Office of the Provost

FDC Criteria

The Faculty Renewal Leave Committee has determined criteria for Faculty Renewal Leaves as follows:

  1. Overall quality of the project (50%)
    1. Description and rationale of the project
    2. Contribution to the discipline
      1. Produces products that peers in the discipline find useful in their work as scholars
      2. Increases faculty member’s depth and/or breadth of knowledge in an academic area
      3. Develops new or improved teaching materials (e.g., multi-media, syllabus, book of readings, computer programs, problem sets, etc.)
    3. Enhancement of professional growth of the applicant
      1. Person gains stature as a "recognized authority" in an area
      2. Relevance to improving teaching (e.g., instructional strategies, new course development, etc.)
    4. Enhancement of ACU’s image and reputation
      1. Direct and indirect benefit to the students
      2. Contribution to ACU’s image as an academic institution
  2. Prior service of the applicant to ACU (25%)
    1. Total years
    2. Years of continuous service since last leave or Faculty Renewal Leave
    3. Nature and quality of departmental and university service
  3. Likelihood of successful completion (25%)
  4. Miscellaneous
    1. Location of the proposed project
    2. Rank and seniority
    3. Effect of person’s absence on teaching load in his/her department
    4. Evaluations of chair and dean


Criteria for Evaluating Eligibility
A faculty member is eligible to apply for faculty renewal leave if the individual is currently completing his/her sixth full year of continuous service to ACU. Applicants will normally have earned the rank of Assistant Professor or higher. Only full-time, tenured faculty will be eligible for faculty renewal leave.

The faculty renewal leave year is not to be interpreted as an interruption of "consecutive years of service." However, time spent on any other leave of absence (other than faculty renewal leave) is not to be counted as part of the six years of service. Faculty members who leave the university for other employment and return to ACU at a later date must begin a new service period in order to establish eligibility. Neither grants for reassigned time, faculty summer grants, nor special assignments by ACU (e.g., Assistant Dean assignments) affect faculty renewal leave eligibility. Any other ACU leaves will be addressed on a case by case basis. A faculty renewal leave may not be used for the purpose of pursuing a terminal degree.