Appendix L: Policy on Fulbright Scholar Awards

Background

The Fulbright Program, the flagship international educational program sponsored by the U.S. government, was established in 1946 under legislation introduced by former Senator J. William Fulbright as a much-needed vehicle for promoting “mutual understanding between people of the United States and people of other countries of the world” (www.cies.org).  With this goal as a starting point, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 325,000 participants—chosen for their leadership potential—with the opportunity to observe each other’s political, economic and cultural institutions, to exchange ideas and to embark on joint ventures of importance to the general welfare of the world’s inhabitants.

The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Currently, the program operates in approximately 155 countries worldwide. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the United States Congress to the Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions in foreign countries and in the United States also contribute financially through cost-sharing and indirect support, such as salary supplements, tuition waivers and university housing. Foreign governments, through their bi-national commissions or foundations, also contribute directly to the Fulbright Program. Under a cooperative agreement with the Department of State, the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) assists in the administration of the Fulbright Scholar Program for faculty and professionals.

The Core Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program provides awards through an annual competition to more than 500 U.S. scholars and professionals to lecture and/or conduct research at institutions in more than 125 countries in a wide variety of academic disciplines. Program duration ranges from a semester to an academic year.

The Core Fulbright Scholar Program offers opportunities for lecturers, researchers, and lecturers/researchers. Lecturers are experienced educators (normally at the Ph.D. or equivalent level) or experienced professionals with substantial professional, scholarly, or artistic accomplishments who will engage in full-time lecturing (teaching or consultation) at the college or university level abroad. Researchers are individuals at the Ph.D. or equivalent level, including independent scholars who have made recognized contributions to scholarly research in their fields, who will conduct full-time advanced research abroad at, or in cooperation with, an approved institution of higher education or research facility under a clearly defined project. Lecturer/researchers will engage in a combination of lecturing and advanced research abroad. (Source: Fulbright Policies for U.S. Lecturers and Research Scholars, Section 600. Available at https://eca.state.gov/fulbright/about-fulbright/j-william-fulbright-foreign-scholarship-board-ffsb/ffsb-policies)

Application

Applications for the Core Fulbright Scholar Program are completed online and sent directly to the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES).  All eligible applicants are encouraged to apply for this prestigious award.

Terms

  1. Eligibility to participate in the terms of CMSV’s policy on Fulbright Scholar Awards, as outlined below, requires the candidate to notify their Chair/Director/Dean, in writing, of their intent to apply for a Fulbright Scholar Award.
  2. The stipend received as part of the Fulbright Award will be considered salary. Fulbright Scholars will receive their full salary and benefits from the College of Mount Saint Vincent if they agree to give the “stipend” portion of their award to the College. A memorandum of understanding will be executed for this option. The funds from the stipend would be available to fund instruction and/or research in the candidate’s department.
  3. Contributions normally made to retirement programs, Social Security programs, employee insurance programs and any other employee benefit programs shall be continued during the Fulbright award period.
  4. If the faculty member accepts the entire Fulbright award and chooses to go on leave without pay, they need to schedule a consultation with the Human Resource Director concerning benefit issues during the leave without pay period.
  5. The Fulbright Scholar will usually receive Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) funds for travel and living expenses and may receive funding for other expenses (e.g. books and research materials) to assist in accomplishing the purposes of the Fulbright grant. These funds will not be considered as part of the stipend portion of the award.
  6. The employee will be expected to return to the College for at least one (1) academic year following participation in the program. Agreements to the contrary must be made in writing prior to participation. Salary received during the program is subject to return to the College in instances where the above conditions are not satisfied.
  7. The Fulbright award is not to taken as part of a Sabbatical, as its definitions and expectations are different. A faculty member applying for a Fulbright award must wait four years before applying for a Sabbatical, and vice-versa.

Memorandum of Understanding
The Policy on Fulbright Scholar Awards (February 2018) from the Office of the Provost stipulates that full-time CMSV faculty who are recipients of the Fulbright Scholar Awards may agree to give the “stipend” portion of their award to the College in exchange for receiving their full salary and benefits from the College of Mount Saint Vincent during the period of their Fulbright Award. The funds from the stipend will be available to fund instruction and/or research in the Scholar’s department.

Name of Faculty: __________________________ Department: ________________________

Country of Fulbright Award: ______________________ Dates: ________________________

Amount of Stipend: ______________________________

Attach Fulbright Award documentation from the Council of International Exchange of Scholars.

__________________________________________________________________________

By signing below, I agree to provide the “stipend” portion of my Fulbright Award to the College of Mount Saint Vincent in exchange for receiving my full salary and benefits during the period of my Fulbright award. I also agree to return to the College for at least one (1) academic year following my participation in the program. If I fail to return to the College for one academic year, I agree that I will repay to the College, within sixty (60) days, the salary and benefits received from the College during the program in excess of the amount of the Fulbright award transferred to the College. I agree that any failure to repay may be referred by the College to collections and I shall be assessed reasonable collection fees, including without limitation collection agency fees, court costs and attorney’s fees. I understand that it is my responsibility to investigate and understand the possible tax implications of this arrangement.

Signature of Faculty and Date: ___________________________________________________

Signature of Chair/Director and Date: ______________________________________________

Signature of Dean of Academic Affairs and Date: _______________________________________

Signature of Provost and Date: ___________________________________________________

Approved August 15, 2018