Academic Year Start/End and Key 36-Week Contract Dates | Penn State College of Health and Human Development

The academic year runs from August 15th to May 15th and 36-week faculty contracts typically cover this period.
The University Faculty 12-month Salary Plan payment year typically begins on July 1 for a 36-week appointment, so salary paid for July and the first part of August is a pre-payment for services to be rendered during the subsequent 36-week academic year, while salary paid from May 15th through June 30th is payment for services already rendered.
36-week faculty contracts ideally should commence August 15th coincident with the start of the academic year.
- New faculty beginning on August 15th can expect their first pay check on August 30 to include 2/12ths of their annual base salary (i.e., the July plus August payment that is partial pre-payment for the upcoming academic year) and each subsequent payroll check to include 1/12th of your annual base salary.
Departing faculty on 36-week contracts should plan to terminate employment on June 30th or December 31st.
- With receipt of the June paycheck, faculty terminating on June 30th will have been fully compensated for the entire AY. With receipt of the December paycheck, faculty terminating on December 31st will have been fully compensated for the fall semester.
- Other departure dates during the fall or spring semesters will require salary adjustments and should typically not occur.
- Departure dates in July and August are not viable options because pay during those months is for future services that departing faculty will not be able to provide.