extramural fringe benefit rates for projects that began prior to 2010-2011 be kept at the 2009-2010 level;

Be it Further Resolved, that the UW System Administration review extramural fringe benefit rates and set them individually for each campus based on actual costs.

Passed by the UW-Parkside Faculty Senate on October 19, 2010.