Semester Award Program

The College of Architecture at Texas A&M University encourages creative achievement and scholarship among its tenure-track faculty members after successful completion of the third year promotion/tenure review. The Faculty Research Semester Award provides the faculty member release time from regular teaching duties, except for the direction of graduate dissertations, for one semester. The purpose of this release from teaching is to provide the tenure-track faculty member the opportunity to focus on a specific research activity.

To be eligible for this Award, a faculty member must be in his/her fourth or fifth year of the probationary period for promotion/tenure. The faculty member must have successfully completed his/her third year promotion/tenure review, and he/she must be recommended to the Dean of the College to receive the Award by the College of Architecture's College Research and Interdisciplinary Council (CRIC).

The application process requires that the candidate for the Award to identify an area of research and to propose a project that can be completed within the Research Semester. The candidate must then send the proposed project outline to two reviewers from universities other than Texas A&M. The outside reviewers will consider these factors in making their recommendations to CRIC:

• The significance of the proposed project
• The quality of the plans to carry it out
• The applicant's accomplishment in areas related to the proposed work
• A comparison of applicant with others within and across disciplinary and professional areas

After reviewing the candidate's proposal, and the recommendation of the outside reviewers, CRIC will recommend to the CARC Executive Committee whether or not the candidate should be given the Faculty Research Semester Award.

The specific semester that the faculty member takes her/his research semester will be selected in consultation with the head of the faculty member's department to assure appropriate coverage of course offerings.

Funds to support the regular courses normally taught by a faculty member receiving the Faculty Research Semester Award will be provided through negotiations with the Dean and the head of the faculty member's department.

Sequence of Events for the Faculty Research Semester Award

By Mid Spring Semester

The Dean announces the number of Faculty Research Semester Awards that will be funded for the following year, based on budget availability.

During Spring Semester

Tenure-track faculty member successfully completes the third year tenure-track review.

By the End of Spring Semester

Tenure-track faculty member informs his/her Departmental Promotion/Tenure Committee and Department Head of intentions to apply for the Award, and seeks suggestions for outside reviewers and for the research project to be completed in the Research Semester.

By the First Week of the Fall Semester

Tenure-track faculty member submits his/her completed package to CRIC for consideration for the Award

By the End of September

CRIC recommends successful candidates to EXCOM for the Award

By the End of October

EXCOM informs the candidate the results of their decision

Faculty member consults with her/his department head to determine the best semester to take the Research Semester Award.

Adopted by the College of Architecture Executive Committee in August 2004