The tools you need.

Awards for funding will be considered for faculty requesting support to attend or present at meetings of professional societies or conferences, or to offset ongoing research costs, publishing expenses, performance or display costs, or maintain required certifications.

To request funds, faculty should complete the Application for Professional Development Funds form.

The Faculty Development Committee will use the following guidelines and criteria for distributing funds this year:

• The committee will review applications as they are received.
• We will use a very similar application form as last year, allowing other activities than just travel. Please note that applicants must describe how the professional development opportunity will:
  • further the applicant’s scholarly agenda or professional development goals;
  • contribute to the professional community or discipline with which the applicant is affiliated;
  • benefit Northland students or the College more generally
• Applications for funds will be evaluated on the merit of the completed applications, regardless of tenure status, and successful applicants will be awarded as follows:
• A maximum of $1,200* for faculty who attend an event/conference.
• A maximum of $1,800* for faculty who present at an event/conference.
• If your application is approved and you are a presenter, you may be asked to participate in a session from our Campus Connect talk series.

*The committee will use their discretion when awarding more than the maximum amount and take into consideration all factors pertaining to the event/conference.

Awards by the Faculty Development Committee will be made and announced within thirty days of receiving a faculty application.

To be reimbursed for expenses, complete an Expense Reimbursement Form and attach copies of your receipts for all of your expenses (even if they exceed your award). Please submit to Michaela Wickman.

Submitting a record of all expenses will allow the Office of Academic Affairs to track the true costs of faculty development, and will help to support requests for additional faculty development funds in the future.

• Expense Reimbursement Form (MS Excel download)

The Altenburg Professorship, initiated in 1990, is awarded to a full-time faculty member doing work in environmental studies for a three-year period. The stipend of $2,500 per year is used to support research or professional development activities related to the grantee’s teaching responsibilities. The award may alternatively be used as one course release.

Proposals are now being accepted for the 2020-23 cycle (September 2020 through May 2023). Proposals should be submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs by December 2, 2019 and will be reviewed by the dean and the Faculty Development Committee. Proposals will be evaluated according to their responsiveness to the criteria indicated below.

1. Rationale for the project: its significance to the faculty member’s discipline and its potential benefit to the instructional mission of Northland College.
2. Description of the project, including methodology and timeline.
3. Projected outcomes and plans for dissemination (e.g., publications, presentations, etc.). The grantee will also be expected to share outcomes with faculty colleagues through a colloquium series or other appropriate means.
4. Budget justification for the resources requested.

An annual progress report is due in the Office of Academic Affairs by June 15 of 2021 and 2022, with a final report due September 15, 2023.

The A.D. and Mary Elizabeth Andersen Hulings Distinguished Chair in the Humanities was established to promote the humanities at Northland College through activities such as scholarship, public performance, artistic creation, mentoring of colleagues through faculty seminars and workshops, development of public lecture series, and facilitation of curricular development. Holders of the chair may focus their work on any subject matter so long as it promotes the humanities at Northland College.

Successful applicants are awarded a three-year term as the Hulings chair. During this term, holders of the chair receive a three-course reduction in their teaching load each year and a $3,000 annual budget to support their work. In addition, a Hulings humanities fellow will be hired each year to teach the courses from which the holders of chair have been released.

Requirements of the chair include an annual public lecture or presentation, an annual report of activities addressed to the HRK Foundation, and fulfillment of the proposal submitted by the chair prior to appointment.

Deadline for Applications
December 31, 2020, for the term beginning September 2021 and ending May 2024.

Application Requirements
Applicants for the Hulings Distinguished Chair in the Humanities must be tenured members of the faculty at Northland College.

To be considered for the Hulings chair, an individual must submit a letter of application to the academic dean of the College. The letter should be no more than three, single-spaced pages, and it should include the following information:

1. Explicit statement of the term for which the individual is applying;
2. Description of the project, work, or activities that would be completed during the
   applicant’s three-year term as Hulings chair;
3. Demonstration of how the proposed project, work, or activities would promote the humanities at Northland College;
4. Tentative budget and justification for the expenses for each year of the term;
5. List of the courses that the applicant would not teach while holding the Hulings chair.

Evaluation of Applicants
Applications for the Hulings chair will be evaluated by the academic dean and Faculty Development and Promotion Committee, with final approval by the president of the College. Priority will be given to those applications that demonstrate the greatest potential for promoting and strengthening the humanities at Northland College.

Individuals who have already held the chair may apply for additional terms, but, other things being equal, preference will be given to faculty members who have not yet held the chair.

The Mark Professorship is awarded to an assistant, associate, or full professor doing work in the social sciences for a three-year period. The recipient will receive a $1,000 supplement to his/her salary for each year and a $500 fund for reimbursable expenses associated with the work done in the Mark Professorship. This award was made for the first time in 1984.

Proposals are now being accepted for the 2020-23 cycle (September 2020 through May 2023).

Please submit proposals to the Office of Academic Affairs by December 31, 2019, and this office will forward the submissions to the Faculty Development and Promotion Committee. Proposals will be evaluated according to their responsiveness to the criteria indicated below.

1. Rationale for the project: its significance to the faculty member’s discipline and its potential benefit to the instructional mission of Northland College.
2. Description of the project, including methodology and timeline.
3. Projected outcomes and plans for dissemination (e.g., publications, presentations, etc.). The grantee will also be expected to share outcomes with faculty colleagues through a colloquium series or other appropriate means.
4. Budget justification for the resources requested.

An annual progress report is required to be submitted to the Office of Advancement and Office of Academic Affairs by June 15 of 2021 and 2022, with a final report due on September 15, 2023.

The Sigurd Olson Professorship is awarded to a full-time faculty member doing work in the natural sciences for a three-year period. The stipend of $2,500 per year is used to support research or professional development activities related to the grantee’s teaching responsibilities. The award may alternatively be used as one course release. In addition, the grantee is released from one course per year, as agreed by the natural sciences department head and academic dean.

This award was made for the first time in 1984. A faculty member may not hold the professorship for more than one three-year period at a time.

Proposals are now being accepted for the 2021-2024 cycle. They should be submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs by December 31, 2020, and will be reviewed by the dean and the Faculty Development Committee. Proposals will be evaluated according to their responsiveness to the criteria indicated below.

1. Rationale for the project: its significance to the faculty member’s discipline and its potential benefit to the instructional mission of Northland College.
2. Description of the project, including methodology and timeline.
3. Projected outcomes and plans for dissemination (e.g., publications, presentations, etc.).
4. Budget.

An annual progress report is due in the Office of Academic Affairs on September 15, 2022, and 2023, with a final report due September 15, 2024. The grantee may also be expected to share outcomes with faculty colleagues through a colloquium series or other appropriate means.

The Peters Professorship, initiated in 1984, is awarded to a full-time faculty member doing work in biology for a three-year period. The stipend of $2,500 per year is used to support research or professional development activities related to the grantee’s teaching responsibilities. The award may alternatively be used as one course release.

Proposals are now being accepted for the 2020-23 cycle (September 2020 through May 2023). They should be submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs by December 2, 2019, and will be reviewed by the dean and the Faculty Development Committee. Proposals will be evaluated according to their responsiveness to the criteria indicated below.

1. Rationale for the project: its significance to the faculty member’s discipline and its potential benefit to the instructional mission of Northland College.
2. Description of the project, including methodology and timeline.
3. Projected outcomes and plans for dissemination (e.g., publications, presentations, etc.). The grantee will also be expected to share outcomes with faculty colleagues through a colloquium series or other appropriate means.
4. Budget justification for the resources requested.

An annual progress report is required to be submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs by June 15, 2021, and 2022, with a final report due September 15, 2023.

The Ristvedt Professorship, initiated in 1990, is awarded for a one-year period to a full-time faculty member in the natural sciences. The professorship carries with it a salary stipend of $500, and an award of $1,000 to be used to support research or professional development activities related to the grantee’s teaching responsibilities.

Proposals are invited for the 2021-22 academic year and should be submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs by December 31, 2020. The applications will be reviewed by the Faculty Development and Promotion Committee, with input as appropriate from other professionals in relevant disciplines. Proposals will be evaluated according to their responsiveness to the criteria indicated below.

1. Rationale for the project: its significance to the faculty member’s discipline and its potential benefit to the instructional mission of Northland College.
2. Description of the project, to include methodology and timeline.
3. Outcome(s) and plans for dissemination (e.g., publications and presentations). The grantee may be asked to share results with faculty colleagues through a colloquium series or other appropriate means.
4. Budget need and justification.

At the conclusion of the project, a final report is due to the Office of Academic Affairs by June 15, 2022.

Purpose

The purpose of sabbatical leave at Northland College is to strengthen the institution in the areas of scholarship, leadership, and instruction by contributing to the continued academic and intellectual growth of faculty members. To achieve these complementary objectives, faculty members are provided release time from instructional and administrative duties for stated periods of time, if the budget allows, and sometimes a supplemental award for expenses. Faculty members granted sabbatical leave must use this time to advance their professional effectiveness either through intensive exploration in their disciplines or through developing their teaching techniques.

Eligibility

Faculty members must have at least seven years of full-­time teaching experience at Northland College, including previous teaching experience applied to tenure (if noted in their initial contract), and an established record of excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service at Northland. In the event sabbatical funding is available, the dean of the faculty sends the application procedure and deadlines to all eligible faculty by the seventh of September. Faculty members are encouraged to apply for sabbatical leaves as soon as they are eligible. However, it may be impossible for the College to grant as many sabbaticals as there are applicants. Deadlines for sabbatical leave application are for the seventh of October (forwarded to the department chair) and the fifteenth of October (forwarded to the dean of the faculty). Awarding of a sabbatical leave is determined by the Development and Promotion Committee. The dean of the faculty notifies the applicants of the sabbatical leave decision by the fifteenth of November.

When the dean of the faculty has additional funds, he or she may at his or her discretion, extend eligibility to faculty members with fewer than seven years of full-­time teaching experience at the College.

Types of Sabbatical Leaves Available

• Full academic-­year leave at one-­half of base pay.
• Fall semester leave at full pay.
• Winter semester leave at full pay.
• Winter semester and May leave at full pay for winter semester and one-­half pay for May.
• Release time equivalent to one to three courses over a full academic year at full pay.

For all sabbatical leaves, fringe benefits are continuous and retirement benefits are calculated on the faculty member’s base salary.

Supplemental Awards

Contingent on the availability of funds designated for sabbaticals, individual faculty members may receive supplemental awards to support expenses such as research supplies and travel.

Evaluation Criteria for Sabbatical Leave Proposals

Sabbatical leave proposals are competitive and will be judged and approved dependent on how effectively the proposal demonstrates the following:

1. relevance to the faculty member’s teaching and/or scholarly agenda;
2. potential for meaningful contributions to the faculty member’s professional growth as a teacher and scholar;
3. consistency with the College’s mission.

Guidelines for Proposals

Proposals should be professional in presentation and should describe:

• the type of sabbatical leave requested;
• the proposed sabbatical project(s) and activities;
• the relevance of the project and activities to the applicant’s teaching and/or scholarly agenda;
• how the project will contribute to the applicant’s professional growth;
• ways in which the project is consistent with the College’s mission;
• expected, measurable outcomes of the project and how they will be assessed;
• plans for dissemination of the project’s outcomes;
• the courses and professional responsibilities (e.g. advising, committee appointments, etc.) that will need to be covered during the applicant’s leave;
• all requests for a supplemental award, if applicable.

Application Process and Timeline

1. By October 7 of the academic year prior to the year in which the leave would be granted applicants submit proposals to their department chair for approval;
2. By October 15, department chairs submit approved proposals to Office of Academic Affairs who will forward them to the Faculty Development and Promotion Committee for review.
3. By November 1, the Faculty Development and Promotion Committee submits a written recommendation about the proposals to the dean of the faculty. These recommendations will include the Committee’s ranking of all applicants on the basis of the criteria described above. In instances when the Committee determines that the criteria have not been met by a proposal, they may recommend that a sabbatical leave not be granted to the applicant, even if funds are available.
4. By November 15, the dean of the faculty notifies applicants about the status of their proposal and announces publicly the sabbatical leaves that will be granted for the following academic year.

In the event that the dean of the faculty departs from the recommendations of the Faculty Development and Promotion Committee in awarding sabbaticals, the dean shall inform the committee in writing of the rationales for this departure.

Expectations and Obligations for Sabbatical Leave Recipients

• Recipients may not engage in full-­time, paid employment during the period of a sabbatical leave, but supplemental fellowships, grants, and assistantships are permissible.
• Upon completion of a sabbatical leave, faculty members are expected to submit a written report detailing the activities and outcomes of the sabbatical to dean.
• In the semester following a faculty member’s sabbatical leave, he or she is expected make a presentation to the campus or to disseminate results of the sabbatical in another appropriate form.
• Recipients are obligated to provide at least one year of full-­time service to the College after completing a sabbatical leave, unless the individual is excused from this obligation by the president of the College.

2021-2022

Erik Olson, Associate Professor of Natural Resources
Winter term 2021 [Deferred from winter 2020]; to synthesize the results of eight years of field research, write manuscripts, write grant applications, and gain professional expertise.

2020-2021

Cynthia Belmont, Professor of English
Winter term 2020; to complete chapbook of poetry, make progress on a book of environmental micro-essays/prose poems, and attend the Associated Writing Programs conference.

Kevin Schanning, Professor of Sociology
Fall term 2020 and May term 2021 [Deferred from fall 2019 and May 2020]; to research minority and first-generation college student and the barriers to their success.

Angela Stroud, Associate Professor of Sociology and Social Justice
Winter term 2020 [Deferred from winter 2019]; to complete a journal-length article on justifiable homicides and gun violence in Wisconsin. Work on a future book-length project: a qualitative study of disaster preparedness.

2019-2020

Scott Grinnell, Professor of Physics
Full academic year 2019-20; to serve as the director of sustainability

Tim Doyle, Associate Professor of Philosophy
Fall term 2019; to finish the manuscript for his book on science denialism.

Brian Tochterman, Associate Professor of Sustainable Community Development
Winter and May term 2020; to commence work on a second research monograph related to design and planning around professional sport in the 1960s and 1970s.

2018-2019

Paula Spaeth Anich, Associate Professor of Biology and Natural Resources
Fall term 2018; to (1) synthesize the results of seven years of fieldwork on small mammals of northern Wisconsin; (2) complete a manuscript for publication with Northland students as co-authors; and (3) familiarize herself with the current research techniques in the fields of mammalogy, wildlife biology, and ecology, to inform her teaching in these subjects.

Paul Schue, Professor of History
Winter term 2019; to continue working on his manuscript, tentatively titled, The Ego and The Envelope: A History of the Mind-Body Split from Plato to Robocop, toward submission to publishers at the end of the sabbatical.

Jason Terry, Professor of Art
Winter and May term 2019; to extend studio time and research with the plan to exhibit the results of his sabbatical in Dexter Library and other exhibition opportunities.

2017-2018

Michele Small, Professor of English and Modern Languages
Winter and May term 2018; to create an anthology of short stories on the theme of “Nature and Gender in the Latin American and Caribbean Short Story”.

Nicholas Robertson, Associate Professor of Chemistry
Total of 3 course reduction during fall and winter terms; to continue research and work centered on sustainable plastics, through a project grant from the National Science Foundation, or to submit additional grant proposals to fund new directions of student-faculty collaborative research at Northland.

2016-2017

Elizabeth Andre, Assistant Professor of Outdoor Education
Full academic year 2016-17; to develop expertise in adaptive recreation, gain advanced certification in technical skills, and gain more experiences as a professional field instructor.

Erica Hannickel, Associate Professor of Environmental History
Fall and May term 2016-17; to focus on researching sources and writing chapters for new her book.

2015-2016

Cynthia Belmont, Associate Professor of English
Fall term 2015-16; to complete and submit three scholarly papers of ecofeminist criticism.

Derek Ogle, Professor of Mathematical Sciences and Natural Resources
Fall term 2015-16 (Ogle was granted an extension because he was unable to take his 2014-15 sabbatical in entirety, due to difficulties finding a replacement for his fall course.); to complete his book titled, Introductory Fisheries Analysis in R, along with an R package and website to support the book.

2014-2015

Derek Ogle, Professor of Mathematical Sciences and Natural Resources
Full academic year 2014-15 (Ogle was unable to take his sabbatical in entirety due to difficulties finding a replacement for his fall course. He was granted an extension in 2015/2016.); to complete his book titled, Introductory Fisheries Analysis in R, along with an R package and website to support the book.

Timothy Ziegenhagen, Associate Professor of English and Writing
Fall term 2014-15; to develop two conference papers titled “Mary Shelley, Celebrity, and the Monster,” and “John Clare’s Polyculture” into full-length scholarly articles, and submit those essays to The Wordsworth Circle and the John Clare Society Journal.

2013-2014

Susan (Annette) Nelson, Associate Professor of Teacher Education
Fall term 2013-14; to attend and acquire the training necessary to meet the legislative requirements for our pre-service teachers.

Cindy Dillenschneider, Professor of Outdoor Education
Full academic year 2013-14; to take classes to improve knowledge, credentials, and teaching in the areas of universal design, assistive technology, and adaptive design, in order to re-work curricula and experiential learning opportunities for Northland students.

2012-2013

Joseph Damrell, Professor of Sociology & Social Justice, Native American Studies, and Writing
Fall term 2012; to further develop and complete three works of fiction

Andy Goyke, Professor of Biology & Natural Resources
Winter term 2013; to update taxonomical keys focused on aquatic animals of the North Central States

Young Kim, Professor of Mathematics & Computer Sciences
Winter term 2013 [deferred from fall 2011]; to develop a new course focused on computational biology

2011-2012

Anthony Kern, Associate Professor of Biology
Full academic year 2011-12; to pursue genetics research focused on wild rice and hazelnuts

Young Kim, Professor of Mathematics and Computer Sciences
Fall term 2011 [Deferred to winter 2012-13 because of staffing needs]; to develop a new course focused on computational biology

Kevin Schanning, Professor Sociology and Social Justice
Full academic year 2011-12; to prepare papers focused on culturally specific sexual education and on social carrying capacity

2010-2011

Scott Grinnell, Associate Professor of Physics
Full academic year 2010-11; to write a textbook to support the course, Energy & Design for a Sustainable Future

Paul Schue, Associate Professor of History
Fall term 2010; to research and compose chapters for a book focused on French intellectuals’ responses to the Spanish Civil War between 1936-1939

Jason Terry, Associate Professor of Art
Fall term 2010; to prepare a manual of processes used in printmaking classes at Northland, to prepare a health and safety document for printmaking classes, and to focus on personal creative works

2009-2010

Cynthia Belmont, Associate Professor of English
Fall term 2009

Derek Ogle, Associate Professor of Mathematics
Full academic year 2009-10

James Paruk, Associate Professor of Biology
Fall term 2009

2008-2009

Leslie Alldritt, Professor of Religion and Philosophy
Winter and spring term 2009

Wendy Gorman, Professor of Biology
Winter term 2009

Jim Meeker
Winter and spring term 2009

2007-2008

Clayton Russell, Associate Professor of Outdoor Education
Winter and spring term 2008; to redesign OED248 Wilderness Writers and Philosophers

Joseph Damrell, Professor of Sociology
Winter term 2008; to complete a research project on cultural dexterity

Tim Ziegenhagen, Associate Professor of English
Full academic year 2007-08; to undertake a comprehensive revision of a full-length draft of a novel and begin the process of submitting it to publishers

2006-2007

Gus Smith, Associate Professor of Biology and Natural Resources
Fall term 2006; to complete data entry and analysis and begin writing a manuscript from a study of meadow vole population dynamics conducted during 1993 and 1994 when he was a doctoral student

Kevin Schanning, Associate Professor of Sociology
Winter term 2007; to work on two papers stemming from his work on the State of the Wolf Project and develop a spring travel course in Costa Rica

Tom Fitz, Associate Professor of Geoscience
Winter and spring term 2007; to develop skills and curricula for incorporating GIS into geoscience courses and complete a textbook on minerals and rocks

2005-2006

Cynthia Belmont, Associate Professor of English
Fall term 2005; to continue working on book of poetry and seek its publication

Cindy Dillenschneider, Professor of Outdoor Education
Full academic year 2005-06; to design and develop adaptive paddling equipment

Tony Kern, Assistant Professor of Biology
Winter term 2006; to design and develop a new course using the “cutting-edge tools of molecular biology to answer questions related to the conservation of endangered or threatened species”

Dorothy Lagerroos, Professor of Environmental Studies and Government
Winter and spring term 2006; to work with EcoLeague faculty to develop educational objectives for the consortium

2004-2005

Derek Ogle, Associate Professor of Mathematics
Full academic year 2004-05; to re-enroll in the School of Statistics at the University of Minnesota to complete his masters of science degree in statistics.

Andy Goyke, Professor of Biology
Winter term 2005 (did not take during winter 2004 due to staff shortage); to focus on curriculum development and course improvement. Primarily to organize the content of the aquatics portion of the biology curriculum to form a comprehensive series of experiences designed to allow students to gain the ability to function as competent aquatic science professionals.

2003-2004

Bob Wilson, Professor of Physics and Meteorology
Spring term 2004 (requested three consecutive spring terms); to construct a unique web page for the meteorology program integrating high quality graphics and unusual approaches to page design and to development an internet delivered course in PHY 104 Introduction to Astronomy.

Andy Goyke, Professor of Biology
Winter term 2004; to focus on curriculum development and course improvement. Primarily to organize the content of the aquatics portion of the biology curriculum to form a comprehensive series of experiences designed to allow students to gain the ability to function as competent aquatic science professionals.

2002-2003

Joseph Damrell, Professor of Sociology & Native American Studies
Fall term 2002; to complete the writing phase of a project that represents the culmination of his Native American research and his career as an ethnographer

Jim Meeker, Associate Professor of Natural Resources & Biology
Full academic year 2002-03; to summarize Northland College’s conservation and restoration projects for the purpose of showing these success stories to agencies and organizations and to increase his understanding of natural area conservation and ecology both in and out of this region for the purpose of enhancing his teaching and scholarship.

2001-2002

J. Paul O’Keefe, Professor of History
Fall term 2001; to continue research and writing on “American Perceptions of the Papacy in the Nineteenth Century”

Patricia Clow, Professor of Education
2/7 release time for fall term 2001; to investigate web-based courses at Northland College and other institutions and design a web-based EDU 480 Supervision of Student Teachers.

Dorothy Lagerroos, Professor of Government
1/7 release time for spring term 2002; to complete the book about sustainability and developing a curriculum guide for teaching sustainability.

Young Kim, Professor of Mathematics & Computer Science
Fall term 2001; to continue to pursue graduate study leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree at Columbia University.

2000-2001

Grant Herman, Coordinator of Environmental Programs & Associate Professor of Outdoor Education
Full academic year 2000-01;  to produce a text and compact disc for possible publication regarding the North American Fur Trade and its relevance to understanding place as a function of economic, cultural and bio-regional natural history

Paul Hubinsky, Professor of Art
Fall term 2000; to complete approximately 20 paintings of medium/large size conveying Millennium views of select American wilderness scenes executed in a “Luminist” mode. Supplementary activities are included, culminating in a one-man show held throughout the month of May 2001 at Northland College.

Joseph David Damrell, Professor Sociology & Native American Studies
Fall term 2000; to complete a book which he was currently working on by the end of the proposed leave period. His book is a sociological ethnography emphasizing two aspects of Native America that are seldom investigated simultaneously: Native American religion and the social organization and structure of reservation life.

1999-2000

Richard Verch, Professor of Biology
Fall term 1999; to rewrite several chapters of a book he authored a number of years ago call Chequamegon Bay Birds.

Dorothy Lagerroos, Professor of Government
Full academic year 1999-00; to write a book about sustainability and develop a curriculum guide for teaching sustainability.

Cindy Dillenschneider, Associate Professor of Outdoor Education
Fall term 1999; to spend the time renewing and expanding her knowledge of the profession of outdoor education.

1998-1999

Michael Piechowski, Professor of Psychology and Education
Release time for 1998-99 to write a book on emotional development with special emphasis on gifted and creative children and adults.

Les Alldritt, Associate Professor of Religion and Philosophy
Winter term 1999; to focus on the burakumin of Japan and the role religion has played in fomenting the oppression that has historically and contemporaneously been imposed upon these peoples and the possible role religion may play in their greater liberation. This project will significantly contribute to my professional goal of increasing the quality and quantity of my publications.

Bruce Goetz, Professor of Geoscience
Fall term 1998; to pursue course work in geographic information systems with the possible addition of course work in watershed hydrology

Kent Shifferd, Professor of History
Fall term 1998; to research and begin writing a book tentatively titled The History of Peace.

The Application for Course Reduction (ACR) is intended to support faculty who wish to do scholarship, creative work, curricular development, or innovative service beyond expected levels, offering them the opportunity to negotiate non-standard course loads.

This process is not required for course releases that are outlined in the Faculty Handbook for service as department chair or faculty council president, nor is it required for course releases awarded for sabbaticals, granted through professorships, or requested for family or medical leave.

Objectives of the ACR

1. To allow the faculty member to negotiate a reduced teaching load and craft a balanced plan of teaching, scholarship, and service appropriate for his/her skills and career trajectory;
2. To provide a transparent process for negotiating a reduced teaching load;
3. To allow academic affairs to support the faculty member’s work in accordance with the needs of Northland’s academic program.

Components of the ACR

Planning within Academic Departments and Programs
Faculty members planning to submit ACRs should first consult with their program coordinators. Faculty who teach across programs must involve all program coordinators whose course staffing would be affected by the proposed course reductions.

Criteria for Assessing ACRs
In determining whether to approve an ACR, the dean of the faculty should consider the following:

1. Does the application provide a clear rationale for course reduction?
2. Does the application show evidence of a clear teaching and/or scholarly agenda?
3. Do the applicant’s goals for the ACR seem reasonable?

Process for Requesting a Course Reduction

1. Fill out the Application for Course Reduction form, attaching a current CV.
2. Submit the ACR to the program coordinator.
3. Submit the ACR to the department chair. Any applicant currently serving as department chair should submit his/her application to another member of his/her department for approval.
4. The reviewing department chair and dean will meet to discuss all submitted departmental ACRs.
5. The dean will decide whether to accept, deny, or conditionally accept each plan. A denial or conditional acceptance must be explained in writing in specific terms.
6. The ACR and decision will be held in academic affairs, and a copy will be sent to the faculty member and his/her department chair.

Deadlines for Submitting ACRs

All ACRs should be submitted by October 1. The dean will notify faculty of his/her decision by November 1. Applications can be considered up to two years in advance of their being applied to give the dean time to secure any resources that might be needed to cover awarded course releases.

Decisions on ACRs

The dean of the faculty is expected to make fair and judicious decisions regarding each applicant’s ACR. Department chairs should advocate for resources in support of faculty flexibility and should ensure that reductions are available in an equitable manner for department members.

If the request for an ACR is denied, the applicant has the right to appeal this decision to the Welfare Committee, which will review the dean’s decision.

Information on awarded ACRs will be circulated to the faculty by academic affairs.

2021-2022

Cynthia Belmont, Professor of English, Humanities
May term 2022; Complete article on trans ecology and begin one on queer dystopic optimism in the climate change disaster novel Black Wave

2020-2021

Cynthia Belmont, Professor of English, Humanities
May term 2021; Begin article on trans ecology in the novel, Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl

Jennifer Kuklenski, Assistant Professor of Business, Social Responsibility
Fall term 2020; Complete manuscript titled Diversity and Organizational Development: Impacts and Opportunities.

Derek Ogle, Professor of Mathematics and Environmental Sciences, Environmental Sciences
Fall term 2020; Chair AFS, complete a version 1.0.0 of the RFishBC Software, provide script for DNR for analyzing Lakes MI and Superior creel survey

2019-2020

Cynthia Belmont, Professor of English, Humanities
May term 2020; Complete paper on representations of nature in transgender road films

Erica Hannickel, Professor of Environmental History, Nature and Culture
May term 2020; Continue with research and writing book titled America Botanica

Angela Stroud, Professor of Sociology, Social Responsibility
May term 2020, Continue with manuscript co-authoring with Belmont, begin data collection on next major project

2018-2019

Cynthia Belmont, Professor of English, Humanities
May term 2019; Revise and resubmit paper about environmental pornography

Erica Hannickel, Professor of Environmental History, Nature and Culture
May term 2019; Continue research and writing book titled America Botanica

Angela Stroud, Associate Professor of Sociology, Social Responsibility
May term 2019; Work on manuscript co-authoring with Belmont

Tim Ziegenhagen, Professor of English, Humanities
Fall term 2018; Work on final edits and submit completed collection of short fiction, Hello, Arsenic