Springfield College offers a wide range of faculty development opportunities and programs for its full-time faculty. The funds, program, and activities provided are designed to meet the needs of faculty in different disciplines and at different stages of their professional careers. The Faculty Development Committee works with the Office of Academic Affairs to plan and coordinate faculty development programs and to evaluate the effectiveness of these programs. The members of the Faculty Development Committee review sabbatical and grant applications and make recommendations regarding funding to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.   Faculty members seeking funding for travel should review the College Policies for Travel Reimbursement, Authorization of Travel Expenses, Reporting of Travel Expenses, and Travel Advances provided in Section X of this document.

Each of the Faculty Development Opportunities described below has specific criteria for the funding available, and will require the applicant to submit their application based on the following schedule:

Application Deadlines for Faculty Development Funding Requests:

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Funding Opportunity	Application Deadline
Sabbatical Leave Letter of Intent to Chair/Campus Director, Dean, and VPAA. Teacher-Coach faculty members submit letter of intent to Director of Athletics, School Dean, and VPAA	September 5, 2017
Sabbatical Leave Application to Chair/Campus Director. Teacher-coach faculty members submit application to Director of Athletics	September 18, 2017
Department Travel Funds	Determined by Department Chair
Faculty Travel Grants Scholarship/Research Grants	To appropriate schools deans/directors on the third Monday of the month, due to the P/VPAA by the fourth Monday of the month September through April
Faculty Grant Awards: Reassigned Time Summer Grants	To the appropriate school deans/directors on the third Monday of February, due to the P/VPAA by the fourth Monday of February
Dean’s Scholarship Fund Application to Department Chair/Campus Director	February 24, 2018
Appleton Fund Grant	To the appropriate school deans/directors on the third Monday of March, due to P/VPAA by the fourth Monday of March

 

The application forms for college faculty development opportunities can be found in PrideNet in the Faculty Resources Section.

A). Faculty Institute: 

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Faculty Institute is a time set aside for faculty development programming or activities. Each year, the Faculty Development Committee works with the Office of Academic Affairs to develop appropriate topics for the Institute and an appropriate schedule for the event.  All full-time members of the faculty at the Springfield Campus are expected to attend the Faculty Institute(s) planned each year, and to fully participate in the activities/program offered. Suggested topics for a Faculty Institute program are welcomed, and should be forwarded to the Chair of the Faculty Development Committee and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

B).  Sabbatical Leave:

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As stated in the Faculty Personnel Policy, the purpose of the sabbatical leave system is to enable full-time members of the faculty to undertake such research, writing, study, or other creative and scholarly endeavor as they would not be able to do in the course of their full-time College responsibilities. A faculty member is not automatically granted a sabbatical, but must apply. The proposal must also be found to meet the determination standards; judged meritorious according to the determination criteria for such a leave; and recommended by the CAO (VPAA) for award as part of the Board of Trustees’ budget approval process. The determination standards, determination criteria, and specific eligibility requirements for sabbaticals are described in Article 10 of the Faculty Personnel Policy, (see Section III of this document).

Applicants for sabbatical leave should submit a letter of intent to apply for a sabbatical to the following: his/her Chair of the Department (COD)/Campus Director, and Dean of the School (DOS), and to the CAO (P/VPAA) by September 5, 2017.

Teacher-coach faculty members will submit their application materials to the Director of Athletics. Should the teacher-coach candidate’s project relate to their teaching responsibilities, their application materials should include a recommendation from the appropriate Department Chair.  Candidates must submit their completed application to the Department Chair/Campus Director (or Dean of School if COD/CD is applicant) by September 18, 2017. Teacher-coach faculty members will submit their application materials to the Director of Athletics. The sabbatical application itself should include the Sabbatical Application Cover and Recommendation Page, and a 2-5 page proposal that includes (refer to Sabbatical Leave, FPP, Article 10):

1. A title of the proposed sabbatical project/activity;
2. A concise statement of the purpose(s) and objective(s) of the proposed sabbatical project/activity;
3. A description of the work/study accomplished to date in preparation for, or in support of the proposed sabbatical project/activity;
4. A workable timetable for accomplishing the objectives;
5. A statement specifying the method(s) by which the objective(s) will be reached;
6. A statement detailing the significance of the proposed sabbatical project/activity within the discipline (with necessary explanations of technical terminology);
7. A statement detailing the manner in which the proposed sabbatical activity/project will relate to and enhance the applicant’s teaching duties at the College;
8. A statement describing the potential of the proposed sabbatical project/activity for publication, exhibition, presentation, or performance, with supportive documentation if applicable;
9. A letter of recommendation may be included from a colleague (internal or external to the College) addressing the significance of the proposed sabbatical project/activity to the discipline, if the applicant chooses to do so.

The Department Chair/Campus Director/Athletic Director, the Dean of the School, and the Faculty Development Committee will provide recommendations regarding the merit of each application.   The Vice President for Academic Affairs will notify the applicant, the Department Chair, the School Dean, the Athletic Director and the Faculty Development Committee of the status of the applications after meeting with the President and the Board of Trustees.

Note: There are three categories of approval for the P/VPAA on the Sabbatical Leave Recommendation Page that follows.  They are as below:

         Approved and awarded

         Approved, but deferred

         Not Approved

Applications that are “approved, but deferred” are intended to document that the sabbatical proposal was of the quality that merited award but there were insufficient numbers of awards available, workload issues made the granting of the sabbatical difficult during the time requested, or some other extenuating circumstance prevents the award. Such a categorization documents that the faculty member’s years between sabbaticals begin from the date of the “approved, but deferred” status not the future year at which the sabbatical is granted. Applications that are “approved, but deferred” will be first in line for awards the following year (or that same year, if an additional sabbatical leave become unexpectedly available or the reasons for deferral no longer exist). The “awarded, but deferred” category is intended to be used rarely, and should not be assigned to proposals that are not meritorious.

Following the completion of the sabbatical leave, each faculty member will submit a written report on their activities to their Department Chair/Campus Director, their School Dean, and to the CAO, and share the outcomes of his/her project/activity with faculty colleagues at an appropriate venue.

The Guidelines for Sabbatical Leave Reports are:

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1. The sabbatical report should speak quite specifically to the professional activities that were identified in your sabbatical proposal; personal or recreational activities that you may have engaged in while on leave should not be the focus of your report.
2. The report should provide substantial detail on work completed. Typically a 5 - 10 page report is needed as the progress made on each sabbatical project or initiative should be described in detail.
3. Reports should include the attached “product” if this was described as part of the sabbatical proposal, e.g. book manuscript, journal article, gallery exhibition invitation, literature review, etc.

Based on these guidelines, the report should include:

• A copy of the approved original sabbatical proposal;
• A detailed report on the progress made on each project or initiative described in the application;
• A summary of sabbatical outcomes;
• Attachments showing the creative and scholarly work completed during the sabbatical period.

Submission of the Report:

The sabbatical leave report is due in the Academic Affairs Office one month following the completion of the Sabbatical Leave. Copies of the report should also be provided to your Department Chair and School Dean.

C.) Department Travel Funds:

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Each year the college funds over $150,000 of departmental travel funds to support costs incurred in the supervision of students enrolled in courses requiring off- campus experiences, and for costs deemed appropriate for faculty development and professional service. In supporting these budgets, the college provides a fixed dollar amount per faculty member, (e.g. $500), in each department budget for faculty development purposes. This does not mean that each faculty member will be granted this exact amount, but that the Chair of the Department will have this level of funding available to support the professional activities of the faculty within his/her department.

Department travel funds are used to provide program support for faculty who are:

• Attending a meeting of a professional organization within their discipline
• Presenting a paper/research at a professional meeting within their discipline
• Representing the college or the department at an appropriate professional or association meeting

D.) Faculty Travel Grants:

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Springfield College’s faculty travel grant program encourages and enables faculty to be active professionally thereby enhancing their teaching and bringing recognition to the college.  These grants support travel to meetings where a faculty member is:

• Making a presentation to his/her professional peers
• Receiving a major award from a professional association or organization
• Fulfilling an un-reimbursed leadership role in a professional association or organization

Faculty members seeking to obtain such travel grants complete an application for funding that is submitted to the Faculty Development Committee for their review. The Committee will review the applications and make recommendations regarding funding to the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs.

Applications for Faculty Travel Grants may be submitted on the fourth Monday of each month of the Fall and Spring semesters. The application should include the cover sheet, (see Faculty Travel Grant Application in appendix), and a narrative of no more than two pages that describes the:

1. The specific purpose for the requested travel funds
2. The nature, scope, and mission of the organization sponsoring the meeting you wish to attend
3. Nature of the presentation, (i.e. panel, tutorial, poster presentation, etc.), and order of authorship or leadership role at the meeting
4. Audience/group you will address, i.e. number of people who will attend, etc.
5. Anticipated exposure or other benefits to the college as a result of this travel
6. Anticipated budget for the trip, including a clear and accurate estimate of the costs of the trip. Applicants should also indicate what other funding you have sought, or can seek, to cover expenses, (e.g. compensation from the organization, monies from a SC budget, etc.).
7. In addition, applicants should include a formal invitation or notification of acceptance from the sponsoring organization.

E.) Faculty Scholarship/Research Grants:

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The Springfield College faculty scholarship/research grant program is designed to provide support for faculty scholarly and research efforts. Applications for these funds will be reviewed by the Faculty Development Committee which will make recommendations regarding funding to the Provost and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. The scholarship/research grants will be awarded to faculty to offset the costs of materials, supplies, and travel for faculty research projects; grants are limited to a maximum of $750 per award for a single project.

Applications for Faculty Scholarship/Research grants may be submitted by the fourth Monday of each month for the Fall and Spring semesters. With the application form, a narrative of no more than two pages should describe:

1. The details of the faculty scholarship/research project for which funding is requested;
2. The specific materials, supplies, etc. for which funding is requested;
3. The department or school funds, if any, that are currently available to support the project;
4. The significance of the proposed project to the discipline and the College.

F.) Faculty Grant Program:

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The Springfield College faculty grant program is designed to provide professional support for faculty members seeking to complete projects that will enhance the curriculum or their scholarly, professional, or creative endeavors. The grant program provides two types of financial assistance:

• Reassigned Time Awards: grants funded by the Lippincott fund to provide release time for curriculum development projects; two reassigned time awards per semester are funded through this program; faculty members who have had a sabbatical during the prior academic year are not eligible for reassigned time awards;
• Summer Faculty Grants: grants that provide salary support for faculty members in support of a scholarly, professional, or creative projects during the summer; summer research awards will provide faculty with a $2500 stipend in support of their work.

Proposals for Faculty Grant Awards are due to the appropriate school dean/director on the third Monday of February and to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs by the fourth Monday in February. Proposals will be reviewed by the Faculty Development Committee, which will forward its recommendations to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Recommendations for Faculty Grants will be based on the merit of the application, using the following criteria:

Primary Criteria:

1. The proposed project should contribute to the mission/goals of the college, school, and department and be germane to the applicant’s career and intellectual growth;
2. The proposed project should include clear methodology and produce a measurable outcome;
3. The proposed project should have a positive impact on the teaching/curriculum and students of the college and/or should contribute to the profession;

Secondary Criteria:

1. In the event of equally meritorious applications, preference will be given to applicants who have received more limited previous support.

To apply for one of the Faculty Grants described above, applicants must notify their Department Chair/Campus Director of their intent to apply prior to developing the proposal. Applications must include an appropriate Faculty Grant Application Cover Sheet  and a proposal no more than two pages in length that includes:

• A description of what the applicant proposes to do, and how the applicant proposes to use either the time or the materials requested;
• An explanation of how the proposal meets the primary and secondary application criteria described above.

Applicants should include a current curriculum vitae that includes a listing of any previous faculty grant awards received and previous projects completed.

G.) Appleton Fund Grants:

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Appleton Fund Grants are not, strictly speaking, grants provided for faculty development activities. While the Appleton Fund supports new faculty orientation programs, based on the terms and conditions of the Appleton gift to the college the primary purpose of the Appleton Fund is to provide funds to be “used for non-building purposes, including innovations and curricular developments harmonizing fully with the Humanics philosophy of Springfield College”. Any full-time faculty member may apply for a grant from the Appleton Fund to achieve these goals, but grant applications should not be submitted for materials that can be purchased out of normal operating accounts at the college, (e.g. supply budgets, library collection development funds, etc.).

Requests to the Appleton Fund should also not duplicate requests submitted to the department or school for instructional equipment, technology, or for funding requests related to faculty travel or scholarly pursuits.

Appleton Fund requests are due to the appropriate school dean/director on the third Monday of March and to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs by the fourth Monday in March. Requests will be reviewed by the Faculty Development Committee to provide appropriate peer review of all applications. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will make final funding decisions.

H.) Dean’s Scholarship Fund:

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The Dean’s Scholarship Fund provides support for faculty scholarly, creative, and professional activity within their discipline by offering grants that will provide a course release in support of specific projects or efforts.

Process:

• This program will provide funds for a 3 credit course release in either the fall or spring semester or term for up to 5% of the faculty in each school;
• Faculty members will apply for these grants by submitting an application to their Department Chair/Campus Director by February 23, 2018; Department Chair/Campus Director will send application to the School Dean with their recommendation by March 9, 2018;  Dean will approve applications on or before  March 23, 2018;
• Department Chair/Campus Director’s recommendation will include an evaluation of the proposed work and a recommendation re: the course that will be released, i.e. taught by an adjunct faculty member; the Dean will make a final determination on what course will be released based on the needs of the campus/department/school.

Criteria:

Proposals will be evaluated based on the criteria for scholarly, creative and professional work described in Article 7 of the Faculty Personnel Policy. These criteria include a demonstration that the proposed work:

• is aligned with the faculty  member’s discipline,
• is representative of the typical creative work in their field, and
• makes a direct contribution to their teaching effectiveness

Faculty members who receive a grant from this fund, will submit a report at the conclusion of the semester/term that includes the product of their work, or a description of the progress made on the project. These reports will be considered as part of future applications for these grants.      If proposals are of equal merit, the Dean will consider the other forms of support the faculty members may have already received, (e.g. sabbatical leave), in making a final decision on grant awards.

I). Forms for Faculty Development Applications:

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Applications for each Faculty Development Opportunity described above should be submitted using the appropriate application form. Faculty members should complete the forms and provide the additional documentation described in the description provided above, (or in the Faculty Personnel Policy).  These forms are revised annually to ensure that the Faculty Development Committee receives the required materials and recommendations before beginning their review of the applications.

The Faculty Development forms can be accessed by clicking on the following links.  They can also be found in the Faculty Resources section on PrideNet:

• Cover Page for Sabbatical Applications
• Application for Faculty Travel Grants
• Application for Reassigned Time or Summer Grants
• Application for Faculty Scholarship/Research Grants
• Application for Appleton Fund Grants
• Application for Dean’s Scholarship Fund