Office of Academic Affairs
To:
All Full-Time Faculty
From:
John H. Johnsen, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Subject:
Professional Development Resources for 2015-2016
Faculty accepting professional development awards are expected to share the fruits of their efforts
with the College community. The spirit of collegiality requires no less. This is particularly true for
sabbaticals, summer fellowships, and participation in exchanges.
Funds supervised by the Faculty Resource Committee (FRC)
The FRC is responsible for recommending to the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs
the awarding of resources designed for faculty development including: sabbatical leaves, summer
fellowships, Faculty Leadership Fund, Faculty Professional Travel Fund, Faculty Travel with
Students Fund, Small Grants, Small Grants to Students, and the Crisafulli Fund. Each of these
funds is described below.
Sabbatical Leave
A sabbatical leave provides an opportunity for professional renewal and encourages a level of
scholarship/professional accomplishment essential to continual teaching excellence. Tenured
faculty members are eligible for sabbatical leave every seventh year of continuous full-time
employment at Utica College following initial appointment or previous sabbatical. A sabbatical
leave consists of a leave of absence from all instructional, administrative and service (committee)
responsibilities for one semester at full pay and benefits, or for one academic year at half pay and
benefits. When service/committee responsibilities such as those on the FAC or PDC require
continuity of service during the academic year, a single-semester sabbatical precludes participation
for the entire year. It is also expected that sabbatical recipients will return to the College. Recipients
of sabbaticals who do not return to the College for at least one full year, shall be obligated to
reimburse the College in full for all monies received from the College in support of the leave. A
requirement of the sabbatical leave is that you submit a full report of your sabbatical leave
activities, together with any documents or publications, which are produced. These will be made
available to the College after the leave has been completed. Up to eight sabbaticals have been
approved per year. For next year’s leaves, an application as outlined on the appropriate cover
sheet should be submitted to the FRC through the Office of the Provost/VPAA by December 1st.
All proposals must also be submitted to the dean of the relevant school who writes a letter of
recommendation regarding the request. It is also helpful if the proposal has received some review
by your school faculty. It is possible to apply further in advance if external funding is involved –
by October 15th for a spring departure 18 months later, and March 1st for fall departure 18 months
later. Please note that sabbatical leave awards may be limited and all of those who apply may not
be approved.
Mini-Sabbatical
Full professors are eligible to apply for a one-half load reduction for up to two semesters without
affecting their full sabbatical status. The deadline for these “mini-sabbaticals” is December 1st.
The deadline, application, and criteria are the same as for Sabbatical Leaves. A total of four (4)
quarter-load reductions are available each year. Filling out the Assessment/Evaluation Sheet
following the mini-sabbatical is imperative for receiving future funding.
In exceptional circumstances, a mini-sabbatical may be granted to untenured tenure-track faculty
in the fifth or sixth year of appointment. Such mini-sabbatical shall consist of a one-half load
reduction for up to two semesters at full pay and benefits. In such a case, the benefits, application
process and evaluation criteria shall be the same as set forth in the immediately preceding
paragraph applicable to tenured faculty members, except that the deadline for the application shall
be April 15 of the preceding academic year.
Summer Fellowships
Summer fellowships are awards used in support of research, scholarship, and/or creative projects
as well as for curriculum and instructional development. The purpose of the latter category is to
encourage innovation and improvement in the quality of instruction and curriculum design. While
the number of fellowships and the funding amount awarded vary from year to year, in the past few
years an average of six fellowships of $2300 per year have been awarded.
An application as outlined on the appropriate cover sheet should be submitted to the FRC through
the Office of the Provost/VPAA by February 1st. Acceptance of a Summer Fellowship limits
summer teaching assignments to one course. (Please note that Summer Fellowships are taxable the
same as salary.)
Faculty Leadership Fund
Faculty presenting papers, chairing a session, serving as an officer, or serving as a formally invited
discussant at a professional conference are encouraged to submit a request for travel expenses
through the Faculty Leadership Fund. The Award will be 85% of the cost of a trip up to a
maximum reimbursement of $850 (cumulative to $850 in one year) plus the cost of registration.
More than one award each year can be requested as long as the maximum has not yet been met.
The maximum reimbursement for international travel is $1,700 (cumulative to $1,700 in one year)
plus the cost of registration. More than one award each year can be requested as long as the
maximum has not yet been met. The awards are only good for the fiscal year (June 1-May 31) in
which the money is used, not necessarily the year that the award is made. These awards do not
“carry over” into a new fiscal year.
Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis. Requests should be submitted to the Office of
the Provost/VPAA using the cover sheet found on the FRC website. The final expense voucher,
to include original receipts and the form to request an advance can be obtained and should be
submitted to the faculty member’s school office.
Faculty Professional Travel Fund
Faculty attending a professional conference are encouraged to submit a request for travel expenses
through the Faculty Professional Travel Fund. The Award will be 85% of the cost of a trip up to
a maximum reimbursement of $650 (cumulative to $650 in one year). More than one award each
year can be requested as long as the maximum has not yet been met. The awards are only good for
the fiscal year (June 1-May 31) in which the money is used, not necessarily the year that the award
is made. These awards do not “carry over” into a new fiscal year.
Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis. Requests should be submitted to the Office of
the Provost/VPAA using the cover sheet found on the FRC website. The final expense voucher,
to include original receipts and the form to request an advance can be obtained and should be
submitted to the faculty member’s school office.
Faculty Travel with Students Fund
Faculty accompanying students who are presenting papers, chairing a session, serving as an
officer, or serving as a formally invited discussant at a professional conference are encouraged to
submit a request for travel expenses through the Faculty Travel with Students Fund. The Award
will be 85% of the cost of a trip up to a maximum reimbursement of $850 (cumulative to $850 in
one year) plus the cost of registration. More than one award each year can be requested as long as
the maximum has not yet been met. The maximum reimbursement for international travel is $1,700
(cumulative to $1,700 in one year) plus the cost of registration. More than one award each year
can be requested as long as the maximum has not yet been met. The awards are only good for the
fiscal year (June 1-May 31) in which the money is used, not necessarily the year that the award is
made. These awards do not “carry over” into a new fiscal year.
Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis. Requests should be submitted to the Office of
the Provost/VPAA using the cover sheet found on the FRC website. The final expense voucher,
to include original receipts, and the form to request an advance can be obtained and should be
submitted to the faculty member’s school office.
Faculty should note that funding is available for students to travel to professional conferences
through the Student Senate. Students submit their own application with faculty recommendation
to the Office of the Provost/VPAA. This application can be found on the FRC website.
Small Grants
Faculty seeking funds to underwrite the costs of equipment, supplies, computer time or software,
photocopying, travel to research libraries, the acquisition of special microfiche, microfilm, books,
or monographs for scholarly or artistic activity are encouraged to submit a proposal for this award.
Up to $550 is available per grant. Applications for funds to support new research or teaching
endeavors are specifically encouraged. An application as outlined on the appropriate cover sheet
should be submitted to the FRC through the Office of the Provost/VPAA.
Applications will be reviewed October 1st and April 15th.
Small Grants to Students
Students working on scholarly research with faculty, or under their direct supervision, leading to
publication or presentation at professional meetings are encouraged to submit for this award. Up
to $200 is available per student or $350 per group of students. An application as outlined on the
appropriate cover sheet should be submitted to the FRC through the Office of the Provost/VPAA.
Applications will be reviewed October 15th and March 1st.
Crisafulli Fund
In 1989, professor emeritus Virgil “Cris” Crisafulli created a fund to support faculty development.
Support is intended for, but not limited to, such activities as attendance by faculty alone or with
students at academic meetings and conferences, whether as a presenter or general conferee; to fund
faculty to do research helpful to the consideration of issues relevant to the College at a given time;
and to provide support for activities leading to improvements in teaching by the collective faculty,
such as new pedagogical practice, or utilization of new instructional methods or technologies. The
FRC reviews requests for support from this fund. The amount of this award varies depending on
the type of project for which funding is requested. Applications should support their request for
funding with a description of how activity will impact their teaching. Applications should be
submitted to the Office of the Provost/VPAA. These applications are reviewed on an ongoing
basis.
The Virgil Crisafulli Distinguished Teaching Award
In 1975, the College instituted a distinguished teaching award, and because teaching is our first
priority, this award has come to be recognized as our highest and finest tribute to a faculty member.
The award is funded by the Crisafulli Fund for the Advancement of College Teaching.
A committee of the past two recipients, an elected faculty member, the valedictorian, and the
Provost/VPAA makes its choice on the basis of proven teaching excellence over a period of at
least five years. Each year at commencement a monetary grant of $2000, a lapel pin designed
specifically for this award and an inscribed certificate are given to the faculty member, who in the
opinion of colleagues and students exemplifies the highest standards of teaching excellence. There
is also a $500 raise in base salary.
Clark Summer Fellowship/Research Grant
Clark Summer Fellowship will be awarded at the discretion of the Office of the Provost/VPAA.
The criteria will be the strength of the proposal (which must be outstanding,) any extraordinary
expenses associated with the project, the level of past institutional support, and an established track
record of using past institutional resources productively. A Clark Summer Fellowship/Research
Grant award will be given only if a worthwhile proposal is received.
The Harold T. Clark, Jr. Award
This $2000 award is presented at convocation to a full professor for the purpose of recognizing
and encouraging creative professional accomplishment. Both self-nominations and nominations
by others are encouraged. Nominations are reviewed by a committee, which may include past
recipients, and the Provost/VPAA. In order for a nomination to be considered by the committee,
the candidate’s materials must include a list (as in a CV) with citations of scholarly and
professional accomplishments, summaries or précis of published materials, reviews of any
accomplishments by professional colleagues or peers, anything that will demonstrate the value of
the candidate’s professional accomplishments, and anything that will demonstrate the potential for
future excellence in scholarship and professional accomplishment. This award may be held
concurrently with other forms of support and is announced at Convocation.
International Exchange Programs
Utica College has established formal agreements to exchange faculty and/or students with the
University of L’Aquila, Italy; the University of Wales Aberystwyth; University of Strathclyde,
Glasgow, Scotland; Abo Akademi University, Turku, Finland; Universidad Peruana de Ciencias
Aplicadas, Lima Peru; Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland; Dong-eui University, South
Korea; and with post-Soviet Union countries through the American Counsel of Teachers of
Russian. The deadline for all applications is December 1. Selections are made by the
Provost/VPAA and School Deans. Please apply through the Office of International Education,
White Hall, Ext. 3082. Program requirements vary from institution to institution. Consult with
the Director of International Programs for specifics.
Faculty Education Fund
Limited support is available to full-time faculty who wish to extend their teaching qualifications
into new subject areas or to complete doctoral degrees and when remitted tuition isn’t available or
sufficient. The proposed study program should qualify the faculty member to teach regularly
offered courses, especially those which are customarily difficult to staff. Support is for formal
programmatic study leading to earned credits, certificates, or degrees from recognized schools or
organizations. Proposals must have the endorsement of the school dean and are reviewed by the
President and the Provost/VPAA. Please be aware that funds are limited, and the deadline is
October 1. Proposals should be submitted to the Office of the Provost/VPAA through the School
Dean.
Publications Costs/Reprints
Within budget limits, the College will contribute up to $100 for copies of reprints of each article
published in recognized scholarly journals. Funds are limited. Other costs associated with
publication will be considered for payment, in part or in whole, within budget limits. Requests
should be sent to the Provost/VPAA through your School Dean.
Assistance with Grant Applications
We recognize that preparation of proposals takes considerable time and effort. Often there are
ways the College can reduce the onerous nature of this task. If you are contemplating a proposal
for outside funding, please feel free to discuss that with your School Dean or the Provost/VPAA.
Marguerite Plescia, Development Officer, Grants Writer with the Office of Institutional
Advancement (x3355), is available to help as well.
Released Time
The College supports faculty efforts to obtain funded released time for research and creative work.
So that effective course coverage can be arranged in your absence, please provide as much
advanced notice as possible to your school dean.
General Travel
Requests are made directly to the School Dean. Support is available for attendance at conventions,
seminars, conferences, workshops, meetings, etc. Schools receive a fixed amount per instructional
staff member for Deans to allocate.
Travel Per Diem
Official Travel – College-sanctioned travel from a person’s home or regular place of
employment to another destination and back again. Commuting between a person’s home and
regular place of employment is not considered official travel.
Federal Per Diem and Mileage Rates – Reimbursement rates set by the federal government.
While receipts may be submitted for meals, tips, and incidentals, Utica College encourages the
use of the federal per diem to simplify the reimbursement process. Current per diem rates can be
found at the following websites:
Current per diem rates:
www.gsa.gov/perdiem
Mobile phone app:
http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/302273
International per diem rates:
http://aoprals.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=184&menu_id=78
Other
Clearly, there are appropriate professional development activities that do not qualify for support
from any of the above funds. If you have plans for such activities, please consult your school dean
regarding the possibility of some college assistance to facilitate your plan. The School Dean will
make a request and recommendation to the Provost/VPAA for support from the College.