Faculty Research, Scholarship and Professional Development Policy

Policy Author:
Faculty Senate

Responsible Office – Department:
Faculty Senate

Effective Date of Policy:
Fall 2022

Purpose:

Establish the available resources for faculty wishing to pursue research, scholarship and presentation and describe the procedures for application.

Scope:

Faculty, the Board of Trustees, the VPAA/Provost and the President of the University

Policy Narrative:

Taken from Faculty Handbook:

https://my.daemen.edu/faculty-staff/faculty-handbook/full-time/handbook.pdf

The University recognizes that the institution and its students derive a substantial benefit from having faculty who are leaders in their field and who are knowledgeable of the latest developments in their area of expertise. To this end, the University offers various paid and unpaid opportunities to support faculty research, scholarship and professional development.

The Faculty Senate President will give faculty one month’s advance notice of deadlines for proposal applications. The Senate President will forward all submissions to the Faculty Development Committee Chairperson for vetting.

The Faculty Development Committee reviews faculty proposals and makes recommendations to the VPAA/Provost (see also Article V.G. Faculty Development Committee). The Committee will forward its recommendations for Faculty Development Awards to the VPAA/Provost no later than May 1.

A. Faculty Development Awards (paid and unpaid)

1. These awards include:

A. Reassigned Time (course reduction to allow time for scholarship or professional development purposes);

B. Faculty Stipend (financial support in lieu of teaching during breaks from regular teaching calendar, e.g., summer or semester breaks);

C. Sabbatical Leave (paid extended release from teaching responsibilities for scholarship or professional development purposes);

D. Leave of Absence (unpaid extended release from teaching responsibilities for scholarship or professional development purposes (also see Article XVIII. Institution-Wide Employee Policies and University Policy Portal for Family and Medical Leave_FMLA):

2. Criteria for Faculty Development Awards:

The scope of the proposed scholarship or professional development project should be considered by the faculty member and by the Committee in deciding whether the proposal is most appropriate for a Reassigned Time, Faculty Stipend, Sabbatical, or unpaid Leave of Absence. Proposals should explain how the project will contribute to the applicant’s field of study. Proposals may be related to development of innovative teaching methods, the publication of textbooks or other materials for teaching, but proposals for new courses will not be eligible for these awards.

3. Eligibility for Faculty Development Awards:

Any current full-time faculty members who are in at least their second year of full-time teaching at the University are eligible to apply for Reassigned Time or Faculty Stipends (with exceptions noted below). Normally faculty members must have completed three (3) years of service in a faculty rank prior to receiving an unpaid Leave of Absence and seven (7) years of full-time service in a faculty rank at Daemen University prior to receiving a Sabbatical (see Article IX. Faculty Rank)

The following restrictions apply:

a) Recipients of Reassigned Time or Faculty Stipends are ineligible for 
   an award in the same category for two academic years; however, they 
   may apply for an award in a different category the following 
   academic year;

b) Recipients of Reassigned Time are ineligible for overload teaching 
   during the period of the awards;

c) Recipients of Faculty Stipends are expected to teach their full load 
   during the academic year; however, to remain eligible for the award 
   they may not teach beyond a full load. They may either conduct the 
   project during a break from teaching(summer, interim semester, or 
   other term break), or they may reduce their full load during a 
   contracted semester and offer those courses in another semester of 
   the same academic year (e.g., summer, interim) to meet their full 
   workload;

d) Faculty Stipends may not be granted concurrently with other Faculty 
   Development
 Awards;

e) Recipients of Sabbatical Leave are ineligible for Reassigned Time or 
   Faculty Stipends for a minimum of two years and may not receive 
   another sabbatical for a minimum of seven years;

f) Recipients of all Faculty Development Awards are responsible for 
   informing the Committee of accomplishments achieved (or in progress) 
   under Development Award(s) or Research Grants in the previous seven 
   (7) years before being eligible for any additional awards (see 
   Section B below).

B. Reassigned Time and Faculty Stipends

1. Proposal Format and Suggested Documentation:

    a) One- page proposal;

    b) A summary description of the accomplishments achieved (or in 
       progress) under any Faculty Development Awards or Research 
       Grants in the previous seven (7) years;
    
    c) Supporting bibliography (if applicable);

    d) Current Curriculum Vitae;

    e) Supporting letters from applicant’s Department Chair, Academic 
       Dean, and any optional outside sources.

2. Application Procedure:

    a) Following the Call for Proposals from the Faculty Senate 
       President, applicants shall address written proposals to the 
       Chair of the Faculty Development Committee. The proposal and all 
       available documentation must first be submitted to the 
       Department Chair for approval. The Department Chair will then 
       forward the documentation to the Academic Dean for approval. The 
       Dean will then forward all documents to the Faculty Senate 
       President and the VPAA/Provost. The Senate President will then
       forward all materials to the Chair of the Faculty Development 
       Committee.

    b) Department Chairs and Academic Deans must indicate their support 
       of or opposition to the proposal before passing on to the 
       Faculty Senate President and VPAA/Provost. In their letters, the 
       Chair and Dean must also comment on the criteria set forth above
       (see Section A.2. above) and the fiscal and curricular impact of 
       the proposal on the department. If the Chair and/or Dean cannot 
       resolve the fiscal or curricular challenges in consultation with 
       the VPAA/Provost, the proposal will not move forward. If the 
       opposition is based on merit, the proposal may still advance to 
       the Faculty Development Committee, which will weigh the 
       proposal’s merits and make its recommendation to the 
       VAA/Provost.

    c) If desired, applicants may submit other letters of support from 
       additional faculty or experts in their field. In addition, the 
       Committee can request letters from faculty other than the Chair 
       and Dean if deemed appropriate or
 necessary.

    d) Applicants must be copied on all letters submitted by the 
       Department Chair,
 Academic Dean or other faculty that pertain to 
       their proposals.

3. Awardee Report

In the semester following the duration of a Reassigned Time or Faculty Stipend award, the recipient must submit a report (1 page) to the Office of Academic Affairs/Provost confirming that the proposal agenda has been either completed or, if incomplete, stating the reasons and the progress of the project.

C. Sabbatical Leave and Leave of Absence

1. Sabbatical:

The Board of Trustees may grant a Sabbatical Leave to full-time faculty members in recognition of their service to the University in order to provide opportunity for scholarly and professional development. Sabbatical leaves are not guaranteed. Evidence must be submitted describing the benefits accruable to the University by such leave; for example, increased teaching effectiveness, research value, or enhanced professional status. It is understood that such leave is not intended for purposes of recreation or recuperation. Sabbatical leave may be granted only when the absence of the faculty member will not seriously impair the interests of the University.

a) Eligibility: A full-time faculty member with the rank of 
   Distinguished Professor, Professor, Associate Professor, or 
   Assistant Professor is eligible for Sabbatical Leave after at least 
   seven (7) years of full- time service in a faculty rank (see also 
   Article IX. Faculty Rank).

b) Terms: The Board of Trustees may grant Sabbatical Leave with
   compensation as follows:

     i) One-semester leave with fully contracted salary for that  
        semester;
    ii) One-year leave with one-half of contracted salary for that 
        year;
   iii) An equivalent alternative arrangement.

2. Leave of Absence:

A Leave of Absence for one semester or one academic year without salary may be granted to faculty by the Board of Trustees in ranks of Distinguished Professor, Professor, Associate Professor, or Assistant Professor who have completed at least three (3) years of full-time teaching at Daemen University.
Such Leaves of Absence may be granted for research, study, travel, and other activities that will clearly add to the understanding of the applicant’s field of knowledge.

3. Proposal Format and Suggested Documentation (Sabbatical/Leave of Absence):

a) One-page abstract;
b) A summary description of the accomplishments achieved (or in 
   progress)
 under any Faculty Development or Research award(s) in the 
   previous seven (7) years;
c) Maximum 10-page rationale/description of the project;
d) Supporting bibliography (if applicable);
e) Current Curriculum Vitae;
f) Supporting letters from Department Chair, Academic Dean and optional
   outside sources

4. Application Procedure

a) Faculty Members seeking a Sabbatical or Leave of Absence shall 
   address their written application to the Board of Trustees, stating 
   the reasons for such a request. They should then submit the proposal 
   through the Department Chairperson and the Academic Dean for their 
   approval. The Dean will forward the proposal with all 
   recommendations and any supporting documents to the Faculty Senate 
   President and the VPAA/Provost. The Senate President will then 
   forward all materials to the Faculty Development Chair to be
   shared with the Committee. The Committee will weigh the proposal’s 
   merits and make its recommendation to the VPAA/Provost by May 1.

b) Department Chairs and Academic Deans must indicate their support of 
   or opposition to the proposed Sabbatical or Leave of Absence before 
   passing on to the Faculty Senate President and VPAA/Provost. In 
   their letters, the Chair and Dean must also comment on the criteria 
   set forth above (see Section A.2 above) and the fiscal and/or
   curricular impact of the proposal on the department. If the Chair 
   and/or Dean cannot resolve the fiscal and/or curricular challenges 
   in consultation with the VPAA/Provost, the proposal will not move 
   forward. If the opposition is based on merit, the proposal may still 
   advance to the Faculty Development Committee, which will weigh the
   proposal’s merits and make its recommendation to the VPAA/Provost

c) The VPAA/Provost will forward the Academic Affairs recommendation to 
   the President of the University. If approved by the President, the 
   proposal will be presented to the Board of Trustees.

d) Department Chairpersons seeking a Sabbatical or Leave of Absence 
   will submit a similar request to the Board of Trustees through the 
   Academic Dean, the Faculty Development Committee, the VPAA/Provost, 
   and the President of the University. Academic Deans shall submit a 
   similar request to the Board of Trustees through the VPAA/Provost 
   and the President of the University. In both situations, requests
   
   must include a clear plan for their temporary replacement.

5. Rights and Responsibilities of Faculty Granted Sabbatical and Leave:

a) It is understood that the faculty member who receives a Sabbatical 
   or Leave of Absence agrees to return to the University for at least 
   one additional year.

b) In the semester after a faculty member returns from a Sabbatical or 
   Leave of Absence, a one-page report describing the approved project 
   and outlining the progress of the completed work during the time 
   period shall be submitted to the President. A copy of this report 
   and any deliverable (e.g., manuscript) will also be sent to the 
   Office of Academic Affairs/Provost.

c) The year or semester spent on Sabbatical or Leave of Absence shall 
   be credited as full-time service in determining tenure and/or 
   promotion, salary increment, and faculty seniority during periods of 
   reduction. and merit pay;

d) Although faculty members on Leave of Absence will receive no salary, 
   they may elect to retain, at their own expense, membership in the 
   various insurance plans available to full-time faculty members. They 
   may also elect to pay their contribution to the retirement fund in 
   its entirety. 

e) Faculty members granted Sabbaticals or Leaves of Absence shall not 
   be eligible for selection or appointment to standing committees 
   during their absence. They may, however, retain any voting 
   privileges for ballot referendums or elections (see Appendix G: 
   Voting Rights and Eligibility).

f) Faculty members on Sabbatical or Leaves of Absence are not required 
   to fulfill service obligations as outlined in Article X.B.4. “Record 
   of Service and Contributions to the University”).

B. FACULTY TRAVEL AND RESEARCH GRANTS

The Faculty Senate appoints committees in the fall semester to consider requests from full-time faculty to cover additional expenses related to professional activities not addressed by the Faculty Development Committee. In addition, the Office of Academic Affairs/Provost provides support for faculty/student collaborative research projects.

A. Faculty Travel Fund

The Faculty Travel Committee considers requests to cover travel and accommodation expenses incurred while attending professional conferences.

An application form with guidelines on eligibility, proposal format and receipt requirements is available electronically at the Faculty Affairs website.

NOTE: Requests for travel funding to cover research projects must be submitted to the Faculty Research Committee below.

B. Faculty Research Fund

The Faculty Research Committee considers requests to cover travel, accommodations, and other miscellaneous expenses incurred while performing research. This funding may be allowed in conjunction with Sabbatical Leaves or Leaves of Absence for research purposes.