(1) Full-time higher education employees accrue vacation leave at the following rates:

(a) During the first year of continuous state employment - Twelve days (eight hours per month);

(b) During the second year of continuous state employment - Thirteen days (eight hours, forty minutes per month);

(c) During the third and fourth years of continuous state employment - Fourteen days (nine hours, twenty minutes per month);

(d) During the fifth, sixth, and seventh years of total state employment - Fifteen days (ten hours per month);

(e) During the eighth, ninth, and tenth years of total state employment - Sixteen days (ten hours, forty minutes per month);

(f) During the eleventh year of total state employment - Seventeen days (eleven hours, twenty minutes per month);

(g) During the twelfth year of total state employment - Eighteen days (twelve hours per month);

(h) During the thirteenth year of total state employment - Nineteen days (twelve hours, forty minutes per month);

(i) During the fourteenth year of total state employment - Twenty days (thirteen hours, twenty minutes per month);

(j) During the fifteenth year of total state employment - Twenty-one days (fourteen hours per month);

(k) During the sixteenth and succeeding years of total state employment - Twenty-two days (fourteen hours, forty minutes per month).

(2) Higher education employers may establish accrual rates that exceed the rates listed in subsection (1) of this section. This does not apply to individual positions.

(3) The following applies for purposes of computing the rate of vacation leave accrual: Each contract year, or equivalent, of full-time faculty and/or administrative exempt employment with a higher education employer is credited as one year of qualifying service.