ESM Intranet (Access Faculty Activity Reports and Outside Interest Reports)
Faculty members are required to submit an annual report of their professional activities, known as a Faculty Activity Report (FAR). These reports are compiled based on calendar year information, and are usually due in late January. During 2014-2015, the format of the FAR was changed to become an online submission, accessed through an Intranet connection using the individual’s ID and email password.
Fall: The process begins when the Senior Associate Dean of Academic and Student Affairs sends a notice to faculty late in the fall semester, calling for the preparation of these reports. Information gathered on the FAR includes Eastman involvement (courses taught; student opinion surveys; performances, committee assignments, publications, research in progress) as well as other University contributions, such as committee service or teaching. Reports of external activity are also important: performances, presentations, publications, and leadership in professional organizations—local, regional, national, and international. Full-time faculty are required to submit these reports; part-time faculty are also invited to submit an annual FAR to inform the department’s understanding of their contributions.
Spring: The process continues with the department chair accessing the reports and preparing both individual and departmental summaries. Department chairs meet with individual faculty members early in the spring semester (February/March) and then with the Senior Associate Dean of Academic and Student Affairs (March/April) to review the previous year’s activities and to engage in future planning for the department. At these meetings, topics also include timing of planned faculty travel, timelines for promotion and tenure, projected retirements and searches, plans to apply for a leave of absence, or an idea for a new course. The FAR process provides an opportunity to gather information that informs the budget cycle and helps in School-wide planning, not only for determining salary increases but also for possible capital expenditures and projected course staffing.
Revised, September 2017