Policy on Faculty Awards Involving Released time
Preamble: The College of the Liberal Arts is committed to supporting its faculty's efforts to pursue external funding that strengthens the research programs of the College. Faculty have responded to this commitment and applications for awards and fellowships have increased. Unfortunately, awards from funding agencies, including many of the most prestigious, have not kept pace with faculty salaries. This policy is aimed at providing a process through which faculty, with approval of their department heads, can supplement prestigious research fellowships and awards without sacrificing the interests of students and colleagues. This policy does not affect awards for travel or research assistance, but only those involving salaries and released time from teaching.
Because supplemental salary and benefit costs are substantial, these policies apply only to recognizable and prestigious research awards which enhance considerably the reputation and standing of the College. Supplements to other kinds of leaves, such as teaching, visiting appointments, service, and the like that the University deems in its interests should be supported from central university funds, and faculty should assure themselves of the availability of such funds before applying for such leaves.
Policy:
1. Because not all grants are equally valuable in dollars awarded or in the benefits they bring to the applicants and their units, because faculty plans for leaves have implications for their departments, and because applying for grants is a time-consuming process, faculty members considering applying for fellowships and awards must consult with their department heads well before applying. This consultation will allow consideration of possible implications for the department and the extent, if any, to which the department might be asked to supplement an external award with department financial support. Those with joint appointments must consult with all departments concerned. Approval of a leave is not automatic.
2. Department heads will evaluate anticipated proposals, as they evaluate other faculty requests, in light of their potential to enhance the research and graduate programs of their units. They need to weigh the costs to their programs from the loss of the teaching and service of their colleagues against the benefits of external research support and prestige that the awards bring. If the head is disposed to support a faculty member applying for a grant, the head will seek, prior to application, approval from the Dean for any College or departmental financial support needed to supplement the fellowship salary or cover departmental courses, and will negotiate what amount the department is expected to provide to support the leave. Due to limited budgets, even with the favorable evaluation of the department head, approval of College is not automatic.
3. In cases in which department heads support the application and faculty need salary support from their departments, the full amount of the award will be turned over to the College. These financial arrangements must be negotiated with the Dean prior to the grant application.
4. Prestigious fellowships and awards should be taken in conjunction with sabbaticals whenever possible. Request for early sabbaticals should receive special consideration in these cases. Early should be interpreted to mean no more than two years in advance of the normal sabbatical year. To the extent permitted by University policy, faculty who take fellowships and awards in conjunction with sabbaticals may keep the full value of the awards in addition to their sabbatical income. Eligibility for subsequent sabbaticals will be counted from the date the sabbatical would normally have occurred, not from the date of the early sabbatical.
5. In cases where the College provides some salary support, the faculty member has an obligation to return to full-time university service for at least one year after the leave and must be in residence for one year before applying for another leave involving any financial support from the College.
6 . Leaves resulting from fellowships and awards of all kinds should be treated as educational leaves for purposes of university policy, thus allowing the faculty member to maintain university health benefits during the leave at no additional cost.
5/1/98