All not-yet tenured faculty shall receive six (6) credits of released time to be taken prior to their sixth year of service. At the faculty member’s option, up to three (3) credits may be taken in either the first or the second year. A faculty member shall notify the Department Chairperson of their intention to take released time in the first semester at least thirty (30) days prior to the start of that semester (or within one (1) week of the date of the appointment letter if it is later). For released time taken in any other semester, the Department Chairperson must be notified no later than the second week of the semester prior to the semester in which the faculty member desires to take a reduced load. The Department Chairperson shall make every effort to schedule the reduced load in the requested semester and, at the latest, the released time shall be granted in the following semester. This released time may be combined with banked time to enable a faculty member to be excused from teaching responsibilities for one (1) semester. This released time may be distributed, at the option of the faculty member, over several semesters but the use of these credits in a single semester is limited to the third, fourth, or fifth year. Permission of the Provost and the positive recommendations of the Department Chairperson and the Dean are necessary in order to be released from teaching responsibilities for a semester. Faculty may not take overload in a semester in which released time is taken.