Southeastern is in compliance with Faculty Comprehensive Standard 3.7.3.

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Southeastern Louisiana University provides both resources and opportunities for the professional development of its faculty. These activities are facilitated at university, college, and department levels and are focused on the development of faculty as teachers, scholars, and practitioners in their disciplines. This narrative will detail the University's support for professional development, along with an overview of the productivity of faculty across campus, which can be viewed as evidence of the professional development of faculty.

Faculty Development at the University Level
At the university level, Southeastern's commitment to faculty development is focused in the Center for Faculty Excellence, the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs, and the University's sabbatical leave program.

The Center for Faculty Excellence
The Center for Faculty Excellence was established in the fall of 1997, with a vision to produce a campus climate where both teaching and research are recognized and supported. Under the auspices of the Office of the Provost, a faculty member who has a 40% reassignment directs the Center. The Center for Faculty Excellence's mission is to promote and facilitate an environment in which teaching and learning are the subject of serious discussions, debates, and inquiry among faculty, thereby producing a campus climate where both teaching and research are recognized as significant scholarly work. The Center carries out its mission to assist faculty by providing opportunities for personal and professional growth, for innovation and experimentation, and for change and renewal.

The Center for Faculty Excellence achieves its mission by

• Providing professional development opportunities in the areas of teaching and learning;
• Sponsoring workshops, info sessions, discussions, and satellite presentations on a variety of topics;
• Providing instructional and technical support for distance learning; and
• Assisting in the production of video, photographic, and graphic media for instructional use.

The Director works closely with the University's Faculty Excellence Committee and the Research and Grants Committee to generate a faculty-driven agenda where programs and activities are a direct response to faculty needs and requests.

The Faculty Excellence Committee oversees the Center's programming and disburses funds for the teaching grants programs. Faculty Excellence Committee members represent the various colleges of the institution and serve as liaisons between their units and the Center. The Research and Grants Committee assists in preparing proposals for research projects, evaluates them, and recommends projects to the Director of the Center for Faculty Excellence for funding. This broadly constituted committee has representatives from across the University community as follows:

• Six faculty from the College of Arts and Sciences,
• Two faculty from the College of Business and Technology,
• Two faculty from the College of Education and Human Development,
• One faculty from the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and
• One faculty from the combined faculties of the College of Basic Studies and the Library.

As indicated in its policy and procedure manual, members of the Research and Grants Committee are appointed by the Provost and serve four-year terms.

The teaching and research grant program funds disbursed through the Center for Faculty Excellence are available to all faculty and include the following:

Southeastern's commitment to faculty excellence through teaching and research grant programs can be seen cumulatively in Table 1, which shows that over 2000 faculty awards have been made through these grant programs since the formation of the Center for Faculty Excellence in 1997. Over this time, Southeastern has committed almost $1.9 million dollars to these faculty-led faculty development programs. A summary of all grants awarded for the 2003-04 academic year is available at the Center for Faculty Excellence web site.

Table 1
Cumulative Faculty Development Program Awards
Made through the Center for Faculty Excellence
Academic Years 1997-2004

Center for Faculty Excellence

• Teaching Grants Programs
  Since its founding in 1997, the Center for Faculty Excellence has disbursed in excess of $400,000 in over 600 awards through two teaching-oriented faculty development grant programs. These are the Center's Innovative Teaching Initiative (CITI) Grant Program, and the Teaching Enhancement Grant Program.
   
  

  • The Center's Innovative Teaching Initiative (CITI) Grants Program
    The purpose of the Center's Innovative Teaching Initiative (CITI) Grants program is to enable faculty to develop innovative courses or to integrate innovative teaching and/or assessment elements into existing courses. In order to receive this form of faculty development funding, faculty must describe projects that go beyond traditional teaching and learning paradigms. CITI Grants projects may
     
                  •  link learning with the workplace,
                  •  enhance courses with technology,
                  •  encourage faculty-student research and interaction,
                  •  create K-12 and business partnerships for learning, or
                  •  increase awareness of cultural pluralism.
     
    The selection process for CITI Grants is competitive, with preference being given to proposals which show how the activity will benefit instruction and might be shared with colleagues at Southeastern. Each faculty member may annually submit a proposal up to the maximum limit of CITI Grants funding, which is $2,000. Additionally, collaborative CITI grants projects are encouraged by the fact that up to three faculty members may submit a group proposal for up to $6,000 in funding. The staff of the Center for Faculty Excellence and Basic Computing Services is available to faculty for technical development and implementation assistance for technology-based proposals.
     
    CITI Grants funds are to be employed for the course development/support activities outlined in the individual and collaborative proposals selected for funding. CITI Grants funds may be spent on materials, software or hardware, equipment, GA/student labor support, professional services, and/or travel and training support. However, CITI Grant funds may not be used for release time, overload pay, or faculty stipends.
     
    Since the inception of this program in 1998, 190 faculty awards have been made, with over a quarter of a million dollars awarded to faculty participating in the CITI Grants program. CITI Grants awards are made across all colleges, representing a variety of departments and disciplines; a detailed listing of CITI Grants awards is included in the summary of grants awarded for the 2003-2004 academic year, available on the Center for Faculty Excellence web site.
     
  • Teaching Enhancement Grants
    The Teaching Enhancement Grants program is a mechanism through which University funding is provided for faculty development, with the aim of promoting quality instruction in Southeastern's classrooms. The selection process for Teaching Enhancement Grants is a competitive one. Each faculty member may annually submit a proposal up to the maximum limit of funding, which is $500. Additionally, collaborative Teaching Enhancement Grants projects are encouraged by the fact that up to three faculty members may submit a group proposal for up to $1,500 in funding. Three types of proposals can be funded through this grants program, under the broad headings of
     
                  •  Professional Development in Teaching
                  •  Course Enhancement
                  •  Curriculum Development or Revision.
     
    In the program area of Professional Development in Teaching, proposals are focused on the professional development of faculty as teachers at Southeastern. Teaching Enhancement Grants program funds can be used in a variety of ways, including the following:
     
                   •  To partially subsidize faculty participation in workshops, conferences and
                  colloquia that deal specifically with teaching improvement, teaching
                  strategies, issues in teaching, etc.
           
                  •  To purchase books, periodicals and videotapes on teaching,
                   teaching techniques, evaluation of teaching, mentoring, etc.
                  
    In the program area of Course Enhancement, proposals are focused on supporting instruction in a single course or set of related courses in a discipline, such as the development of original instructional materials and the purchase of existing materials. Proposals may also seek support for further enhancement of a new area of special emphasis in an existing course or for examining new and innovative uses of technology. Teaching Enhancement Grants program funds can be used in a variety of ways, including the following:
                  
                  •  To purchase equipment or supplies to develop your own educational
                   materials for classroom use or to support current materials
                  
                  •  To purchase commercially available instructional materials. This
                  includes, but would not be limited to, books, films, manipulatives,
                  maps, instructional software, videotapes.
                  
    In the program area of Curriculum Development or Revision, proposals are focused on some aspect of curriculum development or revision aside from “normal” instances of curriculum review and revision. Teaching Enhancement Grants program funds can be used in a variety of ways, including the following:              
                  
                  •  To purchase materials or provide student labor to support working
                   groups developing interdisciplinary courses or studying the
                   interdisciplinary basis for courses.
                  
                  •  To partially subsidize individual or group professional publication
                   or presentation on curriculum initiatives.
                  
    Pursuant to the goals and guidelines of the program, over 400 Teaching Enhancement Grants awards totaling over $150,000 have been made across the spectrum of the University for the purposes of professional development in teaching, course enhancement, and curriculum development/revision. A detailed listing of Teaching Enhancement Grants awards is included in the summary of grants awarded for the 2003-2004 academic year, available on the Center for Faculty Excellence web site.
     
• Research Grants Programs
  The Center for Faculty Excellence administers five different faculty development grant programs aimed at fostering excellence in research:
                

  • Travel Grants
  • Faculty Development Grants
  • Mini Grants
  • Journal Grants
  • Orr Memorial Research Fund Grants

               

  Over 2126 faculty awards have been made to date, and approximately $1.5 million has been invested by the University in these research-oriented programs.              

  • Travel Grants
    The Travel Grants program was established to enable Southeastern's faculty to deliver research findings and attend professional meetings. This is a competitive grant process through which all full-time faculty holding academic rank can put in travel grant requests for up to $1,000 each fiscal year. The program places a funding limit of $600 for one trip anywhere in the continental United States and a funding limit of $1,000 for one trip outside the United States, including Mexico, Canada, and Hawaii. In addition, funding may be granted for faculty to travel for purposes of chairing a session, so long as the session to be chaired is part of a national or international scholarly meeting and the chair's responsibilities include contributing and/or stimulating discussion, delivering a scholarly presentation, or reviewing submissions.
     
    The largest grant program at Southeastern for the purpose of professional development, this program has benefited faculty tremendously; 1691 faculty awards, in excess of one million dollars, have been granted to enable travel to academic conferences since the 1997-1998 academic year. A detailed listing of Travel Grants awards is included in the summary of grants awarded for the 2003-2004 academic year, available on the Center for Faculty Excellence web site.
     
  • Faculty Development Grants
    Faculty Development Grants are designed to support research projects that might not otherwise be possible for faculty to pursue, including basic research, manuscript writing, or creative endeavors in the arts. This competitive program provides grants of up to a maximum of $2,000 to offset certain costs associated with the research or with scholarly or creative activities. These funds may be used to support the development of proposals for external funding of research activities and/or to support the preparation of faculty exhibits or recitals. Funds may not be used for release time, overload pay, faculty stipends, or overtime pay to staff.
     
    Over 250 Faculty Development Grants have been awarded since the 1997-1998 academic year. This program has steered almost $400,000 to Southeastern's faculty to foster academic and creative pursuits. Southeastern faculty members have experienced great benefits from the Faculty Development Grants program. A detailed listing of Faculty Development Grant awards is included in the summary of grants awarded for the 2003-2004 academic year, available on the Center for Faculty Excellence website.
           
  • Mini Grants
    The Mini Grants program was established to help full-time faculty members finance research, creative, or artistic projects. Each quarter, any full-time faculty member can apply for funding of up to $150.00 per request. Each request must be for a unique project. Over 100 Mini Grants have been awarded since the 1997-1998 academic year, and almost $15,000 has been steered to Southeastern's faculty to foster their research and artistic pursuits. A detailed listing of Mini Grant awards is included in the summary of grants awarded for the 2003-2004 academic year, available on the Center for Faculty Excellence website.
           
  • Journal Grants
    The Journal Grants program was established to offset page costs incurred by full-time faculty members for publishing in an academic journal. The program also reimburses faculty for the cost of reprints of an article published in a journal. The maximum Journal Grant for any one article is $150.
           
    Since 1997, sixty-seven faculty awards have been made under the Journal Grants program, providing almost ten thousand dollars to cover journal-imposed charges for faculty. These funds have enabled faculty to pursue outlets for their academic and creative pursuits with a lessened concern for the economic aspects of the placement of their articles. A detailed listing of Journal Grants awards is included in the summary of grants awarded for the 2003-2004 academic year, available on the Center for Faculty Excellence web site.
           
  • Orr Memorial Research Fund Grants
    The Orr Memorial Research Fund Grant program is an additional source of research funding available to Southeastern faculty. The Orr family made the following three stipulations for the awarding of these funds:
           
    1. Only tenured faculty members above the level of instructor are eligible.
    2. The proposed research should be written in a style commensurate with a person of university status.
    3.The completed research should be worthy of publication.
           
    Eight faculty members have been granted awards through the Orr Memorial Research Fund Grants program, totaling over $4,000. This additional source of funding has facilitated faculty development in research; Orr Memorial Research Fund Grants awards is included in the summary of grants awarded for the 2003-2004 academic year, available on the Center for Faculty Excellence website.
           
• The Center's Outreach Programs
  In addition to administering grant programs for teaching and research, the Center for Faculty Excellence also conducts training and development programs for faculty, including the following:
         
  • New Faculty Orientation
    During the first week each fall and spring semester, new faculty are expected to attend New Faculty Orientation, held by the Center for Faculty Excellence. During the Orientation Program, new faculty are introduced to the Center's facilities, to training and development programs provided by the Center in support of teaching and research, and to University policies and practices.
           
  • Portfolio Fair
    At the Center's Portfolio Fair each fall, faculty members from across campus gather together to provide tips and assistance to those faculty members organizing a portfolio for tenure and promotions.
           
  • Institutes for Teaching and Professional Enhancement (ITPE)
    ITPE are year-long institutes providing intensive training and dialogue in selected areas which have the potential to enhance the learning and teaching experiences of students and faculty. Beginning in the summer with one or more training sessions, the institute continues with “follow-up” seminars during the academic year on topics such as “Teaching as Scholarly Work,” “Faculty Mentoring,” “Academic Advising,” “Service Learning,” and “Learning Communities.”
           
  • Lyceum Lights
    A series of formal presentations by faculty of scholarly findings, Lyceum Lights is designed to illuminate the common interests of faculty from diverse disciplines. Presentations are done at the invitation of the Provost.
           
  • Brown-Bag Luncheons
    Brown-Bag Luncheons are a series of discussions centered on teaching and advising issues. Topics during the 2003-2004 centered on key issues in academic advising, including “Academic Advising: A New Look”; “Faculty Role in Advising: Responsibilities, Rewards and Recognition”; and “Expectations: Faculty and Student.”
           
  • Interdisciplinary Book Clubs
    The Center hosts a variety of academic book clubs, who engage in stimulating discussion while reading books on important teaching topics. Some of the books these groups have read include The Idea of a University , by John Henry Newman; Universities in the Marketplace: The Commercialization of Higher Education , by Derek Bok; Learner-Centered Teaching , by Maryellen Weimer; Engaging Ideas , by John C. Bean; and Diversity and Motivation:  Culturally Responsive Teaching, by Raymond J. Wlodkowski and Margery B. Ginsberg.
           
  • Video/Teleconference Series
    Featuring nationally known experts and commentary from practitioners around the country, the Center presented the Spring 2003 Teleconference Series from the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition during fall 2003 semester. The Center has provided video/teleconference presentations since 1997 on important topics such as distance learning, academic integrity, copyright issues, and inquiry based learning.
           
  • Faculty Conference on Teaching, Research, and Creativity
    At this annual event, faculty from across campus come together to share with colleagues their latest research and teaching initiatives.
           
  • Training Programs
    The Center regularly provides training programs on incorporating technology in the classroom and distance learning. Sessions on the use of Blackboard and other computer software are also provided.
           
  • One-on-one Assistance
    The Center provides one-on-one assistance for faculty in all issues regarding teaching, learning, and professional growth. Staff are available to assist in preparation of course materials and presentation materials. Staff are also available to help faculty with the numerous software applications available for faculty use in the Center, including applications for scanning, image and audio editing, word processing, web authoring, video capture, and slide show presentations.
           
  • Equipment Check-Out
    The Center provides equipment for faculty use in the classroom or other related functions. Available equipment includes digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras, laptop computers, portable zip drives, In-Focus projectors, printers, and CD burners.
    
    

 
Sponsored Research and Programs
The Office of Sponsored Research and Programs (OSRP) works with faculty, staff, and students to promote externally funded research, instruction, public service, academic and institutional support, and scholarship/fellowship projects at Southeastern Louisiana University.  External funding supports strategic priorities of Vision 2005 Mission and enhances the educational, economic, and cultural development of southeast Louisiana.

OSRP is a central source of information on major government agencies, foundations, and corporations that support research and scholarship. A wide range of services to faculty, administrators, staff, and students are available, including

• identifying potential external funding sources; 
• assisting in development of proposal narratives and project budgets, and in preparation of standardized application forms;
• assisting in the electronic submission of proposals and electronic administration of funded projects; 
• assuring compliance with federal and state regulations and university policies and procedures; 
• assuring compliance with federal and state regulations and university policies and procedures; 
• assisting in the completion of internal requirements for proposal submission, including coordination of review of research protocols involving human participants and animal subjects;
• reviewing and approving proposals for submission to sponsors; 
• negotiating grant awards and contracts; 
• coordinating activities with the Grants Accounting section of the Controller's Office as required;
• processing forms for grant administration (recommendation for employment forms-5.01P, purchase requisitions, requests for extensions).

There are several faculty and staff development offerings during the year. Some examples can be found on the OSRP web site under Training Opportunities (2003-2004). Also on this web site there are links to the newsletter, pictures from the annual Principal Investigator Recognition Reception, as well as useful information such as the handbook, the forms, tips, etc.

The following table reflects the total number of proposals submitted, funded, and not funded during fiscal year 2003-2004 . Comparison with the previous year indicates an increase in the number of proposals submitted by 19 proposals.

Table 2
Number of Proposals Submitted, 2003-2004
Office of Sponsored Research and Programs

NOTE: Four proposals processed through Sponsored Research were not submitted to an agency.
NOTE: Fifty-one funded proposals were “submitted carryovers” from the previous year.
NOTE: Fifty-five proposals are pending.

Also tracked is the total external award amount. This is the overall funding of awards during the fiscal year and may include a number of years for multi-year grants. That figure for 2001-2002 was $8,403,506, for 2002-2003 it was $16,897,129 (included $6,309,200 for 4 of the 10 TRIO Programs that are awarded every 4 or 5 years), and for 2003-2004 it was $8,416,685.

Sabbatical Leave Program
Southeastern offers the opportunity for full-time faculty members and administrators to take sabbatical leave for professional development. As stated in Part V, Section D. of the Faculty Handbook, the express purpose of sabbatical leave is “to promote the professional growth and effectiveness of a faculty member or administrator by affording him/her intellectual stimulation in the form of study, research, travel, or other creative intellectual activities. These leaves are used to bring on-going projects to fruition and to establish new directions of scholarship.”

The Faculty Handbook specifies that sabbatical leaves for professional development are available to all full-time faculty members on regular appointment, including professors of all ranks, as well as instructors. Additionally, members of the professional staff whose duties include teaching, research, and administration, including librarians, are eligible to take advantage of the opportunity for sabbatical leave. Eligibility and application guidelines are specified in the Faculty Handbook and adhere to the policies of the University of Louisiana System (Policies and Procedures Memoranda FS.III.V.D.-1).