Professional Development and University Awards

U25Q

Elon University provides resources for faculty professional development in all areas of faculty work, including  development for scholarly and creative activity and development in teaching. Funds for teaching faculty to engage in research and development, attendance at professional meetings, workshops, seminars, advanced study, reassigned time fellowships, and sabbatical leaves are provided by the University. In addition, the University employs a Director of Sponsored Programs who seeks funds to provide these benefits for individuals and the University. These resources for faculty development are reviewed annually in the budgeting process.

Peer mentoring offers a means for development of teaching skills. Opportunities for mentoring are available through the schools or college, or through the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning for interdisciplinary-based mentoring.

Professional development for faculty includes public recognition of accomplishments in four areas: teaching, scholarly research and publication, civic engagement, and mentoring. Guidelines for these awards are included later in this section.

A set of standard supports, as well as opportunities for additional competitive supports, are available to eligible post-probationary faculty based on rank and years in rank, as detailed below:

U35D

Well in advance of the meeting, the faculty member should notify the Department Chair of plans, clearly indicating arrangements for the conducting of classes during the absence. If these arrangements are approved, they will be sent in writing to the Dean for final clearance. Forms for reporting expenses should be obtained from the Dean’s office or the Chair’s office before the meeting, and expense forms should be returned as soon as possible after the meeting to that office. A brief written report of the meeting should also be submitted to the Dean through the Department Chair.

Each full-time teaching faculty member is budgeted for travel to professional meetings as a part of the University’s interest in faculty development and professionalism. The budgeted amount is to cover actual traveling and living expenses. The faculty member will be expected to cover costs exceeding the budgeted amount. The budget allocation can be applied to total cost without distinction regarding attendance, reading a paper, or serving in an official capacity.

Unused funds may be carried over one year to enable a faculty member to attend more meetings or more distant meetings. There is no carryover beyond the second year. A faculty member may not transfer unused travel funds to another faculty member.

U26N

U23E

• The project contributes to a discipline(s), the University, and/or the public good. Projects that have the most potential to result in a scholarly product, have significant impact, and/or gain recognition outside of the Elon University, are looked upon favorably. (Elon has a broad view of scholarship, as defined in the Elon Teacher-Scholar-Mentor Statement.)
• The project benefits the faculty member’s career as a teacher-scholar. Projects that have the most potential to contribute to the faculty member’s effectiveness as a teacher-scholar are looked upon favorably.
• Other Considerations:
• The proposal’s clarity in addressing the above criteria is important. The proposal is, in essence, a persuasive document and should be addressed to a committee composed of faculty representatives from a variety of disciplines. All things being equal, the committee looks favorably upon awarding those who have received little or no funding from the Faculty Research and Development Committee in the past.
• The history of FR&D support and outcomes may be considered when making new awards.
• FR&D prioritizes sabbatical leaves for funding over all other funding requests. All acceptable sabbatical leave proposals are funded.

U33A

Eligible faculty are encouraged to apply for sabbatical leaves if they are conducting extensive research or engaged in significant amounts of additional study that will result in the recipient’s professional development. Eligible faculty may apply for a leave of one-half a full year’s teaching load (12 shs) at full salary or for a leave of a full academic year (24 shs) at half-salary. The sum total of teaching hours plus reassigned time for departmental duties, such as chair responsibilities, plus 12 shs of sabbatical leave, will not exceed 24 shs for the recipient of a sabbatical leave in the academic year of that leave.

One or more sabbatical leaves may be granted for a full-year at full-pay. Applicants for this highly competitive sabbatical will apply by October 1^st. Applications will be judged on the need for a full year to complete the scholarly project as well as the applicant’s previous scholarly productivity. Those applicants who do not receive the full-year, full-pay sabbaticals may choose to have their applications forwarded to apply for a single-semester semester sabbatical.

Any full-time faculty member who meets the following requirements is eligible to apply for a sabbatical leave:

• Holds the rank of Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor
• Has completed at least five years of continuous service to the University in full-time-status

For the period of the sabbatical, the recipient is released from obligations to attend department, faculty, and committee meetings. The recipient’s advising load can be temporarily redistributed.

All fringe benefits will continue through the period of the sabbatical leave.

A minimum of five years of service to the University must elapse after a sabbatical leave has been taken before a teaching faculty member may apply for another sabbatical leave (in the Fall of the sixth year for a sabbatical in the seventh year).

A member of the faculty who is within two years of retirement will normally not be considered to be eligible for a sabbatical leave.

If a faculty member is applying for tenure in the same year as the sabbatical application, the awarding of the sabbatical will be contingent upon the granting of tenure.

A recipient of a sabbatical leave is expected to return to Elon University for at least one year. Recipients who fail to complete one year of full-time service at Elon University immediately following their sabbatical leave will be required to repay the monies advanced them by the University during their sabbatical unless the University terminates their employment.

Application for a sabbatical leave should be made via the online form provided by the Faculty Research and Development Committee. All applications for sabbaticals for the next academic year must be submitted on-line and both the chair and dean are notified of your application (full-year, full-pay applications are normally due by October 1^st and other sabbatical applications are normally due later in October, see published deadline for exact dates).

The decision of the Faculty Research and Development Committee will be decided by blind review, based on the criteria stated in the beginning of this section and the merits of each individual case. The Faculty Research and Development Committee will report its decisions to the Assistant Provost for Scholarship and Creative Activity.

By September 15^th of the year following the sabbatical, the faculty member is expected to submit a report to the Assistant Provost for Scholarship and Creative Activity. A standard report form will be provided by all sabbatical award recipients addressing the following:

• The research or development objectives accomplished during the period of the sabbatical award
• The refinements or changes, if any, to the original research or development plan
• A description of how the sabbatical project has influenced the teaching, mentoring, or future scholarship activities of the recipient

The publication of the results of research projects supported by a grant from the University should include a printed acknowledgment of financial assistance from the University.

U28P

Faculty are encouraged to apply for summer fellowships if they are conducting research or engaged in a significant amount of additional study that will result in the recipient’s professional development. These fellowships are intended for those faculty members who will be doing a significant amount of work but not as much as a sabbatical leave would entail. The work for these fellowships should be completed during the University’s summer months. The amount of the Summer Fellowship is in excess of $8,875 and increases periodically (typically every five years) with the goal of matching average raise in the salary pool each year.

Summer fellowships are intended to provide a period of uninterrupted time, similar in nature to a sabbatical (see section above), to be used exclusively in the pursuit of a project intended to result in publication or some other tangible expression of scholarship and/or professional development.

Any full-time teaching faculty member who has served the University for one or more years is eligible to apply for a summer fellowship. Thus, the earliest possible award would be for the summer following a faculty member’s second year at the University.

Since summer fellowships are intended to provide for uninterrupted time, recipients should have six to eight weeks of the summer to dedicate to the fellowship. Summer fellows cannot teach more than the equivalent of one course during the summer.

Recipients of summer fellowships are expected to return to Elon University for at least one year. Recipients who fail to complete one year of full-time service at Elon University immediately following their fellowship grant will be required to repay the monies of the grant unless the University terminates their employment.

Applications for a summer fellowship should be made via the online form provided by the Faculty Research and Development Committee. All applications for summer fellowships for the following summer must be submitted on-line and both the chair and dean are notified of your application by the published deadline, (typically November 1).

The decision of the Faculty Research and Development Committee will be reached through blind review of the proposals and will be based on the criteria stated in the beginning of this section and the merits of each individual case. The Faculty Research and Development Committee will report its decisions to the Assistant Provost for Scholarship and Creative Activity.

A report of fellowship activities completed by the recipient should address the following:

• The research or development objectives accomplished during the summer
• The refinements or changes, if any, to the original research or development plan
• A description of how the summer fellowship project has influenced the teaching, mentoring, or future scholarship activities of the recipient

The completed report form should be sent to the Assistant Provost for Scholarship and Creative Activity by September 15 of the year of the grant.

The publication of the results of research projects supported by a grant from the University should include a printed acknowledgment of financial assistance from the University.

U34M

Full-time probationary faculty, as well as post-probationary faculty with 1-3 years in rank, are encouraged to apply for reassigned-time fellowships through FR&D if they are conducting research or engaged in additional study which can be completed during the academic semester for which they are requesting a reduced teaching load. Probationary faculty are eligible to reapply annually, up through but no later than one year less than the total of their probationary period (i.e., third, fourth, or fifth year). Post-probationary faculty with 1-3 years in rank are eligible to receive only one FR&D reassigned time award in their first 4 years following promotion. Applicants may apply for reassignment from one course (4 shs). There is no monetary award associated with this type of fellowship, except for the continuance of full pay at current levels with reduced teaching responsibilities.

Reassigned-time fellowships are granted for reassignment from one course during an academic year or semester. Reassigned-time fellowships are also granted for Winter Term. However, all full-time teaching faculty members must continue to meet minimum teaching expectations as defined in Faculty Workload - Minimum Teaching Expectations (E24D).

Decisions on research-related course reassignments are determined by an ad hoc committee chaired by one member of the Faculty Research and Development Committee and representatives from all the schools, including representatives from the three divisions in Arts and Sciences. Members of the Faculty Research and Development Committee that do not serve on this ad hoc committee are eligible to apply for research-related course reassigned times.

Reassigned-time fellowships are not intended to be used for degree completion.

Recipients of reassigned-time fellowships are expected to return to the University for at least one semester. If recipients fail to complete these requirements in the semester(s) immediately following their reassigned-time, they will be required to repay monies advanced them by the University for their fellowship unless the University terminates their employment.

Application for a reassigned-time fellowship should be made via the online form provided by the Faculty Research and Development Committee. All applications for reassigned-time fellowships for the following academic year must be submitted on-line and both the chair and dean are notified of your application by the published deadline for all requests for University releases, typically the third Friday of September.

The decisions of the Faculty Research and Development Committee and ad hoc committee for research-related course reassigned times will be decided by blind review and based on the criteria stated in the beginning of this section and the merits of each individual case. The Faculty Research and Development Committee will report all decisions to the Assistant Provost for Scholarship and Creative Activity.

Upon completion of the reassigned-time fellowship, the faculty member is expected to submit a report to the Assistant Provost for Scholarship and Creative Activity by September 15 of the current year for Spring Reassigned-Time Fellowships and the following September for Fall Reassigned-Time Fellowships. The report should address the following:

• The research or development objectives accomplished during the period of the reassigned-time award
• The refinements or changes, if any, to the original research or development plan
• A description of how the reassigned-time project has influenced the teaching, mentoring, or future scholarship activities of the recipient

The publication of the results of research projects supported by a grant from the University should include a printed acknowledgment of financial assistance from the University.

U27F

Faculty are encouraged to apply for money in this category if they are conducting research, working on a publication, pursuing professional development, working toward the completion of a dissertation, or engaged in additional study or course work at another graduate institution. Applicants should be aware that there is no guarantee that the amount of money requested, if accepted, will be funded at the level requested.

All full-time teaching faculty members are eligible to apply for assistance in their pursuit of scholarly research, publications, professional development, dissertation completion, advanced study, or course work at graduate institutions. All research activities involving human participants, whether funded or not, must conform to the current guidelines set forth in the document Ethical Principles and Review Procedures for Human Participants in Research" available from the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Applications for financial assistance should be made via the online form provided by the Faculty Research and Development Committee. Applications can be for financial assistance alone or in conjunction with a sabbatical, summer fellowship, released time fellowship, or Hultquist award. All applications for financial assistance related to research, development, and advanced study for the following academic year must be submitted on-line and both the chair and dean are notified of your application by the published November deadline (typically November 1^st.)

The normal grant period is June 1^st of each year to May 31^st of the following year. Funds unused by a recipient by the end of the grant period will be returned to the general University fund. A request for a change in any part of the grant originally approved by the committee must receive prior approval from the Chair of the Faculty Research and Development Committee and notification in writing to the Associate Provost for Scholarship and Creative Activity.

A recipient of a research, development, and advanced study grant is expected to return to Elon University for at least one year. Recipients who fail to complete one year of full-time service at Elon University immediately following their grant will be required to repay the monies advanced them by the University unless the University terminates their employment.

At the conclusion of the grant period, the grant recipient must write a report addressing the following:

• The research or development objectives accomplished during the period of the reassigned-time award
• The refinements or changes, if any, to the original research or development plan
• A description of how the reassigned-time project has influenced the teaching, mentoring, or future scholarship activities of the recipient

All applications for financial assistance must be accompanied by a detailed itemized budget. Applicants have the choice to accept or reject partial funding based on review of the itemized budget. Expenses may be reimbursed for:

• Special equipment and materials, books, photocopies, film, and manuscripts for research. Large equipment expenses cannot usually be covered.
• Statistical analysis, transcription, consultants
• Communication costs
• Travel and living expenses incurred away from home and pertinent to the project (with low priority given to travel expenses for coursework). Mileage, hotel costs, and other living expenses should be itemized.
• Publication up to 50% of the requisite subsidy, but not to exceed $1,500, including cost of images
• Tuition
• Other purposes deemed by the Faculty Research and Development Committee to be necessary for the successful completion of the proposed project and compatible with the general policies of the University, but not to include payment to the faculty member for time spent in research

When possible, supplies, equipment, and clerical services are to be acquired through other University channels. The Committee will not approve the expenditure of its funds for materials or equipment which in its judgment should be supplied by the University through the departmental, Dean’s or library budgets.

Teaching faculty members desiring release from teaching responsibilities to conduct research or to develop projects are encouraged to refer to sections on sabbaticals and reassigned-time above.

All books, manuscripts, photocopies, films, and similar research materials purchased with funds from a grant approved by the Faculty Research and Development Committee become the property of Elon University and, upon completion of the project, are to be deposited in the library or other appropriate University repository. Textbooks required in course work will become the personal property of the grantee.

The publication of the results of research projects supported by a grant from the University should include a printed acknowledgment of financial assistance from the University.

U32V

Full-time faculty may apply for a Hultquist fund summer fellowship during their first year at Elon to be used in the summer between their first and second years of teaching. Awards include, but are not limited to, research, scholarship and writing, and course development, and are typically awarded as a stipend.

U28A

All faculty in the first or second year following a successful promotion decision will be eligible for a post-promotion sabbatical, without application to FR&D. Eligible faculty may request a leave of one-half a full year's teaching load (12 shs) at full salary or for a leave of a full academic year (24 shs) at half-salary. The sum total of teaching hours plus reassigned time for departmental duties, such as chair responsibilities, plus 12 shs of sabbatical leave, will not exceed 24 shs for the recipient of a sabbatical leave in the academic year of that leave.

U23A

Chairs should make reasonable efforts to inform faculty of when their post-probationary reassigned time expires and work with faculty to minimize loss of reassigned time. If a faculty member is unable to make use of or reassigned time outside of the post-probationary system, they may request (i) an extension and/or (ii) a payout, at the overload course pay rate, from the Provost's office. Post-probationary reassigned-time balances are not carried over across terms and cannot be paid out; futhermore, they are replenished in full at the start of each new cycle, based on rank and status.

Chairs should inform the Dean and the Provost's Office of the eligible faculty member's plan for their teaching sabbatical. A section in the faculty member's Unit I will serve as a final report of teaching sabbatical accomplishments.

U25A

U25B

U25C

U24H

U22V

President Emeritx J. Earl Danieley and his late wife, Verona Daniels Danieley, established the Daniels-Danieley Award for Excellence in Teaching in honor of their parents to give recognition to outstanding teachers.

The following people may nominate a candidate for this award:

• Each faculty member or academic department
• Each administrative staff member
• Seniors who are members of Phi Kappa Phi and/or Omicron Delta Kappa, and/or seniors who are slated to be inducted into Phi Beta Kappa in the spring.

Each nominator may put forth the name of one nominee only. 

The nomination must include a letter of support containing the following:

• Name and department of the nominee, plus the name of the nominator
• A description of the nominee’s creative, innovative, effective methods of teaching at Elon
• Evidence of the nominee’s contributions to student learning
• Any information pertinent to the nomination, such as the nominee’s role in curriculum development at Elon or involvement in scholarly activities related to teaching and learning.

Competitive nominations usually include two to five letters commenting on the candidate from different perspectives (for example, one letter from colleagues and one from former students). Nominators may include supplemental materials, but the entire nomination packet should not exceed 20 pages.

Nominations should meet the following criteria:

• Nominees must be full-time faculty
• Because this award recognizes sustained excellence in teaching, preference ordinarily will be given to candidates with 7+ years of teaching at Elon.

A selection committee consisting of three senior members of the Elon faculty, two previous Daniels-Danieley Award recipients, and one student from each honor society (PBK, ODK and PKP) evaluates the nomination materials and chooses a recipient by secret ballot.

The recipient will be honored at the annual faculty-staff awards luncheon with a plaque and a cash award. The recipient is automatically invited to present a mini-course in the following year’s Family Weekend.

U22E

The Faculty Research and Development Committee offers a Distinguished Scholar Award to recognize an outstanding scholar among the Elon faculty. The Distinguished Scholar Award recognizes and honors excellence in scholarship. This excellence must be acknowledged by both the Elon community and by the larger community of the candidate’s discipline.

Nominations must originate from individuals holding faculty rank at Elon University and be supported through letters of recommendation by colleagues qualified to judge the candidate’s work.

General criteria include:

• The nominee is a full-time member of the Elon University faculty.
• The nominee has not previously won the Distinguished Scholar Award from Elon University.
• The nominee has made an original contribution to their field.
• The nominee’s contribution has been exposed to critical appraisal by professional peers through publication, exhibition, and/or personal presentations.
• The nominee has shown evidence that their creative activity has been prolonged and is ongoing. One indication of this would be a record of publications, presentations, artistic performances, and/or exhibitions spanning a period of time including the present or recent past.
• The nominee must have completed a significant amount of scholarly work during their affiliation with Elon. Scholarly activities completed prior to joining Elon may serve to strengthen a potential recipient’s nomination.
• As this award recognizes sustained excellence in scholarly contributions, preference ordinarily will be given to candidates with 7+ years of scholarly activity at Elon.
• During the fall semester, the Chair of the Distinguished Scholar Award Selection Committee will solicit nominations from the faculty. Members of the Distinguished Scholar Selection Committee are not eligible for nomination.
• During the spring semester, nominees will submit a portfolio in support of their candidacy to the Chair of the Distinguished Scholar Award Selection Committee. This portfolio will contain their department's statement of scholarship, their curriculum vitae, a summary of their scholarship-related accomplishments, samples of published works, and recommendation letters. It is the nominee's responsibility to demonstrate their scholarship's impact on both the Elon community and the larger community of their discipline.
• Nominees will solicit at least four, no more than eight, letters of recommendation in support of their scholarship from colleagues qualified to judge their work. At least one of the letters must come from a colleague of faculty rank employed by Elon and at least three from faculty colleagues not employed by Elon University. Nominees who are applying again may use letters from the previous three years.

• Each year, the Chair of the Distinguished Scholar Award, will establish a Distinguished Scholar Selection Committee of at least five teaching faculty members to select the award recipient. The committee will consist of:
  • Two members from the Faculty Research and Development Committee, the Chair and Chair-Elect of the Distinguished Scholar Award Selection Committee;
  • At least two members appointed by the Chair of the Distinguished Scholar Award Selection Committee from outside its membership; and
  • At least the previous year’s recipient of the Distinguished Scholar Award (recipients from previous years may also assist in the selection process, unless they have recommended current nominees).
  • Whenever possible, the members of the Distinguished Scholar Award Selection Committee will be chosen to provide representation for the Schools of Business, Communications, Education, Health Sciences, Law, and the College of Arts and Sciences.
• If there is no recipient in a particular year, the following year the Chair of the Faculty Research and Development Committee will serve in the place of the previous year’s recipient.
• The Chair of Faculty Research and Development Committee will appoint as chair the committee member who has served on the Distinguished Scholar Award Committee the previous year.
• The Chair of the Distinguished Scholar Award Selection Committee will report the committee's decision to the Provost or designee.
• The Distinguished Scholar Award Selection Committee will select no more than one recipient per year.

The recipient will be honored at the annual faculty-staff awards luncheon with a plaque and a cash award. The recipient will deliver a plenary Distinguished Scholar Lecture during the subsequent academic year.

U26B

The Periclean Award for Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility is presented each year to a member of Elon's faculty or staff whose service to the broader community exemplifies the ideals of Project Pericles, a national initiative of the Eugene Lang Foundation, which advocates and supports the preparation of young individuals for socially responsible citizenship in a democratic society. Elon is one of ten colleges and universities nationwide to join Project Pericles, an initiative sponsored by the Eugene Lang Foundation, which challenges institutions to provide a learning experience that will “instill in students an abiding and active sense of social responsibility and civic concern.” This award recognizes a member of Elon University’s faculty or staff who has selflessly given time and talent to serve in the larger community.

All full-time faculty and staff are eligible to make and receive nominations for the annual Periclean Award by submitting a letter explaining why the nominee is deserving of this award. The letter should cite specific examples of the nominee’s work which exemplify the Periclean ideals of civic engagement and social responsibility.  Nominations should be submitted to the Director of Project Pericles in April.

The nominations are reviewed by a committee of faculty and staff assembled by the Director of Project Pericles. The committee includes at least one previous award recipient.

The recipient will be honored at the annual faculty-staff awards luncheon with a plaque and a cash award.

U29Q

This award recognizes one faculty or staff member who has served as a valuable mentor and trusted advisor to undergraduate students in and out of the classroom.

The recipient must have demonstrated a sustained commitment to the intellectual and holistic development of students; provided information or opportunities to help students reach their academic or career goals; monitored student progress toward those goals and offered advice when needed; encouraged students to pursue meaningful academic internships, fellowships, and post-graduate opportunities; and advised student programs, projects, clubs, or organizations.

Nominations should be submitted to the Office of the Provost by April 1^st .

Nominations must include one letter that addresses the award criteria and is no longer than three pages, as well as two testimonials from students who can provide evidence of outstanding mentoring by the nominee. Student testimonials must be no longer than three pages each.

The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs appoints a committee composed from the faculty, staff, and administrators to review all nominations. A committee member may not be nominated for the award. To be eligible for this award, an individual cannot have received the award previously and must have been a full-time employee at Elon University for at least five years.

The committee recommends the top candidate for the award to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

The recipient will be honored at the annual faculty-staff awards luncheon with a plaque and a cash award. In addition, the Ward Family Excellence in Mentoring Award provides $3,500, available for three years, to support faculty-student mentoring activities.