Campaign for Cornell College

Campbell McConnell Sabbatical Fellowships and Support

MEMORANDUM

TO: Eligible Faculty

FROM: Joe Dieker, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College

DATE: October 6, 2011

SUBJECT: Campbell McConnell Sabbatical Fellowships and Support in 2012-13

We wish to announce the availability of support for sabbatical projects through the Campbell McConnell Fund for the 2012-13 academic year. Through the generosity of Campbell McConnell ‘50, several awards will be available to support faculty members’ major scholarly, creative, or curricular projects through professional travel or other expenses related to the proposed projects.

General Guidelines:

1) The Campbell McConnell Fund will provide sabbatical support for significant faculty development projects in such areas as scholarly research, creative activity, curriculum development, and pedagogy.  Grantees may apply for continuations of projects already underway.

2) Awards may be made at varying levels up to $15,000 to support projects associated with a faculty member's sabbatical leave.  Each recipient of an award of $5,000 or more shall be designated a Campbell R. McConnell Fellow.

3) McConnell Fellows will be appointed by the President, who will receive recommendations from the Faculty Development Advisory Committee and the Dean of the College following their review of submitted proposals. Fellows are appointed for a 12-month period beginning June 1, 2012.

4) Sabbatical support funds will be disbursed upon submission of receipts of related expenses or documentation of costs incurred. Please be in touch with Nancy Rawson to make specific arrangements for reimbursement relating to this project. All invoices and receipts for reimbursement must be submitted by June 30, 2013.

5) A written report on activities related to this project is due in the Office of Academic Affairs by September 1, 2013. New applications for faculty development funding will not be considered until current activity reports have been filed.

6) Each McConnell Fellow will also make a public presentation related to the supported project in the year following the appointment.

Application Procedure:

1) Funding from the Campbell McConnell Fund is competitive. Your application for sabbatical funding should accompany your application for sabbatical leave. The Campbell McConnell Fund proposal must include a detailed itemized budget, with justification of items. As you prepare your request, follow the College's travel and purchasing guidelines and note other sources of support, both pending or awarded. Other information you consider appropriate may also be included.

2) The funds should not be used to support the purchase of equipment, computers, hardware, software, printers, and other computing accessories. These items can be requested through the College's regular process for capital requests.

3) Funds cannot be used to purchase course release. All half-year sabbatical recipients are expected to teach three blocks.

4) In the case of a faculty member who wishes to take a full-year sabbatical (which comes at half-pay), that faculty member may request a salary supplement up to $5,000 for writing or project completion.  This supplement is considered taxable income and will be paid over the course of the salary year.

5) Awarded funds must b used for the purposes described in the proposal.  If a faculty member wishes to use the funds in any other way, he or she must consult with the Dean in advance to seek approval.

6) Submit the proposal to Nancy Rawson, Office of Academic Affairs, by December 1, 2011 for projects to be undertaken during the 2012-13 academic year or during the summer of 2012. She will acknowledge the receipt of the application. Retain a copy for your file. Informal notification of leave requests and sabbatical funding will be made by December 15; formal notification will be made following the winter meeting of the Board of Trustees.

Information on past Campbell McConnell sabbatical support awards can be found on the Academic Affairs website.