A.   Faculty Fellowship Leaves

In accordance with the Ohio University policy, the College of Osteopathic Medicine encourages its faculty members to enhance their professional skills in the areas of research, teaching or clinical service through participation in the Faculty Fellowship Program (see Section V.A., of the Ohio University Faculty Handbook).

Each year, the Provost’s office notifies the Dean of each college of the number of faculty fellowship leaves which will be made available to that particular college in the coming year.  This is based upon a figure which is 6% of the total head count of faculty in that college.  The number of faculty fellowship leaves available will be used up on a head count basis.  That is to say, if our College were given two faculty fellowship leaves, one of those allocations would be completely used up for one year if we had one faculty member take a faculty fellowship leave of one quarter.  On the other hand, that faculty fellowship leave allocation would be used up in exactly the same way if we had one faculty member take a faculty fellowship leave which lasted three quarters, the maximum permitted under University policy.  The point here is that the faculty fellowship leave allocations are counted on a head count basis; they are not counted on a time-used basis (two faculty fellowship leave allocations do NOT necessarily equal six quarters).  Leaves of less than one quarter do not use any of the College’s faculty fellowship leave allocations.

B.   General Considerations

Many of the factors which must be considered in leave requests are enumerated in the University Faculty Handbook and in the University Chairpersons and Directors Handbook.  There are, however, special considerations unique to the College of Osteopathic Medicine.  The following points will be considered in the processing of Faculty Fellowship Leave proposals or Intermediate Scholarly Leave proposals:

1. The scholarly value of the proposal.

2. The arrangements for coverage of the faculty member's teaching responsibilities.

3. Arrangements for coverage of the clinical faculty member's patient care responsibilities.

4. Arrangements for coverage of the faculty member's other University, College and community service.

5. Arrangements for dealing with the special financial issues which may arise as a result of the faculty member's absence.

A proposal which deals persuasively with these considerations, giving evidence that these matters have been tentatively worked out with the other faculty who will need to be involved, will have an enhanced probability of approval.

Faculty members on a one-quarter faculty fellowship leave will receive 100% of their University salary.  Those on a two-quarter faculty fellowship leave will receive 75% of their University.  Faculty members on leave for three quarters (the University maximum) will receive 66.7% of their University salary during the three quarters they are on.  The University Section V, subheading A, paragraph 5 stipulates that “a University fellowship leave may be granted for a maximum of three quarters.”

Any income generated by continuing medical education activities is subject to the terms of the practice plan contract.

C.   Intermediate Scholarly Leaves

Single scholarly leave proposals which will consume more time than 14 calendar days per year (not necessarily consecutive days), but less tan one quarter, will not be counted as a faculty fellowship leave, but will be evaluated according to the same criteria (see Section B above) as those used for faculty fellowship leaves.  Such intermediate leaves for scholarly and research activities do not require the faculty member to have been with the College for seven years, but they are handled by the same departmental process, going through the department chairperson to the Dean.  The Dean may seek the advice of others in the review of applications.  Intermediate leave proposals then go forward to the Provost for final approval, as called for in the Faculty Handbook, Section V.D.  Under normal circumstances, the faculty member may expect final action on intermediate leave proposals in approximately one month.

Single proposals for scholarly leaves of 14 calendar days per year or less (not necessarily consecutive days) are considered continuing education, are subject only to the approval of the department chairperson, and will be administered as a part of the regular departmental business.  Any income generated by continuing medical education activities is subject to the terms of the practice plan contract.

Last updated: 07/12/2012