Visiting Fellow Fee Policy

Policy

This policy recognizes the value of visiting fellows and that support of such scholars contributes to the CALS educational mission, but also takes into account the costs, primarily a university fee ($2277) and administrative burden, associated with hosting such visitors. CALS has in the past shared the cost of these appointments with our units. Effective 6/1/2025 CALS will no longer subsidize this fee. After this date the fee paid will be $2277. (As visiting scholars are paid a salary CALS pays the entire visitor fee; as the college does for all paid academics).

Please see the webpage at the navigation link on the right "Adjunct Faculty and Visiting Professor Guidelines" for fee payment details for unpaid professorial titles, where the individual holds a professor appointment at an outside institution. However, individuals who are students at another institution can only be appointed as visiting fellows/scholars or as non-degree graduate students. The charge cannot be prorated due to the short-term appointments. It is a flat fee that is paid at least annually.

Background

Many units across CALS request a Cornell appointment for visiting scholars and fellows from other universities or other corporate partners in order to provide services such as email access and library access for these visitors.  The process to appoint these guests to Cornell systems requires a significant investment in time and has also resulted in an assessment by the University for services through the university overhead allocation.

Per the New Budget Model policy manual: 

Unrestricted support for operating and collection costs of all Ithaca campus libraries will be distributed as an allocated cost to all colleges. In addition, other expenses assigned to the library, such as those for space related costs (utilities, maintenance, building care) and debt service, will also be distributed as a library cost. Library costs will be distributed based on the proportionate share of all students plus faculty and non-faculty academics, including academic research and teaching staff, postdocs, and academic temps. Colleges and Schools will be encouraged to partner with the Library in fundraising and make additional investments in the Library.

Academic temps include the titles vising scholar and visiting fellow. 

Payment

Payment must be made prior to the appointment of the individual to the university using one of the following options:

• Direct credit card payment by the individual
• Department funding via Transfer of Funds edoc or Internal Billing edoc.  (See below for instructions.) The fee cannot be charged to a grant. 

If funded from a unit or faculty unrestricted account, process the payment on a Transfer of Funds edoc using the following coding:

From: Unit Account, object code 8070

To: 1013201, object code 7070.

If funded from a gift account, process the payment on an Internal Billing edoc using the following coding:

Income: Account 1013201, object code 4020

Expense: Gift Account, object code 6375.

• Visit the KFS website: https://kfs.cornell.edu/
• In the menu, click on “Accounting” and choose either Transfer of Funds or Internal Billing
• The description on the edoc should include the full name of the visitor and the unit.
• Please list Jason Battersby (jb465 [at] cornell.edu (jb465[at]cornell[dot]edu)) as the approver of the edoc.

If you have any questions please email Jason Battersby at jb465 [at] cornell.edu (jb465[at]cornell[dot]edu).

Emails will notify the CALS Human Resource office that the appropriate payment has been received.