University Faculty Fellowship Program, Research Grants, and Awards

[Section VI of Handbook]

A. University Faculty Fellowships

1. The purpose of the University Faculty Fellowship Program is to enhance the professional skills of the faculty member through further education, study, research, or creative work. It is the spirit of the program to permit the faculty member maximum flexibility in planning and determining his/her/their professional development. Both faculty and students as well as the public will benefit from such improvement in professional competence.
2. At the end of each seven-year teaching period at Ohio University, each tenured faculty member having faculty status shall be eligible for a University Fellowship leave. Department chairs accrue time toward eligibility in the same way as other faculty members. All academic service to Ohio University will count toward eligibility regardless of the rank, campus, or overseas program at which it was performed. Every faculty member who has taken a University Fellowship leave shall complete another seven years of service at Ohio University before he/she/they shall become eligible for another University Fellowship grant.5 When an approved leave is deferred for one year in order to maintain curricular integrity, eligibility starts after seven years of service from the date of original approval.
3. Leaves of absence supported by other programs, such as Baker Awards, research grants, foundation fellowships, etc., and leaves for the purpose of employment by another school or company, will not be considered as substitutes for a University Fellowship. However, the period spent on such special leaves of absence will not count as part of the accrual period for a University Faculty Fellowship.
4. A University Fellowship leave may consist of one semester at full pay, or two semesters at two-thirds pay. These rates are to be applied to the pay the faculty member normally would receive during the semester(s) in which he/she/they are to be on leave.
5. A University Fellowship leave may be granted for a maximum of two semesters. Faculty on nine-month contracts will be granted leave only during the semesters covered by a contract. A University Fellowship leave may not be taken during the summer or other off terms, though such terms do count toward eligibility for a University Faculty Fellowship. Faculty members on twelve-month contracts will be granted leave at any time during the twelve-month period of the contract, with the combined summer sessions considered to be one semester.
6. A faculty member on a University Fellowship will not hold a paid position unless that position can be shown to assist them professionally. Should he/she/they hold such a paid position during the period of the leave, however, the sum of the University Fellowship salary and additional funds in the form of grants, stipends, gifts, or pay shall not exceed the salary the faculty member would have received for that year without leave, excluding such funds as are applied to the special expenses of the leave for equipment, books, professional travel, services, higher cost of living elsewhere, etc. Should the sum exceed that amount, the University's contribution to their University Fellowship salary may be reduced accordingly.
7. A faculty member who does not wish to apply for a University Faculty Fellowship the year he/she/they become eligible or who is denied a University Fellowship for any reasons will not lose his/her/their eligibility and may apply in the following years. If a faculty member is denied a University Fellowship for the convenience of the department, in spite of the fact that his/her/their proposal merits approval, every effort will be made to ensure that this denial is not continued another year. In the case of a one-year deferral of an approved leave for purposes of curricular integrity, the next eligibility starts after seven years of service from the date of original approval.
8. Upon completion of a University Fellowship leave, a faculty member starts accruing time toward eligibility for the award of their next University Faculty Fellowship as of the date of his/her/their resumption of normal academic duties. He/she/they do not begin to accrue time toward another Fellowship while the Fellowship for which he/she/they are already eligible is delayed either voluntarily or through denial of leave, except under the circumstance noted above in the case of deferral for one year for the purposes of curricular integrity (in which case the eligibility starts after seven years of service from the date of the original approval).
9. A University Faculty Fellowship shall be considered as part of University service. No faculty member shall, by virtue of being on a University Fellowship, suffer a reduction or termination of his/her/their regular employee retirement or insurance benefits or of any other benefit or privilege they receive as a faculty member at Ohio University. Whenever such a benefit would be reduced because of a reduction in the faculty member's salary during the period of the University Fellowship, the faculty member shall be given a chance to have the benefit increased to its normal level. Ohio University will continue to pay its portion of pension and insurance policies.
10. Faculty members will be expected to teach at Ohio University for at least two semesters after completion of their University Fellowship leave.
11. Application for a University Faculty Fellowship is to be made in writing to the faculty member’s academic department chair no later than the first day of the Spring Semester preceding the summer and/or academic year in which the leave is to be taken. The application must include a well-considered plan, presented with a reasonable degree of specificity, showing how the Fellowship leave will contribute to the professional effectiveness of the applicant and the best interest of the University, (e.g. in teaching efficacy, research, and creativity).
12. The department will evaluate the faculty members' applications and the chair will send all the applications and his/her/their recommendations to the appropriate academic dean. In the case of applications from regional campus faculty, the chair will also communicate with the relevant campus dean to verify cost-neutral details and necessary course offering/teaching schedule modifications to include in the recommendation. The dean will review all applications in the college and send them and his/her/their recommendations to the Provost, who will review them and make recommendations to the President for final approval or disapproval, subject to confirmation by the Board of Trustees. The decision on the application is to be made known to the faculty in writing no later than March 15. If the evaluation process results in a decision not to approve the application, the faculty member will be provided all reasons for the denial in the decision notice.
13. If a faculty member believes that his/her/their leave proposal has been denied unjustly, he/she/they will have the right to appeal the decision to his/her/their chair, to the dean, to the Provost, and then to the Professional Relations Committee of the Faculty Senate as per Faculty Handbook Section II.G.. The grounds for the appeal may be allegations of (a) inadequate consideration, (b) denial of due process, or (c) personal bias or discrimination.
14. A report on the completed University Fellowship leave shall be submitted in writing through the same channels as the request for leave within three months following the return of the faculty member to his/her/their teaching duties at Ohio University. The department will evaluate the report. Evaluation of this report will play a significant role in the granting of future University Fellowships.
15. No University Fellowship leave may be granted that requires a corresponding addition to the permanent faculty of Ohio University. Departments and regional campuses are expected to arrange for University Fellowship leaves on a "break-even" or "no-cost" basis; in some cases a "no-cost'' program may be desirable on a college-wide basis. Duties of persons on Fellowship leave normally will be assumed by the remaining faculty. If a faculty member is on leave with less than full salary, the remaining part of their budgeted salary may be used toward replacement of his/her/their services. The department chair will describe how the proposed loss of teaching services will be compensated for without impairment of the quality of the department's work. Faculty members of small instructional units, regional campuses, and other singularly specialized faculty shall have equal opportunity for leave with all other faculty.
16. When more applications are received than a department can recommend for implementation for the coming year, it is suggested that decisions on which faculty members shall be recommended for leave be based on: (a) the merit of the proposal and (b) the longevity of service to Ohio University since the last University Faculty Fellowship or since the beginning of employment at Ohio University if the faculty member has had no previous University Fellowship.
17. Applicants may be given precedence despite the above guidelines in the following exceptional circumstances: (a) a previously approved proposal that could not be implemented for the sake of departmental convenience or because of the discontinuation of a previous sabbatical leave program should be given the highest priority if resubmitted, (b) special programmatic needs of a department, and (c) special opportunities available to a faculty member at a particular time.

B. The John C. Baker Fund

The John C. Baker Fund, endowed as an "incentive to quality'' in the name of former Ohio University President Dr. John C. Baker, is the gift of University alumni Mr. and Mrs. Edwin L. Kennedy.

The Baker Fund provides: (1) Distinguished Professorship Awards, initiated in 1959 for faculty members who have made significant contributions in their fields, (2) The Edwin and Ruth Kennedy Lecture Series, and (3) grants supporting faculty research projects upon which a substantial beginning has already been made and for which there is a definite need in terms of the University's programs.

C. Distinguished Professor Award

A committee of at least four Distinguished Professors appointed by the President reviews candidates for the Distinguished Professor award and makes its recommendations to the President. Although the committee meets annually, the award(s) need not be made every year. 

Recipients of the Distinguished Professor award will be chosen on the basis of outstanding artistic, literary, historical, or scientific achievement, or other worthy accomplishments attaining wide recognition. Funds for the leave and honorarium are donated to Ohio University by Mr. and Mrs. Edwin L. Kennedy. 

No set amount will be established for the honorarium, and a recipient may receive a cash stipend or a leave of absence of one semester with full pay, or both. In addition, every Distinguished Professor has the right each year to appoint one undergraduate to a one-year, full-tuition scholarship. 

To be considered for the award, a faculty member must have tenure and a minimum of five years' service at the University. In addition, only projects already completed will be considered in the committee's examination of distinguished achievements. If a leave of absence is granted, the time when the leave is effective must be approved by the department chair, the appropriate dean, and the Provost. 

Faculty members are invited to submit the names of candidates for the award to the President's Office.

D. Leaves of Absence and Reduction of Teaching Load for Support of Research

The University supports a program of leaves of absence, including professional leaves, either full-time or part-time, for research and productive scholarship.

Chairs of departments and deans of colleges may recommend to the Provost reduction of teaching loads and/or leaves of absence for faculty members who have a research or writing project under way that requires a concentration of time and effort for its completion. Summer appointments for conducting research may be provided.

E. Ohio University Research Committee

The Ohio University Research Committee provides support for research or creative effort in any field of study. The committee provides such support in response to formal proposals that are invited periodically during the academic year. Funds can be awarded for any bona fide research expenditure, including salary for the principal investigator, stipends or wages for graduate and undergraduate students, equipment, supplies, and travel.

A restricted number of discretionary awards of up to $500 can be provided by the chair of the committee at any time without going through the formal, periodic review process. 

Guidelines for proposal preparation may be obtained from the chair of the committee or from the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.

F. Emeritus Status

Except in very unusual circumstances, emeritus status is conferred only upon retiring or retired members of the faculty. Emeritus status is conferred upon a faculty member if, in the judgment of his/her/their department or regional campus, and with the concurrence of appropriate administrative officers, some special recognition has been earned. This judgment should be based on many or all of the following factors: (1) length of service, (2) quality of teaching, (3) quality of research, (4) contribution to the University in administrative and committee work, and (5) services to society beyond the University. Except in unusual circumstances, emeritus status shall be conferred only on someone who has taught at Ohio University ten or more years.

An emeritus faculty member is granted library privileges as if he/she/they were an active faculty member, and during any academic term when he/she/they are on duty will have appropriate office space, parking privileges, and similar perquisites. During periods when he/she/they are not on duty, parking privileges and the use of other facilities such as office space and laboratory space may be offered when and where they are available.

G. University Professor

To acknowledge outstanding undergraduate teaching, students of Ohio University participate in the naming of from one to six University Professors each year. University Professors are full-time faculty who have demonstrated superior teaching ability and who have insight into the educational process. Students suggest to the University Professor Selection Committee the names of faculty members who they believe should serve. The committee screens the suggestions and nominates from the suggested faculty members those who best exemplify the concept of the University Professor. The Provost appoints the University Professors as nominated by the committee. Each Professor is given freedom to teach two courses of their choosing and is awarded a $2,000 honorarium during the academic year of the appointment. Procedures used by the University Professor Selection Committee are maintained at the Executive Vice President and Provost office.