Faculty Improvement Leave update

August 15, 2019

Dear BGSU Faculty Colleagues,

In this third joint communication on implementing our new collective bargaining agreement, the announcement and application materials for Faculty Improvement Leaves (FIL) are scheduled for email distribution to all faculty on August 19, 2019.

Based on the new collective bargaining agreement, we want to make you aware of some significant changes in Article 21 (Faculty Improvement Leave) that are reflected in the FIL announcement and application materials.

Expanded Eligibility
Bargaining Unit Faculty Members (BUFM) under non-tenurable contracts in at least the second rank (i.e., qualified-rank associate professor or qualified-rank professor) are now eligible to apply for an FIL during the seventh academic year of service (or later) at BGSU.

Changes in Proposal Requirements
Additional information is required to aid in proposal evaluation. For example, the proposal shall include the following:

1. A description of how the planned activities of the FIL enhance the BUFM’s professional capabilities and career trajectory in alignment with the BUFM’s assigned duties/allocation of effort/assigned workload.
2. An explanation of how the outcomes of the FIL strengthen the academic program of the University in alignment with current strategic priorities.

Full details on the changes to Article 22 (Faculty Improvement Leave) can be found on the collective bargaining agreement website.

For your convenience, we will be archiving these joint communications on the Office of the Provost website.

Regards,

Joe B. Whitehead, Jr., Ph.D.
Provost and Senior Vice President

David Jackson, Ph.D.
President, BGSU Faculty Association