Professional Development Assignments

Purpose:

To encourage faculty members to continue their professional growth as artists, scholars, and teachers.

Objectives:

• To encourage in-depth artistic and scholarly activities;

• To upgrade the national visibility of the faculty of the College of Communication and Fine Arts;

• To develop faculty expertise and innovation in instruction.

Proposal Format:

The proposal should include:

• Cover page with endorsement from applicant’s chair or director;

• A description of the nature of the project to be undertaken during the leave time; its relationship to CCFA objectives for PDA’s; and its benefits to the faculty member, department/school, and college;

• A current curriculum vitae.

Guidelines:

• Faculty members may apply for a PDA for one semester, at full pay, or for one academic year, at half pay;

• All tenured and tenure-track faculty members are eligible to submit proposals for Professional Development Assignments;

• Faculty members who have received a previous development leave under this program may apply again after seven years have elapsed since approval of the prior leave. A faculty member may apply after only five years provided he/she proposes to spend a full year on the Assignment, at one half pay;

• A faculty member who is awarded an assignment must agree to remain at the University for at least one full year after the assignment is completed;

• The faculty member receiving an award must submit a report of activities to this office no later than December 1, or June 1 (i.e. the end of the first semester upon return to campus).

Evaluation Process and Criteria:

• The deadline for submission of proposals occurs in the fall semester and is announced at the annual Fall Faculty Meeting;

• Proposals are reviewed and evaluated by the College Council for Graduate Studies and Research. Faculty members who are themselves applying for a PDA do not participate in the evaluation. Another member of his/her department is appointed by the chair to participate in the review process;

• The College Council ranks the proposals for a semester at half pay and, when possible, comes to a consensus about the top four (the usual number of awards available to CCFA). These rankings and a summary of the discussion are submitted to the dean as recommendations. Proposals for a full year at half pay are not ranked, but are forwarded to the dean with the committee’s comments. It is up to the dean and department chair/school director to determine whether it is possible to grant the leave based on its merits as well as budgetary and staffing considerations;

• First priority will be given to proposals that advance the faculty member’s creative work, scholarship, and/or teaching and that show clear potential to enhance the faculty member’s contribution to the department or school, the College of Communication and Fine Arts, and the University;

• Priority will be given to proposals that clearly specify the plan for work during the leave period;

• Priority will be given to faculty members who have not received a previous Assignment. At the same time, those who have received an earlier Assignment are encouraged to apply and those with strong proposals will be supported when possible;

• Priority will be given to tenured faculty members. For non-tenured faculty members, priority will be given to those who have completed their third year review.

Moira Logan, Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research in the Office of the Dean, CFA 232, can provide additional details about the PDA program.

View the application for Professional Development Assignment |