Faculty Fellow Program

Proposal Overview

Faculty Fellows serve as a bridge between the academic department and the Monmouth University Institutes and Centers. Faculty Fellows will work with the Institute/Center staff and make use of their resources to pursue a project with significant scholarly, artistic, pedagogical, business or policy outcome that connects the academic department with the Institute/Center. Faculty Fellows commit to the project for two consecutive academic years, including the intervening summer. The sponsoring Institute will commit to the necessary staff and resources to aid the Fellow.

Faculty Fellow benefits:

• Release from teaching one course per semester for the duration of the fellowship (4 semesters).
• Mid-fellowship summer stipend of $10,000.
• Up to $5,000 to underwrite direct costs for scholarship/course development activities.
• Access to Center resources, including support staff and graduate assistants.

As a common theme for the program, fellows will work with an Institute/Center to help further that center’s mission, enhance the fellow’s scholarship, research and teaching, and build stronger connections between the work of the Institute/Centers and core academic mission and programs of the University, particularly in ways that foster transformative learning experiences for Monmouth students. The specific responsibilities and expectations for each fellow will vary depending on the needs of the Center and the skills set and interests of the appointed fellows, in order to provide flexibility and be able to offer this opportunity to faculty from as diverse a range of disciplines as possible.

The pilot program will involve the appointment of two fellows starting in fall 2019 and another two fellows starting in fall 2020.

In some cases, the Fellows may collaborate on the same project, while in other instances they may follow different agendas. It is expected that faculty, Center/Institute Directors, and Departments Chairs will work together to identify projects and activities of mutual interest consistent with the objectives of this program.

For example, potential projects could include:

• Developing a cross-disciplinary course in ocean science and policy.
• Creating a public index that tracks the impact of different types of development.
• Conducting a research study that leads to a potential publication or larger grant application.
• Creating an arts marketing collaboration.
• Establishing a pilot community counseling, community service or civic engagement program.

Program Elements

Eligibility:

Full-time faculty of any rank are eligible to be a Faculty Fellow, except for faculty on sabbatical at any time during the expected two-year fellowship term. Endowed faculty are ineligible to hold a Faculty Fellowship. A faculty member can hold a fellowship for two-consecutive two-year terms, after which the faculty member must wait at least one year before applying again to be a Fellow.

Note: The Faculty Fellows program does not preclude additional faculty or Faculty Fellows from continuing to work with a Center beyond the university-funded fellowship period. Faculty and Centers are encouraged to seek out other internal and external sources of funding to supplement, extend and expand these collaborative relationships. As we continue to explore this program, we will also need to have a mechanism to hire Faculty Fellows from outside of MU. This hiring of outside Faculty Fellows will be very important to the success of the Institute of Health and Wellness.

Application Procedure:

The application form is in three parts: Part A from the faculty member, Part B from the Institute/Center Director, and Part C from the chair of the faculty member’s department.

Part A: The Faculty applicant will provide:

1. A one-page description of the project, providing justification of the importance and impact of the project;
2. A one-paragraph description of the benefits of collaborating with an Institute/Center in fulfilling the aims of the project;
3. A one-paragraph description of the expected outcome(s) of the project, such as grant proposals, publications, new courses, etc.
4. A detailed budget not exceeding $5,000 (acceptable budgetary requests might include (but are not limited to) specialized software, hiring student assistants, research supplies, and travel), and identification of other funds available to support the project.

Part B: The Institute/Center Director sponsoring the Fellow will provide:

1. A description detailing the benefits accrued to the Institute/Center through the collaboration.
2. A detailed description of Institute/Center staff participation and Institute resources that will be committed to the project.

Part C: The Department Chair of the applicant will provide a plan for course releases and coverage. Chairs must attest that the course releases will not adversely affect the instructional offerings of the department. A faculty fellow is ineligible to take on a course overload during the two-year fellowship.

Selection Process:

Complete applications are due to the Provost by March 15 with a start date the following September 1. The selection committee will be made up of three Deans, selected by the Provost, and three full-time faculty members selected by the Faculty Council. Fellows will be announced by April 30.

Reporting:

Each Fellow is responsible for delivering two reports to the Provost. The Institute/Center Director is responsible for delivering one report to the Provost.

Timeline:

Mar 15	Year 0	Fellowship application due
Apr 30	Year 0	Fellowship decisions announced
Sept 1	Year 1	Fellowship begins
July 1	Year 1	Summer term
Sept 1	Year 2	Second year begins
Oct 1	Year 2	Intermediate report due
June 20	Year 2	Fellowship concludes
Oct 1	Year 3	Final report due

 
In other words, for this initial year, applications are due March 15, 2019 with the decision of two fellows announced on April 30, 2019. These two fellows will begin their appointment on September 1, 2019, which will continue until June 20, 2021. The intermediate report is due October 1, 2020 and the final report is due October 1, 2021.

The intermediate report describes the accomplishments of the first year. Any adjustments on the project for the second year should be discussed. Any artifacts that have been produced should be included as addenda. The intermediate report should be no more than 3 pages in length, not including addenda. The course release for the last semester of year two is conditional on receipt of a satisfactory intermediate report by October 1.

The Final Report provides an account of the entire fellowship. Particular attention should be focused on how the project fared in terms of the original expected outcomes. It must include a budget report of how any funds were expended. Any and all artifacts produced must be included as addenda. The final report should be no more than 8 pages in length, not including addenda. Future fellowship appointments are conditional upon receipt of a satisfactory final report by October 1 of the calendar year in which the fellowship concludes, and performance during the fellowship term.

For all scholarly artifacts, in addition to their department and Monmouth University, each faculty member must list their affiliation as “Faculty Fellow with the (institute/center name)”.

Each Institute/Center Director is responsible for delivering a final report discussing how the fellowship collaboration benefited the Institute/Center. Particular attention should be paid to how the outcomes of the fellowship will impact the future operations and goals of the Institute. The Center/Institute Director’s final report is due on the same date as the Fellow’s final report, October 1 of the calendar year in which the fellowship concludes. Failure to submit the report on time will result in that Institute/Center being ineligible to accept a new Fellow for one year.