Competitive Course Release Policy

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Granting of One-Semester Course Releases:  

As noted in the 2022 APC University Academic Plan and the May 2022 APC Proposals for Changes to Administrative Procedures, changes to the way one-semester course releases are granted will begin in Spring 2023. 

As the May report notes, “To promote greater equity and provide tenure-track faculty an opportunity to work on significant projects which advance the goals and mission of the University, a new competitive process for awarding course releases will begin in Spring 2023 with a call for applications” for course releases to be taken in the 2023-2024 academic year.

Beginning in Fall 2023, a maximum of 6 course releases per year, which were previously awarded at the discretion of the Dean and President, will be reallocated to a competitive pool. If the number of SYE course releases goes down in the coming years, we recommend that this program be increased to 8-10 courses per year, when possible. 

Only the Dean and President have the authority to grant course releases and they will continue to have discretion to award them for special circumstances, such as leading a Middle States review. This new model will allow faculty to apply to use release time to complete teaching, research, or service work which clearly exceeds a faculty member’s regular workload. 

All other course releases not stipulated in an official appointment letter or university agreement will end after the Spring 2023 semester. 

Criteria:   

Faculty must demonstrate in a one- to two-page proposal how they would use this release time, and how the benefits of their proposed course release could extend beyond a single faculty member or specialized niche on campus to advance the goals and mission of the University.

Examples could include but are not limited to:  

    • Developing a new teaching sub-field (e.g., undertaking additional training needed to develop courses outside of the faculty member’s areas of expertise).  
    • Service projects which fall outside of the established committee structure.  
    • Applying for a major external grant.  
    • Other unique opportunities that impact multiple faculty members and/or students.   

Process and Eligibility:   

    • All tenured and tenure-track members of the faculty are eligible to apply.
    • Applicants must demonstrate that their projects cannot be completed within their regular workload or with sabbatical and/or earned release time.  
    • Applicants will submit an application form, a 100-word abstract, a one- to two-page proposal, and a current CV to their chair, who will then complete the form and forward these materials to the Dean’s Office.
    • Applications will be due by February 15th each year and will be reviewed by the Academic Planning Committee, which will make its recommendation to grant course releases to the Dean of Academic Affairs.   
    • An equal number of course releases (3 each) will be awarded for the fall and spring semesters.  
    • To increase equity within and across departments, faculty who are awarded a course release would not be eligible to reapply for at least one year.  
    • Course release proposals for projects previously funded are not normally eligible for additional release time.  
    • Course releases will be granted for one semester.  
    • Competitive course releases are not bankable; they must be taken during the semester for which they are awarded. 

Implementation:  

    • The application cycle will start in Spring 2023 to award course releases for the 2023-2024 academic year (three for the fall and three for the spring).  
    • Submissions require that the department chair or academic program coordinator review and sign the application form and confirm that the department can accommodate the course reduction. 
    • Course releases may be limited to one per department per semester to ensure fair distribution. 
    • Faculty members who are granted course releases will be listed on the Academic Affairs website with a brief abstract of their proposal.   
    • Competitive course releases granted to a department member will not serve as a reasoning for applying for adjunct taught courses as replacement.