I. Background
This paper outlines the guidelines for institutional development and implementation of a comprehensive program of faculty retraining, renewal and development as called for in UW System Administrative Policy 155 (SYS 155), Faculty Development and Renewal – The 1970’s and Beyond. The purpose of this comprehensive program is to increase the flexible and effective use of existing faculty personnel in the University of Wisconsin System.
The Faculty Retraining and Renewal Program was approved by the Legislature in the l977-79 biennial budget (see 1977-79 Biennial Budget Policy Paper 3.0, and Decision Item Narrative #201). Academic Planning Statement #3.1 (ACPS-3.1), adopted by the Regents in June 1977, provided implementation guidelines for the program. This paper updates ACPS 3.1.
II. Policy
The faculty development program is dedicated to the maintenance of academic excellence in the University of Wisconsin System. Institutions are expected to dedicate available funds to support an effective and comprehensive program of faculty development tailored to the institution’s academic needs. In addition, in keeping with the conditions and intent of the legislation that supports this program, “the purpose of this comprehensive program is to increase the flexibility and effective use of existing faculty personnel in the University of Wisconsin System.”
The overall philosophy behind the faculty retraining and renewal program should be to minimize the fiscal implications to the participant, thereby encouraging rather than discouraging participation in the program.
UW System funds will be provided to support the following general categories of activities:
- Retraining – Development of scholarly resources of faculty members in fields of study allied to those in which they have their primary academic preparation in order to increase the ability of institutions and units to adapt to changing curricular, student, and societal needs and to contribute to the continued professional growth of faculty.
- Renewal – Continued development and renewal of the expertise of faculty members in their fields of primary academic preparation in order to increase the ability of institutions and units to adapt to changing curricular, student and societal needs.
- Faculty development – Professional growth of faculty that complements special institutional and System priorities, within the context of the institutional plan, including improvement of teaching skills and/or development of the curriculum, not covered within the definition of retraining or renewal. Retraining proposals are eligible to receive matching funds from the System faculty development account on the basis of an equal match by institutional funds. Renewal proposals and faculty development proposals are eligible to receive one-quarter funding from the System faculty development account if matched by three-quarter institutional funding.
III. Procedures and Guidelines
A. Preparation of an institutional plan.
Each institution shall review, assess and update its plan for faculty development to meet its mission requirements and academic program and staff needs in response to ongoing academic program activities, including programmatic reviews and their resulting recommendations, and in response to anticipated demands of students, society and scholarship as identified in the institution’s Ten-Year Academic Plan. Three-year plans will be submitted to the UW System Office of Academic Affairs beginning June 1, 1992 for 1993-96 and every third year thereafter.
Each institutional plan should address the following four program elements in order to make effective and flexible use of faculty personnel:
- Development of scholarly resources of faculty members in fields of study allied to those in which they have their primary preparation in order to increase the ability of institutions and units to adapt to changing curricular, student and societal needs.
- Continued development and renewal of the expertise of faculty members in their fields of primary academic preparation.
- Cooperative inter- and intra-institutional development of new instructional, evaluation and testing materials and systems.
- Improvement of teaching skills, including the management of new systems of instruction and instructional support; development of course materials; testing and evaluation techniques; and interpersonal communication in instruction.
In addition, the following guidelines are offered to assist institutions in preparing their faculty development and renewal plans and to facilitate the review and evaluation of the completed institutional plans for selective systemwide funding purposes.
The Office of Academic Affairs uses these guidelines to review the institutional plans. The outline of the guidelines is not intended to serve as a required format for the faculty development plans, but does provide a summary of those major elements that appear to be essential to any effective plan.
- Identify the areas of need and the objectives to be met by faculty retraining, renewal and development.[For example, the College of Letters and Sciences may suggest that it needs to increase the ability of faculty members to teach and conduct research on non-Western cultures.]
- Suggest faculty development activities that will be implemented during those three years in response to needs and objectives.[For example, the art department might suggest sending two faculty members to summer institutes and workshops to develop expertise in computer graphics in order to meet an identified objective of strengthening faculty expertise in the area of commercial art.]
- Build upon departmental or academic program strategic staffing plans which project the staffing and curricular needs and objectives for a specified period following the most recent audit and review of the department’s program(s).[For example, the history department might specify that it foresees a faculty retirement in ancient history, but will recruit in Middle East history to meet growing instructional needs, creating need for retraining of existing staff in ancient history.]
- Identify, insofar as possible, specific program areas of the institution most likely to be involved in responding to the stated need(s).[For example, the plan might identify an over-staffed, densely tenured physics department as a source of faculty to be retrained to teach additional sections of mathematics in order to meet a new general studies requirement.]
- Outline the procedures by which each proposed program element of the plan is to be implemented.[For example, the plan might specify that several approaches would be taken to renew and extend faculty expertise in the nursing program, such as institutional workshops, reduced time for selected individuals to engage in independent study, or a program of formal training for some faculty members at another institution.]
- Indicate the period during which each program element is to be implemented.[For example, the plan might specify that a faculty member will be retrained to conduct research into multicultural education. The academic year in which the faculty member will be retrained and when s/he will be prepared to begin research, publications, etc., should be specified.]
- Indicate the total costs and the source of funding for each program element.[For example, institutional workshops to update business administration faculty in computer technology might be funded by the dean’s office while a program of formal training would be supported by matching institutional and systemwide funds.]
B. Guidelines for Preparation of Faculty Retraining, Renewal and Development Proposals
- System guidelines. While each institution has its own guidelines, procedures, and protocols, there are a number of more specific System guidelines that individuals must adhere to as they draw up their proposals. Specific institutional policies may add to, or be more restrictive than these System guidelines.
- Criteria for review. Each institution has established its own procedures leading to the selection of faculty proposals to be submitted to the System for funding. Proposals submitted for consideration at the System level must contain a paragraph abstract of the proposal and the following elements:
- Funding. The types of proposals that can be funded by this program are partially restricted by the terms of the 1977-79 biennial budget. Prior to the 1977-79 budget allocation, there was $100,000 in the base systemwide account for faculty development. In 1978-79, that figure grew to $210,400 through the allocation of $110,400 from the biennial appropriation of $356,000 for instructional support accounts. Another $81,000 was added by the legislature in 1979-80 through a DIN request. The program now provides $288,100 annually for faculty development:
- $191,400 is governed by the 1977-79 legislative intent and the additional appropriation the following year, and restricted to proposals which fall within the definition of retraining or renewal;
- $96,700 is available for proposals which fall within the broader definition of faculty development as well as to support retraining and renewal proposals.
- Timetable. January 1 is the deadline for submission of proposals that are scheduled for the following academic year (July 1 – June 30).Three year institutional plans will be submitted to the Vice President of Academic Affairs on June 1, 1992 and every third year thereafter.
Issued: May 1977
Approved by the Regents: June 10, 1977
Last Revised: June 1991