Faculty Handbook
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VIII. R. WRITING COURSE RELEASES INTO GRANTS
(Source: CAPP minutes and Faculty Mtg minutes March - April 2023)
Until recently, a standard practice has been that faculty writing grants are expected to include summer pay and/or stipends instead of course releases as part of the grant. Essentially, faculty have not been able to “buy out” of teaching class(es) to focus more time and effort on research during the academic year. Faculty members who apply for grants to support their research have instead written in summer pay (and often summer stipends for students) to support their work. This practice was developed to ensure a stable academic program. As grants become available to support curricular innovations, and in acknowledgement of a range of expectations from granting agencies, we anticipate faculty writing course releases into grants. CAPP hopes this policy will offer clarity to grant writers, future CAPPs, the dean’s office, and staff supporting grant-writing regarding writing course releases into grants. The goals are to establish a fair and equitable practice that supports faculty success in seeking grant funding while minimizing disruptions to the academic program. It is important to note that this policy will only apply to grants. A grant is a funding mechanism that provides money for a specific purpose or project whereas fellowships provide funding to artists and scholars for their scholarly and creative pursuits. Said another way, grants fund projects and fellowships fund people. Faculty members who are awarded fellowships (such as Fulbright or Guggenheim) for their scholarly activities may opt to take an unpaid leave. Whether the faculty member taking unpaid leave for such an opportunity would be replaced will be decided on a case-by-case basis through consultation with the faculty member’s department.
For grants that incorporate multiple course releases, grant writers should submit annual plans summarizing net impact on the curriculum for CAPP approval.