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Policy & Procedure - Provost's Office Professional Development Funds
Faculty Professional Development Fund Disbursement Request form
*EMU faculty are full- or part-time faculty who hold tenure-track or continuing three-year faculty positions.
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EMU tenure-track faculty are eligible for a leave of absence without pay. Leaves of absence are designed to contribute to the faculty member’s future contribution to EMU through opportunities for professional development. These include advanced study, research, writing or other scholarly activities, as well as cross-cultural intercultural experiences and church-related assignments.
Faculty requests for a leave of absence are submitted in writing to the program director, who recommends the leave to the respective dean for approval in consultation with the provost. Leaves of absence are generally granted for one year but may be longer in certain cases (see below). If a non-sabbatical leave exceeds three years, the dean and provost may consider withdrawal of tenured or tenure-track faculty status. Years on leave do not count toward sabbatical or contract years.
A. Cross-culturalIntercultural/Service Assignments:
Faculty are encouraged to accept mission and service assignments, though they may not necessarily be directly related to the teaching assignment at the institution and thus do not meet the criteria for a sabbatical. Therefore, requests for a leave of absence for a church-related assignment, particularly in a cross-cultural intercultural setting, will be given strong consideration when such a leave can be arranged for the mutual benefit of the faculty member, the institution and the church agency.
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Scholarship Opportunities
Scholarly activity animates a university community of learners. Faculty frequently best exemplify creativity, innovation and excellence through their scholarly achievements. Eastern Mennonite University, while first and foremost an institution dedicated to superior teaching and learning, recognizes the vital contribution scholarly pursuits make to its educational mission. For this reason, EMU provides opportunities to tenure-track and other three-year contract faculty for the purposes of encouraging original scholarship. Two options are available for undergraduate tenure-track faculty: Release-time and Mini-grants. For graduate and seminary faculty time for scholarship is included in the workload.Release
Scholarship Release-time funds are made available through the academic dean’s office operating budget and an endowment. The operating budget supports 24 semester hours annually, and the endowment supports 9 semester hours annually; the latter hours are intended to rotate among the undergraduate departments. Teaching faculty and professional librarians on long-term contracts are eligible to apply for up to six semester hours of release-time from normal teaching assignments for the purposes of pursuing original scholarship (research and publication, performance or creative production). To apply, complete the Faculty Release Time for Scholarship Grant proposal.
Hertzler-Koshy Faculty Fellowship Program aims to advance projects that integrate and infuse diversity into the curriculum with a specific focus on race, ethnicity, and gender content in the curricula. Undergraduate and graduate faculty may receive up to 3 semester hours release-time and $500 mini-grant for either the Fall or Spring terms.
Contact the office of diversity, equity and inclusion for more information. Faculty Fellowship Grant Overview
Mini-grants are awarded to tenure-track undergraduate faculty for scholarly work in a discipline that extends beyond the normal scope of teaching responsibilities. Course revisions, curriculum development, and normal faculty development such as a workshop or conference attendance are excluded. Faculty applying for Mini-grants are asked to address the significance of the project to the profession, the institution, the church and the community/public. To apply, complete the Mini-grant Application.
Summer Teaching and Summer Research Grants are available to any faculty member or professional educator. EMU encourages faculty to continually refresh their pedagogy and course content, whether the purpose is to include more diversity, use new technology, reach student populations more effectively or develop new courses (just to name some examples.) Faculty and students alike benefit from fresh ideas and approaches. To apply, complete the Summer Teaching Grant Application or Summer Research Grant Application.
The Faculty Scholarship Committee awards undergraduate Releasethe approved release-time , Mini-grants, and Summer Teaching and Research Grants. For and grants. For more information contact the provost's office.
Approved by Provost’s Council, November 29, 2022
Responsible party
The provost is responsible for this policy.
Policy Review
This policy is to be reviewed every three years.
Distribution
Employee Handbook