Online system opens to applicant submissions: Monday, November 06, 2023 at 1 pm.

Online system closes to applicant submissions: Friday, December 08, 2023 at 4 pm.

Online system closed for departmental review: Friday, January 12, 2024 at 4 pm.

Online system closes to all school and college level reviewers: Friday, February 09, 2024 at 4 pm.

The Faculty Development Leave Program provides release time to tenured faculty members by providing a limited number of campus-wide awards through a competitive process.

Faculty Development Leaves (FDLs) are awarded to support a variety of activities including support for publication, research, teaching, and creative activities. The overriding principle upon which proposals will be evaluated is the potential for achievement of a degree of excellence surpassing the normal responsibilities of a faculty member.

FDLs may be awarded only to faculty members who 1) have served full-time as assistant, associate, or full professors on the UT Arlington faculty for at least two consecutive academic years, and 2) have earned tenure by the time the leave commences. The period of leave shall be either one year at one-half regular salary  or for one semester at full salary. For additional information, please see the most current FDL program guidelines, and an explanation of the  FDL/REP Review Process.

All applications for a Faculty Development Leave must be submitted online via the  Online Proposal Submission System.

To ensure that FDL proposals will be reviewed in a timely manner, all deadlines for the current cycle must be honored. For a detailed timetable, please refer to the current  Program Guidelines. For more information, see the Faculty Development Leave Policy in the UT Arlington  Handbook of Operating Procedures,  ADM 6-507.

• For technical questions concerning the online submission process, please email  mentis@uta.edu.
• For all other questions and comments about the Faculty Development Leave program, contact the Division of Faculty Success at  facultysuccess@uta.edu.

Faculty Development Leaves - FAQs

Who is eligible to receive an FDL?

To receive an FDL, you must meet two conditions at the time the leave commences. You must have: (1) served as full-time assistant, associate or full professors on the UT Arlington faculty for at least two consecutive academic years; and (2) have earned tenure. Part-time faculty, visiting faculty, and all other untenured faculty (including assistant professors on the tenure track but not yet tenured by next fall) are NOT eligible.

Does an applicant’s rank status weigh in the decision?

No. Preference is not given to faculty of any rank. Moreover, faculty are not entitled to an FDL after so many years of service. Faculty Development Leaves are awarded based on the merits of the proposal and not longevity of service.

Does an applicant’s tenure status weigh in the decision?

Yes. Only those faculty members who have earned tenure by the time the leave commences may be awarded a leave.

Can previous award winners apply again?

Yes, however, there must be a five-year interval between awards. Also, previous award winners must inform the review committee of the earlier award by making the appropriate notation on the application form. In making their decisions, the review committees may consider whether or not the applicant is a previous award winner.

Can a second leave be granted for the same project?

Yes, if the review committee believes such a leave is worthwhile. It should be noted that there must be a five-year interval between leave periods. Additionally, the review committee will be made aware of any previous leaves and may consider this in their deliberations.

Are FDLs the same as sabbaticals?

No. FDLs are not sabbaticals nor are they to be used for rest and relaxation. Instead, FDLs are to be used for faculty development, broadly construed. Please refer to the program application to determine the scope of the program.

What types of proposals are successful?

Applications from a variety of disciplines have been successful. In recent years, proposals from diverse fields such as Geology, Marketing, Nursing, Theater and Political Science have been successful. Broadly speaking, proposals may focus on creative activities, field and laboratory research, or teaching activities. In the past, the evaluation committees have tended to prefer proposals which focus on a narrow set of well defined project objectives.

Can a faculty member apply for both an FDL and a REP?

Yes, however, given the scarcity of funds it is unlikely that a faculty member would receive both awards in the same year.

Are FDLs just for those involved in research and creative activities?

No. The program guidelines specify that FDLs may be awarded for the preparation of new classroom techniques and for the development of new subject areas. The review committees will evaluate teaching focused proposals in the same fashion as research and creative activity focused proposals. No one class of proposals is given preference.

I teach a critical course in my department. Can I be denied a FDL leave due to the programmatic needs of my department?

No. The program rules require that programmatic needs not be considered in evaluating a faculty member’s application for a FDL.

Where can I learn more?

You can learn more by reading the application available at  this web site or by reading  Section 6-507 of the Handbook of Operating Procedure.