A faculty member who has previously demonstrated the ability to conduct research, engage in scholarly writing, produce educational materials and/or media products, publish in professional journals, obtain institutional grant awards or engage in other approved scholarly and/or creative activities shall be eligible to apply for a one-to-three-credit course equivalency per year for a maximum of two consecutive years. Scholarly and/or creative activities that qualify for this course load equivalent include, but are not limited to the following:

• Writing and publishing in the professional field; editing national publications for a professional organization in one’s field;
• Producing in the professional field in other media;
• Writing a proposal for a competitive grant for the institution or for the institution’s collaborative partnering with other institutions or organizations; and/or
• Designing and conducting an applied research project with a written report presented at the institutional level with demonstrable benefits to the institution

Application Process

The faculty member shall submit to their dean, a proposal outlining the proposed scholarly or creative activity and the anticipated measurable outcomes of this activity. The proposal shall be submitted by October 1st for the spring term and February 1st for the fall term. The Vice President of Academic Affairs and the respective dean have the option to accept proposals submitted after the deadlines if circumstances and opportunities justify the late submission. The academic administration will review the proposals and report the approval or denial of the request in writing to the faculty member within 30 days of the request. All decisions are final and based on available resources and the academic needs of the University.

No later than 30 days after the completion of the semester in which the faculty member receives the course load equivalency, the faculty member shall submit to the respective dean a written description of the scholarly or creative activities that were proposed and the results achieved during the semester of the course equivalency. If the faculty member, in the evaluation of the academic administration, did not make substantial progress toward completing the proposed activities, the faculty member may not be eligible for course load equivalencies in the future.

Note: Faculty Research, Scholarly Activity and Creative Works Grant