Department of Mathematics Course Banking and Research Scheduling Policy (approved)

Course banking allows faculty to distribute their standard teaching load over an extended period so that a semester can be scheduled for intensive research. By teaching an extra course in an academic year, faculty can "bank" courses to free time that can be applied later toward research.

As a matter of general principle in the Franklin College, faculty assigned additional time for research must remain in residence, keep regular office hours, and meet all University and departmental responsibilities outside the classroom. Faculty who need to conduct research off campus must apply for reassignment of location, in accordance with College and University leave of absence policies.

1. Eligibility: only tenured and tenure-track faculty may bank courses.

2. Courses may be banked during fall and spring semesters only. Faculty must bank extra courses prior to taking a research-intensive semester. The general rule will be that a faculty member should not "owe" any courses at the end of the Spring Semester. Exceptions may be granted by the Head but will require
extraordinary circumstances. Faculty may not teach more than three courses a semester and may not bank more than one course per year. In a given year, faculty may use up as many courses as they have banked.

3. Faculty with a 3-course load may always choose the 0,3 or 3,0 schedule within a given year. Such a
situation will not require any course banking. Some examples of situations covered by course banking are:

4. No more than a quarter of eligible participating faculty in a department may take research-intensive semesters at a time.

5. Junior faculty, especially at the assistant professor level, will receive priority in setting course-banking
schedules.

6. The Department Head will approve all course-banking plans. All concrete scheduling and tracking of
teaching and research assignments, so that faculty maintain the standard average annual work load, will be the responsibility of the Associate Head. The faculty will be aware that, on occasion, research-intensive semesters may have to be delayed to allow the department a balanced offering of courses. This may happen if in a given semester an unexpectedly large number of people decide either to teach an extra course or to cash in their previously banked courses.

7. All faculty who bank courses should present a 2-year (or longer) plan stating their intentions in advance to facilitate planning. As faculty plans and teaching loads change or as visiting research opportunities present themselves with short notice, these plans may be modified with the head's approval as long as the requisite course load is taught. Faculty are expected to be in residence and teaching a full load following a year of absence.

8. A faculty member wanting to cash in banked courses must contact Associate Head. After approval is
obtained (see 6 above), the individual must sign a letter, cosigned by the department head, that describes the course-banking plan and indicates acceptance of these guidelines. A copy of the letter will be sent to the Dean's Office. Course banking records will be kept in departmental personnel files.