TO:
FacultyColleagues
FROM:
ShirleyHuston‐FindleyandDrewPasteur,Co‐Chairs
CommitteeonResearchandStudyLeaves
SUBJECT:
Leaveapplicationsfor2018‐2019
DATE:
November28,2016
TheCommitteeinvitesapplicationsfromfacultyforresearchorstudyleavesintheacademicyear2018‐
2019.Applicationsaredueby5:00p.m.onMonday,April3,2017(latesubmissionswillnotbe
accepted).ApplicantsmustsubmitallrelevantmaterialselectronicallyinasinglePDFfileto
DarleneBerresford([email protected]).Aconfirmationemailwillbesentwithinone
businessday.PleasecontactDarlenerightawayifyoudonotreceiveconfirmationofreceiptofyour
proposal.
Pleasenotethatproposalsshouldconformtotheattached“OutlineforPreparingLeaveProposals,”with
sectionslabeledinaccordancewiththeoutline.
ArticleII,Section12.A.ofTheStatuteofInstructiondescribesthepaidleavesprogram.TheCommittee
callsyourattentiontofourparticularprovisions:
1. Principle.Thepurposeoftheprogramofpaidleavesistomaintainandimprovethequalityofeducation
availabletostudentsatTheCollegeofWoosterbyencouragingprofessionalgrowthandscholarly
researchofhighqualityamongmembersoftheFaculty.Ideally,thefacultymembersonleaveresidein
communitiesoutsideWooster,takeadvantageofdifferentculturalassociationsandprofessional
opportunities,andreturntoteachingatWoosterwithfreshperspectivesandrenewedenthusiasm.
2. OutsideWooster.ItisexpectedthatleaveswillbetakenoutsideWooster.TheLeavesCommittee,
however,maypermitresidenceinWoosteriftheapplicantcanestablishthattheobjectivesoftheleave
programcanbemetsuccessfullywithWoosterasthebaseofresidenceandthattheproposalincludesa
significantcomponentofresearch(orstudy)andprofessionalcontactsoutsideWooster.Professional
reasonsforexceptionstothismustbeincludedintheproposal.
3. Priorities.Ifforanyyeartherearemoremeritoriousapplicationsthanthereareleavesavailable,the
Committeeshalldeterminewhichapplicationsshallberecommended.Inmakingthepriorityinsuch
decisions,nodistinctionshallbemadeamongprofessors,associateprofessors,tenuretrackassistant
professors,andtenuretrackinstructors,orbetweenresearchleavesandstudyleaves.Ifafacultymember
hasfailedtoapplyforaresearchorstudyleavefortheperiodofhisorherearliesteligibilityandifan
applicationinasubsequentyearismeritorious,theCommitteemayundersuchcircumstancesasit
determinesgiveprioritytosuchapplicantinrecommendingtheawardofleave.Theawardofmoney
fromtheDean’sfundforfacultydevelopmentshallnotresultinpreferentialorprejudicialtreatmentin
subsequentlygrantingleavetoarecipientofsuchanaward.
4. NumberofLeaves.ThemaximumnumberofleavesrecommendedbytheCommittee,countedin
academicyears,maynotexceedtenpercentofthetotalfull‐timeequivalentfacultyteachingatWooster
atthebeginningofthesecondsemesteroftheyearofapplication.
Thenumberofsemestersofleaveavailablefor2018‐2019willbethirty‐three(33).
TheStatuteofInstructionalsostates:Eligibilityforaleaveshallnotimplyanautomaticaward,andeach
applicationshallbejudgedacceptableorunacceptableontheinherentmeritoftheproposal.Facultyare
referredtoArticleII,Section12ofTheStatuteofInstructionforcompleteanddetailedinformation
regardingtheprogramofresearchandstudyleaves.
TheCommitteeencouragesfacultymembersconsideringapplyingforexternalfundingfortheirleavesto
dosowhereverpossible.PleasebeawarethattheStatuteindicatesthatgrants‐in‐aidandfellowships
awardedbyeducationalandscientificfoundationsarenottoberegardedasremunerationforservices
rendered(ArticleII,Section12.A.6.d),andthereforesuchfundswillnotbedeductedfromafaculty
member’ssalaryfortheperiodofleave.
Membersofthefacultywhohavereceivedoneormorepreviousleavesshouldmakespecialnoteof
SectionII.Bofthe“OutlineforPreparingLeaveProposals,”whichrequeststheinclusionofyourmost
recentleavereport.
TheCommittee’sevaluationoftheproposalswillbeguidedbythefollowingcriteria(rankedin
approximateorder,frommosttoleastimportantforeachtypeofleave):
ResearchLeaves
 Isthereaclearstatementofprojectagendaandactivitiesaswellasthescholarlyand/orcreative
significanceofthework?

Arethespecificprojectedoutcomesoftheproject,suchaspublicationsorperformances,clear?

Isthereevidenceofproductivityfrompreviousleavesassupportedbyleavereports,if
applicable?

Isthescopeoftheprojectappropriateforthelengthofleaverequested?

Howdoestheprojectfitintotheapplicant'sprofessionaltrajectory?

Howmuchtimehaselapsedsincetheapplicant’spreviousleave?

Isthereatime‐criticalaspecttotheproject?

HastheapplicantestablishedcontactsoutsideWoosterwhoarecriticaltothecompletion
oftheproject?
StudyLeaves
 Arethespecificprojectedoutcomesoftheproject(suchasdevelopmentofanewclass,research
orteachingtechnique,orareaofexpertise)clear?

Isthereevidenceofproductivityfrompreviousleavesassupportedbyleavereports,if
applicable?

Isthereevidencethattheprojectwillenhancetheapplicant’steaching?

Howdoestheprojectfitintotheapplicant'sprofessionaltrajectory?

Howmuchtimehaselapsedsincetheapplicant’spreviousleave?

Isthereatime‐criticalaspecttotheproject?
Ifyouareeligibleandintendtoapply,weencourageyoutobeginworkingonyourproposalassoonas
possible.Tosupportthiseffort,theCommitteewillholdtwoidenticalshortworkshopsonpreparing
leaveproposals,onepriortowinterbreak(1:00‐2:00p.m.onTuesday,December13inKauke305)
andoneearlyinsecondsemester(4:00‐5:00p.m.onThursday,February2inKauke305).In
addition,severalsuccessfulleaveproposalsfromprioryearsareavailableforyourinspectionatthissite:
https://wiki.wooster.edu/display/facultygrants/Sample+Leave+Proposals.
However,theCommitteealsorecognizesthatinrecentyearstherehasbeenacertain“inflation”inthe
overalllengthofleaveproposals.Intheinterestsofprotectingfacultytime,wewouldliketoencourage
applicationswhicharespecificbutalsoconcise.Therefore,westronglysuggestthatthetotallengthof
yourproposal(excludingtheappendices—yourCVandyourmostrecentleavereport)benolongerthan
tenpages.
TheCommitteeencouragesthoseapplyingforaleavetoseekassistancefromtheDeanofFacultyfor
Development,ifnecessary.QuestionscanbedirectedtotheChairsoftheCommitteeortheDean.
TheCommitteelooksforwardtoreceivingyourproposalsonorbeforeApril3,2017.
ShirleyHuston‐Findley,Co‐Chair
DrewPasteur,Co‐Chair
MareikeHerrmann
NickKardulias
CarolynNewton,Provost
PeterMowrey,DeanforFacultyDevelopment