Subd. 1. Provost.

For purposes of this Agreement, the term Provost has the same meaning as President.

Subd. 2. Academic Year.

The academic year is a two (2) semester year, as applicable, beginning on April 1 and ending on March 31.

Subd. 3. Fiscal Year.

The fiscal year begins April 1 and ends March 31.

Subd. 4. Days.

Days means calendar days excluding Saturdays, Sundays, Japanese national holidays, and December 24 and 25. By agreement, excluded days may be designated as duty days in the Academic Calendar.

Subd. 5. Akita International Academy.

Akita International Academy is the legally registered and recognized Japanese organization created to support instruction at Akita.

Subd. 1.

All Akita faculty shall be compensated according to the terms of this Agreement, except as follows:

1. Through March 31, 1996, all Akita faculty shall receive a cost-of-living salary supplement of four thousand fifty dollars ($4,050) per semester or nine thousand two hundred dollars ($9,200) per academic year. Effective April 1, 1996, the cost-of-living salary supplement will be fifty-eight dollars ($58) per duty day. If faculty are employed less than fifty percent time, the cost-of-living adjustment will be prorated according to the percentage of full-time workload. The salary schedule in effect under Article 11 for each MnSCU fiscal year shall be applicable in the corresponding fiscal year at Akita.
2. All Akita faculty shall be provided housing in facilities provided by the Akita International Academy without charge, for the period of employment. Faculty are responsible for utilities. Housing policy will be made after meet and confer.
3. Faculty salaries shall be set in dollars. At the beginning of each appointment, and at the beginning of each semester, faculty may elect to have all or a part of the salary transferred to Japan and shall designate where it is to be sent. The exchange rate for purposes of this Agreement shall be set at one hundred twenty-five (125) yen: one (1) U.S. dollar. The rate of exchange will be reviewed annually in April. The Provost shall not modify the rate of exchange by more than ten percent (10%). If the rate is modified, it will apply to faculty offered appointments made subsequent to the change. For other faculty, the change will be effective no sooner than one (1) year following the modification. The basis for modification will be considered in a meet and confer.
4. At the beginning of each appointment period, faculty shall identify a home city. Each twelve month period, Akita shall reimburse each faculty member for the cost of one round-trip direct flight from the faculty home city to Akita in an amount not to exceed two thousand fifty dollars ($2,050). In addition, Akita shall reimburse five hundred dollars ($500) each for the faculty member's spouse and up to two children living at Akita.
5. The employer shall reimburse faculty on a one (1) semester assignment up to two hundred dollars ($200) and faculty on an assignment of two (2) semesters, or more up to three hundred dollars ($300) for costs of shipping personal belongings and professional materials. In second and subsequent years, continuing faculty shall be reimbursed up to three hundred dollars ($300) for shipping expenses.
6. Faculty on leave from other MnSCU universities shall continue to have the same rank and lane placement they would have had at their home university.
7. Japanese national faculty who are not eligible for Employer contributions to FICA, TRA or IRAP, supplemental retirement and State of Minnesota provided health, dental and life insurance coverages shall have their base salaries and salary supplement adjusted upward by twenty-five percent (25%) at the time of appointment. In the third and subsequent years, the adjustment shall be twenty-seven percent (27%). In the event that retirement or other benefits are provided, Section D., Subd. 1. g. is subject renegotiation.
   The Akita Administration and the IFO are committed to working together in addressing the issue of benefits for Japanese national faculty. With this understanding, the Akita Administration shall make a proposal to the IFO regarding these benefits no later than December 31, 1996.

Subd. 2. Overload.

Compensation for overload for ESL faculty members shall be at the rate specified in Article 12, Section B, based on the additional percentage of contact hours taught.

Section D. Insurance.

Faculty shall be provided insurance coverage consistent with Article 14. In addition faculty members shall be provided access to the Japanese National Health Insurance System, to the extent permitted under Japanese law. MnSCU will pay the full cost of Japanese National Health Insurance for the faculty member and for the dependents who are a part of the household in Akita.

Subd. 1.

Professional improvement funds available for faculty at Akita will be allocated in accordance with Article 19, Section A.

Subd. 2. Professional Study and Travel.

Professional study and travel funds shall not be restricted as specified in Article 19, Section B, and may be used for other study and travel. Faculty on leave from other MnSCU institutions shall be entitled to professional study and travel funds from either Akita or their home university but not both.

Subd. 3. Evaluation.

At the conclusion of a MnSCU faculty member's appointment to Akita, the Provost/designee shall write a letter to the president of the faculty member's home campus commenting upon professional accomplishments and other activities at Akita. Copies shall be provided to the faculty member and placed in the official home campus personnel file.

Subd. 1.

For purposes of interpretation of Article 17, Section A., Subd. 8., faculty members at Akita shall be considered to have worked one hundred sixty-eight (168) duty days in each academic year of their employment at Akita.

Subd. 2.

Upon request, faculty shall be granted up to ten (10) days of bereavement leave, and/or emergency/personal leave, consistent with other provisions of this Agreement. One-half (1/2) of the faculty member's travel costs between his/her destination and Akita may be reimbursed, subject to approval by the Provost. Such decision is not subject to the grievance procedure.

Subd. 3.

Faculty on sabbatical leave from other state universities shall not be eligible for paid employment at Akita.

Subd. 1. Opportunities.

Opportunities for assignment at Akita shall be made known to faculty from state universities in accordance with Article 21, Section A.

Subd. 2. Assignment Requests.

Assignment of faculty members from another state university to Akita shall be voluntary. Faculty members who wish to be assigned at Akita shall indicate in writing to the President/designee at their home university and to the Provost/designee. Screening of university faculty for appointment at Akita shall be conducted by a committee of other state university faculty and by a committee of Akita faculty who shall serve as the department for purposes of evaluating academic credentials and making recommendations to the Provost or his/her designee concerning the candidates.

Subd. 3.

Faculty from state universities shall receive fixed-term appointments at Akita and shall retain their effective appointments at their home universities. Faculty on leave and assigned to Akita shall continue to accrue seniority and shall be eligible for promotion and tenure on the same basis and schedule as they would have been at their home institution. Tenure and promotion decisions for faculty members on leave and assigned to Akita shall be made by the President of the faculty member's home institution. Faculty in fixed term externally funded positions have all rights to consideration for promotions as described in Article 25.

Subd. 1.

Appointment procedures shall be consistent with Article 21 of this Agreement, except that special arrangements created by the unique circumstances of Akita may be agreed upon by the IFO and MnSCU.

Subd. 2.

Subject to programmatic needs, applicants for permanent positions at Akita who are currently employed stateside at a Minnesota state university shall be considered for those positions before other applicants. In light of the intent to bring a state university experience to Akita, an attempt will be made to maintain at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the general education faculty at Akita from the other seven (7) state university campuses.

Subd. 1. Academic departments at Akita may be created by the Provost.

The creation of such departments shall be consistent with Article 20 of this Agreement.