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2.6.2 Black Faculty Development Program
Tennessee Board of Regents recognizes that in order to increase the number of black faculty with doctoral degrees, it may be necessary to assist some faculty in attaining their master's degree. Tennessee Board of Regents further recognizes that to maintain the number of black faculty, it is necessary to provide incentives to assist them in attaining tenure.
Therefore, in addition to providing assistance for black faculty in attaining a doctorate, the following are applicable:
A. Eligibility
1. Faculty who are working toward a doctoral degree.
2. Faculty who lack a master's degree are eligible. This applies especially to those at the community colleges.
3. Faculty who require further developmental experiences as otherwise defined in the remaining sections.
B. Fees Paid/Type Course Paid/Number of Hours
1. Approved tuition-related expenses may be reimbursed. These expenses include fees such as maintenance fees, tuition, debt service fees, service charges and incidental fees payable at the time of registration. The term does not include room, board and supplies. Tuition-related expenses will be allowed only for courses that are counted toward the participant's approved course of study.
2. Where a participant's approved course of study is away from the home institution, expenses for room and board may be reimbursed.
3. Books that are required for the participant's approved course of study will be reimbursed.
4. Support for personnel training or retraining so as to enhance the faculty member's expertise.
5. Any other activity that will enable the faculty member to achieve the purpose of this provision.
C. Payback Provisions
1. In exchange for reimbursement of allowable expenses, a participant will commit to work for the sponsoring institution or the Tennessee Board of Regents System for a period of time determined by selecting one of the two following formulae:
a. The participant agrees to remain in the employ of the System/institution for a period of not less than one year of full-time employment for each full-time equivalent year of participation in the program. (Full-time participation shall be defined as thirty (30) hours of undergraduate work or twenty-four (24) hours of graduate work), or
b. The participant agrees, after the completion of the program or the termination of their participation in the program, to remain in the employ of the System/institution until such time as the actual gross salary earned by the participant equals the actual amounts disbursed to or on behalf of the participant. For example, if the participant has received $30,000 to complete his/her approved program and his/her gross salary at the completion of the program is $30,000 he/she will be obligated to work one year in the System.
2. If the participant leaves the employment of the Tennessee Board of Regents System prior to the completion of the payback period, he/she will be required to repay a pro rata portion of the funds disbursed for his/her course of study in relation to the period of time remaining on his/her work obligation. An exception to this requirement will be allowed if he/she leaves the employment of the Tennessee Board of Regents System for employment with the University of Tennessee System and remains so employed through the payback obligation period. The contract specifies that if employment is terminated prior to fulfillment of the employment obligation, the final paycheck and check representing the amount of accrued, but unused annual leave may be withheld as repayment of the financial obligation. If such amounts are insufficient to recoup the amount owed by the employee, the institution has the option of pursuing one of two methods to achieve repayment as stated below:
a. The amount or balance owed shall become an account receivable and the institution shall follow the procedure outlined in Tennessee Board of Regents Guideline B-010 , Accounts Receivable - Employee Receivables. If payment in full is not obtained, the debt shall be assigned to a collection agency; or
b. The employee will be required to execute a promissory note (See Exhibit EB-3) acknowledging receipt of the grant and containing repayment terms and conditions consistent with the grant agreement prior to the employee leaving the institution should he/she fail to fully complete the employment requirements of this contract. The promissory note shall include the following terms:
1. The recipient agrees to pay all attorney's fees and other costs and damages necessary for collection for any amount not paid when due.
2. The recipient agrees to pay interest at the rate of 8% per year on any amount not paid when due.
3. Failure of institution to provide notices hereunder or make demands shall not be deemed a waiver of any rights hereunder.
3. The work payback obligation will begin upon the completion of the participant's course of study or at such time as he/she withdraws from the program regardless of which payback option he/she chooses.
4. Once a participant has been selected for a program year, that participant will be required to enter into a written agreement with the institution, reflecting the requirements of the program, prior to the distribution of any funds on behalf of the participant (See Exhibit EB-8).
D. When The Participant May Attend
An employee may attend once the written agreement is executed.
E. Accounting/Budgeting Provisions
1. Employees will be selected to participate in this program on an annual basis. Therefore, allocation of funding in any given year will be at the discretion of the sponsoring institution.
2. One-half of the funding for this provision will come from campus general operating budget and one-half will come from the special desegregation appropriations.
3. A participant may obtain release time from all or part of current duties to pursue furtherance of educational goals including research, expenses related to a professional meeting to present a paper or other similar activities. Flextime or flexible hours work week may be available to certain employees.
4. Release time is based upon the number of hours taken by the participant each semester. Funds for release time are granted to each participant from the desegregation appropriation and the general campus operating budget as noted above. The unused portion of the participant's salary remaining in the general campus operating budget is then used to hire student workers, part-time help, etc., to cover the work while the participant is in class.
5. Mileage will be reimbursed for travel expenses for attending any class pursuant to the participant's approved course of study. This provision applies only to participant's approved course of study. This provision applies only to participants whose round trip mileage exceeds 50 miles. The actual mileage reimbursement rate and number of reimbursable miles shall be determined pursuant to the Tennessee Board of Regents General Travel Policy (See Accounting Policies and Procedures, Section 4) as it is amended from time to time.
6. Where a participant's approved course of study is away from the home institution, expenses for room and board may be reimbursed.
F. Where The Participant May Attend
At the institution/school designated in the participant's contract.