4.08 Professional Development Assignment
Purpose
Professional Development Assignments (hereinafter abbreviated as PDAs) encourage professional growth and increased competence of tenured faculty, which will contribute to improving the University of Northern Iowa. Professional development assignments may be granted for research and other creative work in accordance with the Iowa Board of Regents Policy 2.1.4.Q.
Policy Statement
- The Iowa Board of Regents shall grant professional development assignments with full or partial compensation, including benefits to tenured faculty members to undertake approved programs of study, research, or other professional activity that, in the judgment of the Board, will contribute to the improvement of the institutions. Any faculty member granted such assignment shall agree either to return to the institution granting such assignment for a period of not less than two years or to repay to the State of Iowa such compensation as [the faculty member] shall have received during such assignment. (Iowa Code § 262.9(14) (PDF))
- Requests for professional development assignments for personnel covered in the Board Policy Manual Section 2.1.1D , including retired and emeritus faculty, may be granted by the institutional heads and shall be submitted by the institutional heads in the format prescribed by the Board Office for final action by the Board.
- Each request for a professional development assignment shall contain information as to the length of service of the individual and an estimate of additional net budgetary support necessary to finance all assignments.
- Each institution shall submit a yearly evaluation and report or discussion and costs regarding research assignments and professional development assignments.
Procedures
Interested tenured faculty members are required to submit a PDA application proposal by August 1 for the following academic year. An elected body of faculty representatives from each college reviews the applications and provides feedback to Deans, the Provost, and the President. The Deans and Provost collectively review applicants with the intent of awarding as many professional development assignments as staffing and budgets will allow, not to exceed 3% of the tenured faculty.
Compensation during the professional development assignment period may not exceed one-half of faculty member’s salary and benefits for the nine-month academic year. A professional development assignment may be granted for one semester with full salary and benefits, or a two-semester professional development assignment with one-half salary and benefits.
At the end of a PDA, the faculty member shall make a report to the President, Vice President, Executive Provost, and the PDA Committee, briefly summarizing the outcomes of the PDA. The institution submits a yearly report to the Board of Regents.
The composition of the Committee shall be as follows (Senate Minutes No. 1008): (1) Vice-President for Academic Affairs (now Vice-President and Provost) or his representative, non-voting; (2) one member of the instructional faculty from each undergraduate college elected by the member of their college; (3) one member of the faculty who does not have a college affiliation appointed by the Vice-President and Provost. Members will serve three-year staggered terms. None of the members (elected by the college) succeed him/herself more than once.
The members of the PDA Committee review their procedures yearly and revise them as needed to ensure that the selection process is as equitable as possible.
Related Documents
Applications and additional information can be found on the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs website.
Related Policies
Summer Research Fellowship, Faculty Handbook Section 4.16
Office of the Provost, approved June 5, 2025
University Council, approved November 10, 2025
President, approved November 25, 2025
[Last reviewed and/or updated, 12/15/25]