If you’ve followed the news updates posted to the College of Pharmacy website in recent months about the achievements of our faculty, I’m sure you’ve noticed that our faculty members are outstanding scholars, researchers and teachers in pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacy practice. They work countless hours and help the college achieve its mission of advancing pharmaceutical care for the people of Ohio and the global community. The hard work, dedication and tremendous intellectual contributions our faculty members make on a daily basis come directly from demanding years of study and inquiry: proposing theories, collecting data, testing hypotheses, developing conclusions, advancing new ideas.
To support this work and help faculty continue their personal and professional growth, the College of Pharmacy and The Ohio State University offer regular opportunities for professional growth, including Faculty Professional Leave (FPL). FPL gives tenure-track faculty with at least seven years of service an opportunity to have “a period of uninterrupted time to invest in their professional development.” [1]
Approved by Ohio State’s Board of Trustees in 1977, FPL is discussed in the college Pattern of Administration document and is also described in detail in the Office of Academic Affairs Policies and Procedures Handbook, found online at http://oaa.osu.edu/assets/files/ documents/facultyprofessionalleave.pdf. [2] Faculty approved for FPL may use one or two semesters to strengthen research skills and knowledge, or to build pedagogical or administrative skills when these are determined to be “mutually beneficial to the faculty member and his or her academic unit.”[3]
FPL can be granted for up to two academic semesters, but may not bridge two academic years (it cannot be taken in a spring semester and the following autumn semester). Stipends awarded during FPL vary with the length of leave. Guidance on compensation during an FPL and the use of funds from external sources to supplement a leave stipend can be found in the FPL policy statement on the Office of Academic Affairs’ website.
Any faculty member who would like to apply for FPL should submit Form 202, which is also found on the Office of Academic Affairs’ website. Applications should include a cover letter plus supporting documentation describing the proposed leave activity and expected benefits of the leave. Applications should be submitted to the faculty member’s division chair and Dean Mann at least three months prior to the intended start of an FPL.[4]
Approval of leave applications must be granted by the division, the college, the Office of Academic Affairs and the Board of Trustees, and are based on the quality of the proposal and its potential benefit to the faculty member and to the college. The ability of the division or the college to accommodate the leave at the time requested is also considered.[5]
Faculty who complete an FPL must submit a written summary of goals and accomplishments to their division chair and Dean Mann within 60 days of their return to service following the FPL.
Applying for and completing an FPL requires advanced planning and approval, but can result in a great opportunity to renew, refocus and revitalize professional goals and interests. Eligible faculty interested in applying for FPL may talk with their division chair or Associate Dean for Graduate Students and Research Cynthia Carnes for additional information about whether this opportunity may be right for them.
Best regards,
Katherine Kelley
1Faculty Professional Leave Policy, Office of Academic Affairs Policies and Procedures Handbook, http://oaa.osu.edu/assets/ files/documents/facultyprofessionalleave.pdf.
2 College of Pharmacy Pattern of Administration, pp. 8-9.
3 Faculty Professional Leave Policy, Office of Academic Affairs Policies and Procedures Handbook, http://oaa.osu.edu/assets/ files/documents/facultyprofessionalleave.pdf.
4 http://oaa.osu.edu/assets/files/documents/Form202.pdf
5 College of Pharmacy Pattern of Administration, p. 9.
[1] Faculty Professional Leave Policy, Office of Academic Affairs Policies and Procedures Handbook, http://oaa.osu.edu/assets/ files/documents/facultyprofessionalleave.pdf.
[2] College of Pharmacy Pattern of Administration, pp. 8-9.
[3] Faculty Professional Leave Policy, Office of Academic Affairs Policies and Procedures Handbook, http://oaa.osu.edu/assets/ files/documents/facultyprofessionalleave.pdf.
[4] http://oaa.osu.edu/assets/files/documents/Form202.pdf
[5] College of Pharmacy Pattern of Administration, p. 9.