Non-Instructional Faculty Assignments

The purposes of the non-instructional assignments are:

  1. To contribute to the professional growth of the faculty.
  2. To improve the teaching and the curriculum across the University.
  3. To enhance scholarship and the academic excellence of the University in ways that cannot be accomplished under the constraints of regular workload assignments. It is recognized that these purposes might be served by granting non-instructional assignments to promising faculty members with a variety of professional profiles, ranging from those who have engaged in little non-instructional work because of large teaching loads to those who have already distinguished themselves in non-instructional areas. Thus, over the long term, it is expected that faculty members in this whole range of categories will participate in the non-instructional assignment program on a uniform basis.

The extent of an assignment may be full-time for one semester or half-time for the academic year.

To be eligible for a non-instructional assignment, an applicant must:

  1. Be a tenured member of the full-time teaching faculty, including department chairpersons.
  2. Have seven (7) years employment at Tennessee Technological University.
  3. Have evidence or potential for scholarly performance in the faculty member's discipline.

The employment status of a recipient of a non-instructional assignment award will, to the extent possible, remain unchanged during the tenure of the approved assignment, i.e., the recipient will remain under contract with Tennessee Technological University (TTU). In particular, TTU will continue to pay the salary and fringe benefits of the recipient, and the recipient will retain the same rights to salary increments and annual review as if the recipient remained in residence in a normal instructional capacity. Recipients will not lose rights or progress toward promotion and tenure considerations because of their participation in non-instructional assignments. In other personnel-related matters, such as status, title, rank, etc., recipients will be treated, to the extent possible, as if they were in residence and under normal assignment at TTU. Recipients will not lose any rights or responsibilities as members of the faculty or as employees of the University by virtue of participation in the non-instructional assignment program. TTU regulations on consulting will apply. Any travel related to the assignment will be considered as official travel. All Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) regulations and guidelines will be in effect.

Applications must be submitted to the department chairperson by the second Friday in January for the following academic year and should include the following:

  1. A statement of goals and objectives that is compatible with the statement of purposes.
  2. An anticipated schedule of progress during the non-instructional assignment.
  3. A resume of the applicant's total career.
  4. If applicable, proof of acceptance by cooperating universities or approval by granting agencies, or identification of any required financial support, etc.
  5. Recommendations from colleagues if desired.

Each applicant is free to design and describe the project to best suit the field of study. The application page requires signatures from the chairperson and dean. Chairpersons are also requested to rank applications within their departments. Eight (8) copies of the application must be forwarded from the Dean to the Non-Instructional Assignment Committee within two weeks after the appropriate submission deadline (stated above). The Committee will evaluate and rank applications and recommend recipients to the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. Recipients will be announced by the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Upon completion of the assignment, each participant will submit a written review of the non-instructional assignment activity to the President of TTU and forward copies to the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, the appropriate Dean, the Chairperson, and the Non-Instructional Assignment Committee. This review should include:

  1. A statement indicating the degree to which the objectives of the proposal were accomplished.
  2. Evidence of work in progress or completed.

If materials are published as a result of the assignment, recipients should acknowledge TTU in the article or book. TTU patent and copyright regulations will apply.

A recipient may apply again seven (7) years after approval of the first leave.

[Source: Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, January, 1990] (Revised 7/20/12)