Skip to Content

Nontenure Line Faculty Workload Release Program

 

Fall 2023 Application Cycle for
Fall 2024 and/or Spring 2025

Applications may be submitted via the Faculty Requests portal August 18 through October 09, 5:00 pm

Important dates

  • By September 15 and prior to application, faculty must discuss NLFWR proposals with department chair/school director.
  • Applications must be submitted via the Faculty Requests portal, which will be active through October 09, 5:00 pm.
  • Chairs/Directors must review and route applications to the college dean via the Faculty Requests portal by October 16, 5:00 pm
  • Deans must review and route applications to the Faculty Senate via the Faculty Requests portal by October 23, 5:00 pm

Background

Because of the essential role the nontenure line faculty serve in delivering curriculum and contributing to the culture of scholarship at Texas State, a Nontenure Line Faculty Workload Release Program has been established to allow full-time non tenure-track faculty to receive up to a six workload credit reduction to their normal semester teaching load (at full regular pay and benefits) to pursue research/creative projects, curriculum development, or teaching improvement projects.

Release time may be requested for one semester, or for projects of broad scope and duration, requests may extend over Fall and Spring of an academic year, but shall not exceed a total of six workload credits over the two long semesters. University-wide, a total of 108 workload credits of non-tenure line faculty workload release will be granted for each academic year (fall and spring semesters combined).

Eligibility

Eligible nontenure line faculty will hold a full-time teaching appointment at the time of application and during the workload release period, and will hold one of the following titles:  lecturer, senior lecturer, clinical lecturer, clinical assistant professor, clinical associate professor, and clinical professor, lecturer of Practice, assistant professor of Practice, associate professor of Practice, and professor of Practice.

Emeriti, Research, and Visiting faculty are not eligible.

Nontenure Line Faculty Committee members are not eligible to apply for release time through this program during their committee terms because they serve as the reviewing body for Workload Release applications.

Nontenure line faculty applying for the first time must have had at least 8 long semesters of Texas State service at 50% or more FTE and a 100% FTE appointment by the start of the leave.  Faculty who have been granted previous Nontenure Line Faculty Workload Release(s) must have had an academic appointment of at least 8 long semesters at Texas State at 50% or more FTE by the start of the leave since their last Nontenure Line Faculty Workload Release and hold a current full-time teaching appointment.

Application Process

The Faculty Senate strongly recommends that applicants discuss their proposal and the timing of their release request with their chair/director. Nontenure Line Faculty Committee college representatives can offer assistance in developing an effective proposal, as well as answer questions about the review procedure.

Nontenure Line Faculty Workload Release Program Recipients

To be considered for a Workload Release, applicants must submit a completed online application by Monday, October 09 at 5:00 pm.  Applications will first be routed to the applicant’s chair/director. After the chair/director has provided the information requested on the application, by 5 pm Monday, October 16 the application will be forwarded to the college dean. The dean will submit completed application for review by the Nontenure Line Faculty Committee by 5 pm Monday, October 23

To submit an application, visit the Faculty Requests portal by October 09 at 5:00 pm.


The online application will consist of:

1.  the requested application information

2.  a brief abstract (approximately 100 words) enumerating the specific goals of the workload release project;

3.  an 4000 character (approximately two double-space pages) statement providing a brief explanation of

a) the project

b) the merits of that project

c) the project methodology

d) how the project will benefit applicant’s teaching and/or scholarly/creative work

e) how the project supports the goals of the department/school, college, and/or the university;

4.  a current curriculum vita using the Texas State vita format that evinces the applicant’s ability to carry out the project; and,

5.  a copy of the most recent written final report (and optionally, a one page update to this report) if applicant has previously received Nontenure Line Faculty Workload Release.

The online application will enforce character limits, will not allow additional documents to be submitted, and will not accept applications after 5:00 pm on October 09. Additional information may be found in AAPPS 04.02.03

Evaluation Process

A subcommittee of the Nontenure Line Faculty Committee (NLFC) with at least one representative from each academic college will review the submitted applications.

Applicants are encouraged to contact their respective college NLFC members during the review period (October 24 to November 16) to assure that their representatives fully understand the proposed project, and to provide any needed clarification. The NLFC, in a closed meeting, shall briefly discuss the merits of each application.

Each NLFC member will evaluate all applications using the following rubric.

A.  Applicant’s proposal clearly describes in language appropriate for a generalist audience activities that will enhance teaching or scholarly/creative activities.0-7 points
B.  The scope of the applicant’s project is commensurate with the release time requested. These activities should be beyond the scope of what can be achieved while carrying out the regular duties during a semester.0-3 points
C.  Applicant has described anticipated outcomes that will benefit the University, such as scholarly publication, presentation of creative work, or enhanced teaching skills.0-4 points
D.  Applicant has secured necessary financial, scholarly, technical, and other resources or agreements needed within the Workload Release period to carry out the project, including communication with any entities central to the proposal. *0-2 points
E.  Applicant has provided a curriculum vita that indicates the capability to carry out the proposed project.0-3 points
F.  Applicant has attached the report from the most recent Workload Release, which documents productive use of resources during the prior Workload Release. *0-1 points

*Projects that do not require external agreements, or applications that are from faculty without previous Workload Release, will be assigned full points in these categories so that point totals are not skewed.

The average of all reviewers’ ratings on each applicant will determine whether the application merits recommendation for approval.  Applications with a composite score of 10 or more points will then be ranked by the NLFC. The highest ranked proposals up to a total of 108 workload credits (fall and spring semesters combined) will be forwarded to the Faculty Senate for approval.

Notification of the Senate's endorsement of the NLFC recommendations for funding will be routed to the applicant, the chair/director, dean and Provost no later than December 15. In the event that a proposal is not recommended, matrix item scores will be available to assist the applicant in understanding the reasons for the decision. Except as provided above, the reviewers' discussion and rankings are confidential and will not be released to other parties.

Final Report

Recipients must submit a final written Workload Release report by February 1 for a Fall semester release and by July 1 for a Spring semester release or two-semester release to the Faculty Senate (copied to their department chair/school director and college dean). Those on a two-semester release must submit a progress report to the Faculty Senate (copied to their department chair/school director and college dean) after the first semester - by February 1. The final report should include the project abstract, a narrative of the activities conducted, outcomes to date and state specifically whether any possible patentable or copyrightable intellectual property was created during the release. This report will be submitted to the provost and vice president for Academic Affairs (VPAA) by the Faculty Senate. If intellectual property creation occurred during the release time a copy will be submitted to the Intellectual Property Committee by the Faculty Senate.