Course Reductions

Course Reductions and non-Sabbatical Leaves

The Faculty Handbook allows for course reductions or non-sabbatical leaves of absence for faculty under specific circumstances. Those circumstances are a Leave of Absence, a Course Reduction for Faculty and Curricular Development, a reduction for serving as department or program chair, a course equivalent credit for thesis supervision, or a course reduction for excessive enrollments. This page quotes the relevant passages of the handbook while also providing the policies used to implement the rules in the handbook.

The Faculty Handbook

Part 2: Faculty Benefits and Support Programs

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Program in Support of Faculty Development and Research

I. Leaves and Release Time

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B. Leave of Absence

For purposes of professional development, members of the faculty may apply for leaves of absence. When a leave of absence is required to accept a postdoctoral fellowship or other research grant, the dean of the faculty must approve of the application for the fellowship or grant prior to its application deadline. When a leave of absence is granted, any contractual agreement between the faculty member and the College is suspended during the period of leave. Faculty members granted a leave of absence are expected to return to the College. For deadlines and guidelines, see bates.edu/dof/sabbaticals-and-leaves/.

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D. Course Reduction for Faculty and Curricular Development

Members of the faculty may apply for a one-course or course-equivalent reduction in their regular teaching obligation during the two-semester period of an academic year. These may be applications for course development, unusual teaching arrangements and strategies, or other projects related either to the planning or implementation of innovative pedagogies. Alternatively, applications may concern specific research projects. Selection is made by the dean and the division chairs. Even when the faculty member receives support from internal or external funding, an application must be made through the dean of the faculty. For deadlines and guidelines, see bates.edu/dof/facultyscholarship/course-reductions/.

Part 5: Instruction Faculty Teaching Load

Departments and programs of the faculty design their curricula on the basis of a 5-course teaching load for full-time faculty during the academic year. Chairs, in consultation with their colleagues concerning the needs of their department or program, determine teaching schedules, including those for Short Term.

1) Department and program chairs may elect to receive one course or course equivalent credit per year for their administrative responsibilities or make other arrangements with the dean of the faculty [Also, see Course Reduction for Serving as Department or Program Chair below]

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4) “Course equivalent” credit may be given for thesis supervision. Allocation of thesis credit may vary among departments and programs but is generally equal to .5 course credit for ten thesis semesters and 1.0 course credit for twenty thesis semesters over the course of three academic years. Faculty seeking course equivalent credit for thesis supervision must secure approval from the chair, who reports the credit to the dean of the faculty at the time the course grids and faculty workload plans are submitted. Course equivalent credit is not awarded for independent study supervision (360 or s50).

5) In exceptional circumstances, and only after written approval by the dean of the faculty prior to submission of semester course offerings to the Registrar’s office, a department chair may use one “course equivalent” credit for a colleague whose normal course enrollments are excessive over a two- or three-year period of time.

The Policies:

Leaves of Absence for Personal Reasons

Please see sections 407-416 of the Employee Handbook for policies around leaves of absence related to Family and Medical Leave, Parental Leave, Leave for Victims of Violence, Jury or Witness Duty, Military Leave, Family Military Leave, Maine Earned Pay Leave, Unpaid Leaves of Absence for personal reasons, or Maine Emergency Responder Leave. For consideration of such leaves, please confer with Human Resources and follow the process outlined in the Employee Handbook.

Additional information about medical and family leaves can be found in the Faculty Handbook (Part 2; Temporary Medical Disability Leave and Faculty Parental Leave).

Leaves of Absence for Professional Development

Eligibility

Because their nature involves a contractual separation between the college and the member of the faculty, only faculty appointed to renewable lectureships or to the tenure track are eligible.

Program Guidelines

Faculty may request a leave of absence for professional development purposes.
Per the handbook, if the “… leave of absence is required to accept a postdoctoral fellowship or other research grant, the dean of the faculty must approve of the application for the fellowship or grant prior to its application deadline.”
Per the handbook , “… any contractual agreement between the faculty member and the college is suspended during the period of leave.” This means that the faculty member’s benefits are suspended during an unpaid leave of absence.
Per the handbook, “… faculty members granted a leave of absence are expected to return to the college.”

Applying for a Leave of Absence

Per the handbook, “When a leave of absence is required to accept a postdoctoral fellowship or other research grant, the dean of the faculty must approve of the application for the fellowship or grant prior to its application deadline.”
Faculty seeking a leave of absence should submit a 1 page proposal to the Dean of the Faculty (deanoffaculty@bates.edu).
The proposal will be reviewed by the Dean of the Faculty.

Course Reduction for Faculty and Curricular Development

Eligibility

Members of the faculty who are on the tenure track or tenured, or who are in ongoing lectureship positions.

Program Guidelines

Eligible faculty who are on the tenure track can apply for a course release in any year in which they would otherwise have a full-time teaching load as long as they complete two years of full-time teaching before standing for tenure. The minimum elapsed time between years with a course release is four years of full-time teaching.
Faculty who are tenured or appointed to ongoing lectureship positions are eligible to take a 1 course reduction every 5th year of full time employment.
In normal circumstances, faculty applying for the reduction must provide extramural funds equal to the cost of the replacement salary and benefits. In rare exceptional cases in which the release directly enables work of national or international impact, a release may be granted in the absence of such extramural funds for course replacement.
In special circumstances, exceptions to this policy may be negotiated with the dean prior to a faculty member joining Bates.

Applying for a Course Reduction

Course reductions involving a buy-out with extramural funds are evaluated by the DOF in consultation with the Division Chairs. The steps to apply involve:
- Either
  - Obtaining extramural funds or
  - In rare cases, a statement of exceptional impact
- Gaining approval of the timing of the course reduction from all academic units to whose curricula the course contributes. Note this includes all academic units that rely on the course either through cross-listing or as part of its curriculum.
- Submitting your proposal Deanoffaculty@bates.edu

Course Reduction for Serving as Department or Program Chair

Eligibility

Any faculty member serving as department or program chair.

Program Guidelines

Compensation Options for Department and Program Chairs, effective AY2014-15:

OPTION 1: equivalent of 5% of base pay is credited toward a 100% enhanced sabbatical leave. 100% sabbatical leave is granted to any chair who serves 4 years, who forgoes a stipend or course release option during each of those 4 years, who applies for an external grant as required for an enhanced sabbatical leave, and whose application for full year sabbatical leave is approved by the Academic Affairs Council. Ordinarily the full year sabbatical will be taken immediately or up to two years after service as chair.
OPTION 2: equivalent of 5% of base pay is credited toward full year sabbatical leave at 50% pay to any chair who serves 4 years and who forgoes a stipend or course release option during each of those 4 years and whose application for full year sabbatical leave is approved by the Academic Affairs Council. Ordinarily the full year sabbatical at half-pay will be taken immediately or up to two years after service as chair.
OPTION 3: an accrued stipend of $17,000 is offered to any chair who serves 4 years and who forgoes a stipend or course release option during each of those 4 years and whose application for a half-year sabbatical at full pay is approved by the Academic Affairs Council. Ordinarily the half-year sabbatical will be taken immediately or up to two years after service as chair.
OPTION 4: one course reduction for each academic year of chair service.
OPTION 5: $4,000 per each academic year of chair service; when service load is high for the department/program (e.g., departmental/program review, multiple tenure track and/or multiple multi-year replacement searches), chair may propose to the dean of the faculty that chair receive $5,000/AY.
OPTION 6: $4,000 per academic year; when service load is high for the department/program (e.g., departmental/program review, multiple tenure track and/or multiple multi-year replacement searches), in consultation with the dean of the faculty, chair receives $3,000/AY and a second department/program faculty member may serve as associate chair to share departmental/program responsibilities and receive $2,000/AY.
OPTION 7: one course reduction for each academic year of chair service; when service load is high for the department/program (e.g., departmental/program review, multiple tenure-track and/or multiple multi-year replacement searches), in consultation with the dean of the faculty, chair receives one course reduction/AY and a second department/program faculty member may serve as associate chair to share departmental/program responsibilities and receives $2,000/AY.

Applying for a Course Reduction

Prior to the beginning of a faculty member’s term as chair, the faculty member should email deanoffaculty@bates.edu detailing the option they wish to choose for chair compensation