Criteria as stated in Appendix 26:
- Professional benefits to the applicant and university
- Merits of the proposal
- Qualifications of the applicant
- Quality of expected outcomes
Use the following questions to determine how well each application meets the criteria:
- How will the proposed leave benefit the applicant professionally? Will the leave benefit the campus (students, department, school/college, university) either directly through tangible results such as new or improved courses or indirectly through a renewed enthusiasm for teaching and the discipline?
- Is the proposal well organized and easy to understand given that the Committee is composed of faculty from various disciplines? Does the project seem realistic and worthwhile relative to #1 above?
- Does the applicant have experience in the area covered by the proposal? If the applicant does not have previous experience in the specific area of the proposal, does he/she have experience in a related area or has he/she expressed an interest in and justification for learning about the proposed topic
- What quality outcomes has the applicant identified? For example, (1) new teaching methods, (2) conference presentations, (3) publications, (4) increased understanding of a particular topic, (5) renewed enthusiasm for teaching, (6) new or expanded courses, (7) new experiences that lead to a broader perspective, etc.
Determine an overall score, based on a holistic combination of the above:
Score of 5: The application is strong in all 4 criterion areas. There are clear benefits to the applicant and the campus. The proposal is meritorious. The applicant is highly qualified. There are several specific expected outcomes.
Score of 4: The application is strong in 3 out of the 4 criterion areas but is somewhat lacking in the 4th area.
Score of 3: The application is not very strong. There is evidence to support 2 out of the 4 criterion areas. There is some evidence for the other 2 areas.
Score of 2: The application satisfies only 1 area. There is some evidence for the other 3 areas.
Score of 1: The application is very weak. None of the 4 areas are fully addressed.