Educational Experience Enhancement Award
Sonoma State University
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 year, the deadline for application is September 29, 2025, for awards that will be granted in the 2026-27 academic year.
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. Following is the calendar with further details in the FAQ below.
Deadline to submit application to Department Chair - September 29, 2025
Deadline for Chair to forward to Dean – October 6, 2025
Deadline for Dean to forward final completed application to FAS – October 13, 2025
TLS Review of applications
Candidates notified of final decision -- November 25, 2025
FAQs
Who is eligible: All Unit 3 Faculty – tenured, tenure-track, lecturers, librarians, and counselors.
How to apply: Along with the completed cover sheet, applicants must include a one-page narrative of the activity for which additional workload is requested to improve students’ learning experiences. This must include an approximation of the time required to conduct this extra workload during the semester.
Which applicants receive priority: Any Unit 3 Faculty – tenured, tenure-track, lecturers, librarians, 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.
Application deadline: Completed cover sheet and narrative is due to your Department Chair by September 29, 2025.
Award notice: Awards will be announced no later than November 25, 2025.
Further questions may be directed to the AVP for Faculty Affairs and Success or the Teaching and Learning Subcommittee (TLS) Chair.