Definitions

USM Survey of Faculty Non-Instructional Productivity

- Definitions -

The survey is based on activities during the period of June 1, 2023 through May 31, 2024.  All full-time faculty members regardless of funding source with rank of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, and instructor, employed as of December 31, 2023 are required to complete the survey this year. 

  • All the outcome information requested in this survey refers to your productivity in your professional area. For example, a book on antiques written by a physics faculty member should not be included in this survey. Similarly, it is assumed that presentations, articles, offices held in associations, public service activities, etc. are reasonably related to your professional area within the academic community. At the discretion of your department chair, "professional area" need not be narrowly defined as directly related to the academic program and/or department with which you are affiliated.
  • The number of books included in Question 1 should not include books you have paid to have published ("Vanity Press").
  • In Question 11, professional associations include national, regional and local associations.  Offices include committee chair and committee vice chair.
  • Questions 13 through 16 request information on the number of "days" you spent in certain activities. For purposes of this survey, a "day" is defined as 8 hours spent (continuously or not) in the activity.
  • Include in Questions 13 through 16 (Public Service) the time you spent in sharing your professional knowledge with the public, including professional consulting. Examples of activities to be included are: a presentation to a medical society by a medical faculty member and a lecture given to a civic group by a pharmacy professor.  For medical school faculty who provide services to patients, do not include in your estimate the amount of charity care you provide to patients through your normal medical practice.  Include in your estimate charity care you may provide through other venues, such as participation in a local health fair or international aid work.
  • Questions 18 and 19 request information regarding collaboration with others from a USM institution other than your own.