ABSTRACT
The Turkish higher education system includes state universities and nonprofit private institutions. Academic staff in state universities have civil-servant status, and those in the professor and docent positions have tenure. The number of academic positions in state universities, as well as the remuneration of academic staff, are strictly regulated by legislation. Requirements for and procedures to be followed in appointments and promotions, as well as job descriptions for each rank, are specified by law; there are no individual contracts. The gross monthly income of a full-time academic staff member, in general, consists of the gross monthly salary plus additional payments for extra-teaching load, consultancy, contract research and services, basic research, and commercial activities in university technoparks. In practice, however, the income of the vast majority of the academic staff—especially those in disciplines other than medicine, engineering, business, and law—consists only of the gross monthly salary and additional payment for extra-teaching load. In some cases, these latter means can be quite significant.
