Unit 18 Faculty Professional Development Funds

The Professional Development Fund is dedicated to providing funding support for professional development of Unit 18 Faculty engaged in professional development activities that will enhance their effectiveness and development as scholar/teacher in their field. For Unit 18 Faculty, instructional performance is measured by criteria that include command of the subject matter and continued growth in mastering new topics. Therefore, professional development such as attending professional conferences and meetings as well as funding for software, appropriate technical equipment, books, and training seminars that are in support of pedagogical endeavors are encouraged by the Professional Development Fund Awards Program.

Reminder – All technical equipment (computer, laptop, etc.) purchased with University funds is the property of the University and must be surrendered if you leave UCI employment.

All Unit 18 Faculty Instructional Appointees with a current appointment in the current academic year may apply for an award. Only Unit 18 Faculty with Continuing Appointments will be eligible to submit requests for paid leave (Tier 2 Award).

Tier 1 Awards

In amounts up to $2,500 and are to be used for such items as the following:

• Purchase of technical equipment, software, or books
• Professional fees, subscriptions, and memberships
• Conference attendance including travel and housing reimbursement for conferences such as professional, creative, writing workshops, colloquia, performance workshops, and course work

Tier 2 Awards

In amounts between $2,500 and $12,000

• May be used for any of the items in the Tier 1 category in amounts over $2,500
• For a short-term leave, or for one course release (Employee is released from and will be paid for one course as paid leave.)

All complete and timely application packages will receive full consideration and will be evaluated on the merits and strengths of the proposal. Such evaluation includes, but is not limited to, the following criteria:

• Focus and relevance to furthering the Unit 18 Faculty’s own scholarly achievement and/or enhancing their pedagogical endeavors.
• Significance and support for the University’s mission of providing excellence in teaching.
• Likelihood that new skills and knowledge gained through the proposal will enhance pedagogy within the University’s community.
• Preference will be given to applicants who have not received awards in the past.
• Overall value and strength of the proposal, as described in the application.

For Tier 1 Awards:

• Complete the Unit 18 Faculty Professional Development award application form
• Submit a brief description of the proposed project which should include how the applicant will share new skills and knowledge with the university community or use new programs to benefit pedagogy.
• Clear itemized budget with rational for budget allocation. If submitting a request for an expense already incurred, please attach copies of receipts.
• Attach a current curriculum vitae.
• Submit the completed application to the Chair and Dean’s Office for comment.

For Tier 2 Awards:

• Complete the Unit 18 Faculty Professional Development Award application form.
• Attach a written proposal with justification for the course release or leave. It should include a narrative describing the nature of the project and explanation of how the project will fulfill expectations described in the award criteria. The leave is to be proposed for the 2025-2026 academic year.
• Clear itemized budget with rational for budget allocation. If submitting a request for an expense already incurred, please attach copies of receipts.
• Attach a current curriculum vitae.
• Submit the completed application to the Chair and Dean’s Office for comment.
• Paid leave requests must also include two letters of recommendation. These letters should evaluate the proposed project.
• These awards are to be reviewed by the UC-AFT Council on Professional Development (Council) with final approval from the Vice Provost for Academic Personnel.

Once completed, the award application proposal should be submitted to the Department Chair for review. After review by the Chair, the applications should be forwarded to the Dean. If there are multiple proposals from one department, Deans are encouraged to rank them according to the criteria outlined above.  All applications are due in the Dean’s Office by January 31, 2025.  Once the Dean has reviewed the application, it will be sent to the Office of Academic Personnel.

The final date for receipt of the proposals is February 14, 2025.

Proposal Review and Award Announcement

Following the application deadline, the UC-AFT Council on Professional Development (Council), comprised of Unit 18 Faculty nominated by UC-AFT and appointed by the Vice Provost for Academic Personnel, will begin to review the proposals. Council members will not participate in any part of the review process for their own applications. The proposals will be ranked, and the Council recommendations will be sent to the Vice Provost for Academic Personnel for final approval.  It is anticipated that the announcement of the awards will be made prior to the end of Winter Quarter.

Reallocation

Requests for reallocation require prior approval and can be submitted to your home department or to the Office of Academic Personnel for prior approval (contact information above).

• Gina Ruggiero, Chair, Department of Global Language and Communications
• Natalia Chernyshoff, Department of Economics
• Dariusz Oleszkiewicz, Department of Music
• Darren Denenberg, Department of Informatics
• To be announced