Entities Affected

Department heads and program directors

Enacted

This version: 8/1/2016

Policy Statement

Though department heads and program directors receive a workload adjustment for time devoted to administrative duties through course release, administrative demands and schedules may nevertheless adversely impact scholarly or creative productivity. To help faculty returning to a four- or five-course teaching load refocus on research after a period leading a unit, upon completion of a three-year appointment of service, CAS will offer a study term.

A study term comes with a one-course teaching release for the faculty member so that their teaching schedule can be arranged to be free of teaching courses during the study term. It is also understood that the faculty will be excused from service obligations as much as possible. They must continue to advise graduate students and be resident and available to the department unless they have an approved research leave.

1.       Heads of academic units with tenure-related faculty lines may arrange a study term, which may be combined with the summer for a six-month period for research or other related professional development. They will receive one study term upon completion of each three-year administrative appointment.

2.       The study term will represent one course release during the academic year in which it is taken.

3.       For a head taking the study term between two consecutive administrative appointments, satisfactory arrangements must be made in advance for a person to serve as acting head, with stipend or summer compensation appropriately prorated.

4.       The study term must be used after completion of the associated administrative appointment; study terms do not accrue to be used in one block of time.

5.       This accommodation only applies to heads of units who have administrative responsibility for direct supervision of tenure-related faculty.