Although Athens State University is a teaching institution with no graduate programs, the institution recognizes an obligation and dedication to the advancement of knowledge. Therefore, the primary aim of the scholarly activities of University faculty is to enhance teaching, increase the visibility of Athens State, and contribute to the achievement of University goals as reflected in the Long Range Plan (LRP).

As a program operational outcome of academic programs, scholarly activities are measured through the planning and review process by College Deans and the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Scholarly contributions are reflected in the Institutional Effectiveness Matrix as one of several performance indicators regarding faculty resources in all three Colleges.

In addition to quality classroom instruction and curriculum planning, the primary focus of faculty performance, scholarly activities and professional service are considered valued components of the University’s academic environment. Accordingly, scholarly activities are encouraged by the University and carry significant weight in various decision-making processes, most importantly those involving promotion as stipulated in Faculty Policies and Regulations. In addition, scholarly activities serve as one of several criteria in faculty annual evaluations by College Deans (Sample evaluations from the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, and the College of Education) as documented in the Employee Handbook and the Professional Development Plan (Sample professional development plans from the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Education) following guidelines stipulated in the Professional Development Policy and Guidelines.

To encourage and support faculty’s involvement in research, creative work, and other scholarly activities, each College annually requests a travel budget, which is used to support attendance at professional events. Travel funds vary by year based on available resources. In addition, Athens State University’s Human Subjects Committee, provides oversight for all institutional and individual research activities conducted by faculty to ensure the rights of human subjects who participate in research activities, as mandated by federal rules and regulations.

Documented scholarly activities since 2004 to 2009 demonstrate faculty involvement from all three Colleges. Some of the work has been peer-reviewed and published in respectable journals. Other works have been published in well-known non-refereed journals and conference proceedings. In addition, faculty members have served as lecturers, guest speakers, moderators and analysts in professional settings, and some are members of advisory boards.

The University’s Scholarly Contributions Portfolio, the result of the combined individual efforts of its faculty, represents a commitment towards the enhancement of teaching, learning, and practice through intellectual contributions in the areas of research, professional service, creativity, and other scholarly activities.