Hello SSU Faculty,

The Collective Bargaining Agreement between the California Faculty Association and the Trustees of the California State University has a provision for awarding release time (WTU) to faculty performing “exceptional levels of service to students” (Article 20.37). The Executive Committee of the Academic Senate approved implementation of Article 20.37, as drafted by the Faculty Standards and Affairs Committee (FSAC) in cooperation with Faculty Affairs and Success.

Exceptional service awards are intended to recognize faculty who have a demonstrated commitment to working on issues faced by our diverse student population. Assigned time from this pool should be awarded to faculty for mentoring, advising, and outreach, to support underserved, first-generation, and/or underrepresented students and other practices in support of such students, including those caused by cultural taxation.

This support includes but is not limited to: the development and implementation of high-impact educational practices; curricular redesign intended to improve student access and success; service to the department, college, university, or community that goes significantly beyond the normal expectations of all faculty; assignment to courses where increases to enrollment have demonstrably increased workload; and other extraordinary forms of service to students.

This message is to notify all Unit 3 faculty of a call for applications for awards of exceptional levels of service to students for the upcoming academic year (the SSU Educational Experience Enhancement Award, attached).

Who is eligible: All Unit 3 Faculty – tenured, tenure-track, lecturers, librarians, coaches, and counselors.
Which applicants receive priority: Any Unit 3 Faculty – tenured, tenure-track, lecturers, librarians, coaches, and counselors who have NOT received this award in the past.

Amount of award: Release time in the form of weighted teaching units (WTUs) applied to faculty’s workload. Awards will be a standard course release (4 or 3 WTU), but applications requesting fewer WTUs released will be considered.

How to apply: Along with the included attached cover sheet and required signature for the Department Chair and School Dean, a 1-page narrative of the activity to which additional workload is needed to improve students’ learning experiences, and an approximation of the time required to have conducted this extra workload during the semester MUST BE PROVIDED.

Application deadline: Completed cover sheet and narrative is due in the Office of Faculty Affairs (academicpersonnel@sonoma.edu) by October 29th, 2024. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Award notice: Awards will be announced no later than December 10th, 2024.

Reporting: Awardees will provide to Faculty Affairs and Success a final report of their activities under this award no later than September 1st, 2026.

Further questions: Direct to the AVP for Faculty Affairs and Success or the Teaching and Learning Subcommittee (TLS) Chair.