Negotiations: Article 29, Professional Development Leave

The administration wishes to change Article 29, Professional Development Leave. Our Negotiating Team received the proposal below on February 1. Current language proposed for deletion is shown in the strikethrough format, and proposed new language is shown in the red underlined format. For comparison, you may wish to view the entire current CBA and this article in particular.

For more about bargaining now under way toward a successor of our current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), please see our Negotiations page. There, you will find rosters of our Bargaining Council and Negotiating Team, a table showing the status of each article (those in the current CBA and new ones, too), and also reports about each negotiating session.

Negotiations about this article began and apparently ended on the same day -- April 25 -- when our Negotiating Team agreed to the three administration proposals shown below.

Administration Proposal for Article 29, Professional Development Leave
29.1 Professional Development Leaves are granted for planned programs of education, research, study, creative activity, travel, and other professional undertakings of importance to both the individual and the University. All Professional Development Leave proposals should advance the academic qualifications of Bargaining Unit Faculty Members and enhance their contribution to the University as teachers and scholars. Professional Development Leaves cannot be used to work toward a terminal degree. 29.2 Eligibility. To be eligible for a Professional Development Leave (PDL), a Bargaining Unit Faculty Member must be tenured and have completed seven academic years of service as a full-time tenured or tenure-eligible faculty member at Wright State University. A Member who has been granted a Professional Development Leave shall complete another seven academic years of service at Wright State University before becoming eligible for another grant of Professional Development Leave. 29.2.1 “Academic year of service,” as used in Section 29.2 is defined as at least two of three consecutive quarters in a year, beginning with the fall term of one calendar year and ending with the spring term of the following calendar year. 29.3 Period of Leave and Compensation. The period of Professional Development Leave for the Bargaining Unit Faculty Member shall consist of one of the following: 29.3.1 If granted one quarter leave, a Member will receive- one quarter leave at 100% pay, two quarters leave at 83% pay, or three quarters leave at 75% pay. 29.3.2 If granted two quarters leave, a Member will receive- two quarters leave at 100% pay or three quarters leave at 89% pay. 29.3.3 If granted three quarters leave, a Member will receive- three quarters leave at 100% pay. 29.3.4 For Members with fiscal appointments, one quarter leave is equal to three months. 29.4 Number of Professional Development Leaves. Each year the University shall provide opportunity for Professional Development Leave quarters up to a number equal to thirty percent of the eligible Bargaining Unit Faculty Members in each College. 29.5 Procedure for Application and Review. 29.5.1 Bargaining Unit Faculty Members seeking Professional Development Leave during the following academic year shall submit to the Dean by October 15 a leave proposal (5 page limit not including any supporting materials) and a current curriculum vitae. The supporting materials may but need not include statements of support solicited by the applicant from the Department Chair, the Department Promotion and Tenure Committee, or other appropriate sources. The proposal should specify the project planned, the expected outcomes, the quarter(s) for which the leave is requested, any extramural funding expected or being solicited, and alternative plans if any anticipated funding (internal or external) is not received. 29.5.2 For each proposal, the Dean shall solicit a statement from the Chair indicating whether and how adequate coverage can be provided during the Bargaining Unit Faculty Member’s absence. 29.5.3 The Dean shall initiate a review of all applications for Professional Development Leave by a college committee composed of Bargaining Unit Faculty in that college, which shall make two recommendations to the Dean, accompanied by an explanation for both: (1) an overall evaluation of the proposal’s merits based on the criteria in Section 29.6.1 (high, medium, low, or unsatisfactory); (2) the number of quarters of PDL that should be awarded (zero, one, two, or three) based on the criteria in Section 29.6.2. 29.5.4 After receiving recommendations from the faculty committee, the Dean will award Professional Development Leaves using only the criteria in Section 29.6. However, the Dean may turn down a request for a PDL (or may award fewer quarters than otherwise merited) because of (1) the Chair’s statement about adequate coverage pursuant to Section 29.5.2 or (2) an insufficient number of PDL quarters allocated to the Dean’s college pursuant to Section 29.4. In the event that (1) occurs, the Dean will send a written statement to the Member, the Member’s Department Chair, and the AAUP-WSU. No Bargaining Unit Faculty Member will be denied a Professional Development Leave in whole or in part, or additional leave quarters at reduced pay, based on unavailable coverage two years in a row. 29.5.5 A dean who has awarded all available PDL quarters pursuant to Section 29.4 may (but is not required to) request to the Provost that additional quarters be awarded in a specified priority order from any not used from the allotments in other colleges. If the Provost receives no more such requests than can be filled with available PDL quarters, then all such requests will be honored (and the Provost will so notify the Deans, who will in turn notify the applicants). Otherwise, the requests will be forwarded to a subcommittee of all Bargaining Unit Faculty Members serving on the University Promotion and Tenure Committee. This subcommittee will award the available quarters on a competitive basis using only the criteria in Section 29.6, but without changing the priority order set by the deans. Thus, for example, the subcommittee will not award a PDL quarter to an applicant ranked second in a dean’s priority order while denying a quarter to the applicant ranked first in that same college. 29.5.6 Deans will forward to the Provost copies of all proposals received, the recommendation from the faculty committee for each, and correspondence sent to applicants awarding or denying PDL quarters. 29.6 Criteria for granting Professional Development Leaves. 29.6.1 All recommendations and decisions regarding the merits of PDL proposals must be based upon the following criteria. Value (or importance, or prestige) and scope of the anticipated outcome(s) as a scholarly product or to meet specific teaching or service needs of the department or college. Documented preparation for the proposed project(s). Applicant’s productivity (quality and quantity of teaching, scholarship and service), as reflected in the submitted curriculum vitae, proposal, and supporting documents. This productivity does not have to be in the same area as the PDL project, and credible proposals which would enable applicants to revitalize their scholarship deserve full consideration. Anticipated outcomes and demonstrated results from past PDL(s). If two or more proposals are found to be of equal merit, then preference shall be given to the Member(s) who has never taken Professional Development Leave at the University. If two or more applying Members have previously taken such leave, then preference shall be given to the Member(s) with the longer(est) period of University service since he or she last received such leave. If two or more applying Members have never taken such leave at the University, then preference shall be given to the Member(s) with the longer(est) period of University service. 29.6.2 All recommendations and decisions regarding the number of quarters of PDL to be awarded should take into account not only the merits of a proposal based on the criteria above, but also the length of time that the proposed work should take. Thus, for example, a proposal may be rated very highly on all the criteria 1-4 above but entail work that should only require one quarter to complete, in which case awarding a one-quarter PDL would be appropriate. 29.7 College bylaws may provide further clarification of procedures for evaluation and transmittal of PDL proposals pursuant to 29.5 and 29.6. 29.8 All benefits which are provided by Wright State University shall remain current and in full force throughout a Professional Development Leave, except that any benefit provided by another source during the period of leave shall release Wright State University from the obligation of providing the similar benefit. Eligibility for salary increases and promotion are also continued. A Bargaining Unit Faculty Member on leave shall not be required to participate in University activities and is normally not eligible to receive a stipend or overload pay. 29.9 By the end of the first academic quarter following their return from a Professional Development Leave, Bargaining Unit Faculty Members are required to submit a report of their activities to the college dean and to the university president. 29.10 Upon termination of a Professional Development Leave, Bargaining Unit Faculty Members are expected to serve the University for a minimum of one academic year.

Administration Proposal for Article 29, Professional Development Leave

29.1 Professional Development Leaves are granted for planned programs of education, research, study, creative activity, travel, and other professional undertakings of importance to both the individual and the University. All Professional Development Leave proposals should advance the academic qualifications of Bargaining Unit Faculty Members and enhance their contribution to the University as teachers and scholars. Professional Development Leaves cannot be used to work toward a terminal degree.

29.2 Eligibility. To be eligible for a Professional Development Leave (PDL), a Bargaining Unit Faculty Member must be tenured and have completed seven academic years of service as a full-time tenured or tenure-eligible faculty member at Wright State University. A Member who has been granted a Professional Development Leave shall complete another seven academic years of service at Wright State University before becoming eligible for another grant of Professional Development Leave.

29.2.1 “Academic year of service,” as used in Section 29.2 is defined as at least two of three consecutive quarters in a year, beginning with the fall term of one calendar year and ending with the spring term of the following calendar year. 29.3 Period of Leave and Compensation. The period of Professional Development Leave for the Bargaining Unit Faculty Member shall consist of one of the following:

29.3.1 If granted one quarter leave, a Member will receive-

one quarter leave at 100% pay,
two quarters leave at 83% pay, or
three quarters leave at 75% pay.

29.3.2 If granted two quarters leave, a Member will receive-

two quarters leave at 100% pay or
three quarters leave at 89% pay.

29.3.3 If granted three quarters leave, a Member will receive-

three quarters leave at 100% pay.

29.3.4 For Members with fiscal appointments, one quarter leave is equal to three months.

29.4 Number of Professional Development Leaves. Each year the University shall provide opportunity for Professional Development Leave quarters up to a number equal to thirty percent of the eligible Bargaining Unit Faculty Members in each College.

29.5 Procedure for Application and Review.

29.5.1 Bargaining Unit Faculty Members seeking Professional Development Leave during the following academic year shall submit to the Dean by October 15 a leave proposal (5 page limit not including any supporting materials) and a current curriculum vitae. The supporting materials may but need not include statements of support solicited by the applicant from the Department Chair, the Department Promotion and Tenure Committee, or other appropriate sources. The proposal should specify the project planned, the expected outcomes, the quarter(s) for which the leave is requested, any extramural funding expected or being solicited, and alternative plans if any anticipated funding (internal or external) is not received.

29.5.2 For each proposal, the Dean shall solicit a statement from the Chair indicating whether and how adequate coverage can be provided during the Bargaining Unit Faculty Member’s absence.

29.5.3 The Dean shall initiate a review of all applications for Professional Development Leave by a college committee composed of Bargaining Unit Faculty in that college, which shall make two recommendations to the Dean, accompanied by an explanation for both: (1) an overall evaluation of the proposal’s merits based on the criteria in Section

29.6.1 (high, medium, low, or unsatisfactory); (2) the number of quarters of PDL that should be awarded (zero, one, two, or three) based on the criteria in Section 29.6.2.

29.5.4 After receiving recommendations from the faculty committee, the Dean will award Professional Development Leaves using only the criteria in Section 29.6. However, the Dean may turn down a request for a PDL (or may award fewer quarters than otherwise merited) because of (1) the Chair’s statement about adequate coverage pursuant to Section 29.5.2 or (2) an insufficient number of PDL quarters allocated to the Dean’s college pursuant to Section 29.4. In the event that (1) occurs, the Dean will send a written statement to the Member, the Member’s Department Chair, and the AAUP-WSU. No Bargaining Unit Faculty Member will be denied a Professional Development Leave in whole or in part, or additional leave quarters at reduced pay, based on unavailable coverage two years in a row.

29.5.5 A dean who has awarded all available PDL quarters pursuant to Section 29.4 may (but is not required to) request to the Provost that additional quarters be awarded in a specified priority order from any not used from the allotments in other colleges. If the Provost receives no more such requests than can be filled with available PDL quarters, then all such requests will be honored (and the Provost will so notify the Deans, who will in turn notify the applicants). Otherwise, the requests will be forwarded to a subcommittee of all Bargaining Unit Faculty Members serving on the University Promotion and Tenure Committee. This subcommittee will award the available quarters on a competitive basis using only the criteria in Section 29.6, but without changing the priority order set by the deans. Thus, for example, the subcommittee will not award a PDL quarter to an applicant ranked second in a dean’s priority order while denying a quarter to the applicant ranked first in that same college.

29.5.6 Deans will forward to the Provost copies of all proposals received, the recommendation from the faculty committee for each, and correspondence sent to applicants awarding or denying PDL quarters.

29.6 Criteria for granting Professional Development Leaves.

29.6.1 All recommendations and decisions regarding the merits of PDL proposals must be based upon the following criteria.

Value (or importance, or prestige) and scope of the anticipated outcome(s) as a scholarly product or to meet specific teaching or service needs of the department or college.
Documented preparation for the proposed project(s).
Applicant’s productivity (quality and quantity of teaching, scholarship and service), as reflected in the submitted curriculum vitae, proposal, and supporting documents. This productivity does not have to be in the same area as the PDL project, and credible proposals which would enable applicants to revitalize their scholarship deserve full consideration.
Anticipated outcomes and demonstrated results from past PDL(s).

If two or more proposals are found to be of equal merit, then preference shall be given to the Member(s) who has never taken Professional Development Leave at the University. If two or more applying Members have previously taken such leave, then preference shall be given to the Member(s) with the longer(est) period of University service since he or she last received such leave. If two or more applying Members have never taken such leave at the University, then preference shall be given to the Member(s) with the longer(est) period of University service.

29.6.2 All recommendations and decisions regarding the number of quarters of PDL to be awarded should take into account not only the merits of a proposal based on the criteria above, but also the length of time that the proposed work should take. Thus, for example, a proposal may be rated very highly on all the criteria 1-4 above but entail work that should only require one quarter to complete, in which case awarding a one-quarter PDL would be appropriate.

29.7 College bylaws may provide further clarification of procedures for evaluation and transmittal of PDL proposals pursuant to 29.5 and 29.6.

29.8 All benefits which are provided by Wright State University shall remain current and in full force throughout a Professional Development Leave, except that any benefit provided by another source during the period of leave shall release Wright State University from the obligation of providing the similar benefit. Eligibility for salary increases and promotion are also continued. A Bargaining Unit Faculty Member on leave shall not be required to participate in University activities and is normally not eligible to receive a stipend or overload pay.

29.9 By the end of the first academic quarter following their return from a Professional Development Leave, Bargaining Unit Faculty Members are required to submit a report of their activities to the college dean and to the university president.

29.10 Upon termination of a Professional Development Leave, Bargaining Unit Faculty Members are expected to serve the University for a minimum of one academic year.

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This page was last modified on April 27, 2008. Corrections, comments, and suggestions are most welcome. Contact the webmaster for this page (Jim Vance) at jvance@math.wright.edu, telephone 937-775-2206.