AA/PPS 04.01.32 - Management and Funding of Faculty Fellowships

POLICY STATEMENTS

1. In meeting its mission for excellence and innovation in research, scholarship, and creative expression, Texas State University encourages the participation of faculty in distinguished national and international fellowship programs such as the Fulbright Scholar Program, Guggenheim Fellowships, Sloan Research Fellowships, MacArthur Foundation Fellowships, National Endowment for Humanities and Arts Fellowships, and others. In particular, faculty members are encouraged to seek awards and fellowships that are documented by 19 Texas Admin. Code §15.43 (2016) for National Research University Fund (NRUF) status.

2. The purpose of this policy is to clarify rights, responsibilities, and guidelines to faculty members, chairs, directors, and deans regarding the pursuit of fellowships and other award programs that require leave and support from Texas State, including salary, benefits, workload credit, and other forms of support. All provisions of this policy are subject to specified conditions of eligibility, the long-term value of a fellowship opportunity, and the effective stewardship of funds.

3. The university strives to hold a faculty member harmless from the loss of benefits and salary during the approved fellowship leave period. Typically, Texas State will provide sufficient salary (50 percent by state law) so that benefits are maintained and that remuneration to the faculty is, as feasible, equivalent to the faculty member’s normal rate of pay.

4. This policy pertains to fellowship leaves during a regular academic year that release a faculty member from obligations to the university (i.e., fall or spring semester that a faculty member is under contract). Any leave that occurs during the summer, which is a non-contractual period, is not covered by this policy.

5. Depending on the funder’s guidelines, proposals submitted for support by this policy should be processed through or communicated to the Division of Research in accordance with UPPS No. 02.02.01, Applying for Sponsored Programs.

   Note: This provision may also apply to fellowships not covered by this policy (e.g., that do not require a leave from Texas State or occur over the summer).

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Because it is the goal of Texas State to support faculty who obtain fellowships that provide important development opportunities and bring recognition to the university, chairs, directors, and deans:

   1. ensure the fellowship period achieves stated goals;

   2. make plans to cover classes and other responsibilities while such faculty are away on fellowships, including estimating and identifying the source of funds and faculty qualifications needed to do so; and

   3. verify that the rules and regulations of the funding agency and the university are followed. This includes addressing any intellectual property issues as outlined in policies for faculty development leave and non-tenure line workload release noted below.

2. In consultation with the faculty applicant, chairs, directors, and deans assess proposed fellowship opportunities in terms of impact on the faculty member’s professional goals and responsibilities, the instructional, service, creative, scholarly, and governance needs of the unit, and potential contribution to the university’s mission and goals.

ELIGIBILITY

1. In order to receive support outlined in this policy, a faculty member completes the university’s planning document and discusses the opportunity with the appropriate chair or director in advance of application. The chair or director shares the information with the college dean. Once the planning document is mutually agreeable to the faculty member, chair, director, and dean, the dean will submit the proposal to the director of Faculty and Academic Resources at least four weeks before the application is submitted. The planning document is available on the Faculty and Academic Resources website. Applications submitted and approved through this planning process are eligible for support outlined in this policy.

2. Fellowships supported by this policy are those that enable the faculty member to make significant advances on an identifiable research, scholarly, instructional, or creative endeavor that is related to the faculty member’s professional goals and responsibilities at Texas State. Provisions of this policy are not available to support visiting professorships, completion of an advanced degree, outside employment from any other person, institution, corporation, or government, or other assignments that do not result in research, scholarly, instructional, or creative outcomes.

3. Tenure-line faculty members who currently hold full-time appointments with Texas State may be eligible to apply for support outlined in this policy.

   1. If applicable, applicants must have completed six years of full-time service since the last fellowship leave supported by the university and must have submitted the required written report. The year in which the last fellowship leave occurred counts toward the six-year timeframe.

   2. If applicable, applicants must have completed three years of full-time service since the last development leave supported by AA/PPS No. 04.02.02, Faculty Development Leave. The year in which the last development leave occurred counts toward the three-year timeframe.

   3. As early as feasible, faculty should follow the planning process outlined in Section 03.01 of this policy, consulting with the chair, director, and dean on the value of the fellowship to the faculty member’s professional goals and responsibilities.

4. Non-tenure line faculty members who currently hold full-time appointments with Texas State and who have been employed full-time with the university for at least three academic years, may be eligible to apply for support outlined in this policy.

   1. If applicable, applicants must have completed six years of full-time service since the last fellowship leave supported by the university and must have submitted the required written report. The year in which the last fellowship leave occurred counts toward the six-year timeframe.

   2. If applicable, applicants must have completed three years of full-time service since the last non-tenure workload release supported by AA/PPS No. 04.02.03, Non-Tenure Line Faculty Workload Release Program. The year in which the last workload release occurred counts toward the three-year timeframe.

   3. As early as feasible, faculty should follow the planning process outlined in Section 03.01 of this policy, consulting with the chair, director, and dean on the value of the fellowship to the faculty member’s professional goals and responsibilities.

5. Exceptions to the eligibility provisions may be available. Questions may be addressed to the chair, director, dean, and associate provost.

REMUNERATION PROCEDURES

1. Prospective applicants seeking support from the university must utilize the planning process outlined in this policy. Award recipients must provide a copy of the award letter or contract to the director of Faculty and Academic Resources within two weeks of being notified of the award and no later than four weeks prior to the start date of the fellowship in order to maintain benefits and other support.

2. The preferred method of compensation is for the funding agency to send the amount of the award to the university as partial or full reimbursement for the faculty member’s salary. Funding agencies should be asked if this arrangement is possible. If this arrangement is not possible, the faculty member may be paid directly by the fellowship organization, and Texas State will provide additional salary, as needed, to ensure benefits are maintained (50 percent by state law).

3. An additional amount will be paid separately by the university to compensate for the loss of the employer’s contribution to the retirement plan.

4. The amount paid by the fellowship organization for housing, travel, or similar expense funding will not be considered a part of the salary compensation. The faculty member will assume all costs of the fellowship.

5. Exceptions to the remuneration protocol may be available. Questions may be addressed to the chair, director, dean, and associate provost.

REPORT AND FOLLOW-UP PROCEDURES

1. Faculty supported by this policy must submit a written report by February 1 for a fall semester release and by July 1 for a spring semester release or two-semester release. The report will:

   1. outline activities performed during the period of the appointment, including the achievement of stated goals;

   2. append any papers, creative works, reports, or other documentation generated as a result of the fellowship;

   3. state whether any possible patentable or copyrightable intellectual property was created during the leave and when such information was or will be submitted to the Intellectual Property Committee; and

   4. be submitted to Faculty and Academic Resources, with routing through the chair, director, and dean, and a copy to the Intellectual Property Committee if intellectual property was created during the leave.

2. As a professional courtesy and development opportunity, returning faculty members are asked to provide assistance and guidance to other faculty members interested in applying for the same or similar awards. They are also encouraged to offer a seminar for the university community describing the fellowship experience and its outcomes.

3. Faculty members supported by this policy are expected to serve one full academic year with the university after completion of the fellowship leave. This policy requires the faculty member to reimburse the university in the amount received as salary and fringe benefits from the state while on leave if he or she should refuse to fulfill the year of service after the leave.

REVIEWER OF THIS PPS

1. Reviewer of this PPS includes the following:

   Position	Date
   Associate Provost	March 1 E5Y

CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

This PPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents Texas State Academic Affairs policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.

Associate Provost; senior reviewer of this PPS

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs