By ordinance the Vice Chancellor has the sole power of granting leaves of absence to faculty and staff. The Sabbatical Leave Program is provided as a matter of policy by the Vice Chancellor and the Regents to implement a plan designed by the Faculty.
The administration of this program in the College of Arts and Sciences is the responsibility of the Dean of the College, on the advice of the Committee on Sabbatical Leaves, and in consultation with the Provost. The Committee on Sabbatical Leaves, guided by the provisions that follow, advises the Dean on the suitability of applications for sabbatical leave and the scheduling of such leaves. In the School of Theology it is the responsibility of the Dean of the School of Theology, in consultation with the School of Theology Faculty (acting as a committee of the whole) and in consultation with the Provost. Each Dean takes endorsed proposals as a recommendation to the Provost, who makes the final decision. Since the granting of sabbatical leaves is not an automatic benefit, a faculty member should confirm, through receipt of a letter from the dean, that his or her leave request has been authorized before implementing plans.
Full-time faculty are eligible for sabbatical leave after the completion of six full years of service to the University. See, however, the provisions below for pre-tenure sabbatical leaves. A faculty member who has taken a sabbatical leave becomes eligible again every seventh year. Exceptions to this rule may be considered only in rare instances, in circumstances consonant with institutional needs. Years of eligibility for sabbatical leave cannot be accumulated in addition to the six required years, unless a leave is delayed by the University in consideration of its needs.
A faculty member wishing to apply for sabbatical leave for the next academic year should write a letter of application to the appropriate Dean, who will present it to the committee for consideration. The letter should be submitted no later than October 15. The letter should contain a clear and reasonably complete description of the scholarly project to be carried out, as well as the duration of the proposed leave and the place(s) where the work will be conducted. The project should benefit the applicant’s teaching and scholarship in a significant way. Late proposals and projects judged to be impractical or poorly defined will not be recommended. An otherwise acceptable proposal may be deferred if the scheduling of the leave is judged inconsistent with the needs of the University. Faculty members whose proposals are not accepted are free to reapply the next year. A person who has already been granted a sabbatical leave may also postpone it if the Dean, in consultation with the committee, judges the request for postponement as consistent with the needs of the University.
Applicants may apply for a leave of a year with half pay or one semester with full pay. A person who accepts a sabbatical leave agrees to return to the University for at least one full year after the termination of the leave. Persons on sabbatical will be replaced for the semester or the year to the extent that curricular and enrollment needs warrant.
The following guidelines have been adopted by the Faculty with regard to grants, teaching, and other outside or additional means of support during the sabbatical year or semester.
1. The overall experience should be one of increase in academic competence.
2. Normally, teaching and other duties will not comprise more than half-time work.
3. A faculty member planning a sabbatical leave is encouraged to seek grants or other support for those expenses associated with research, travel, or higher living costs elsewhere during the period of the leave.
4. Arrangements for outside remuneration for teaching, other professional activities, or the support of research should be approved by the appropriate Dean in consultation with the committee before the sabbatical leave begins.
When funds for faculty development permit, grants may be awarded by other committees to meet travel or special expenses of a faculty member on sabbatical leave.
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Pre-Tenure Sabbatical Leaves
These sabbatical leaves may be awarded to untenured faculty in tenure-track appointments through the same authority and procedures described above, except that faculty members apply for these leaves before completing six full years of service. Pre-tenure sabbatical leaves may be for one semester at full pay or a year at half pay. Application is normally made in the third or fourth year of service for sabbatical leave in the following year. Pre-tenure sabbatical leaves are not normally considered for the sixth year of service. In addition to the standards named above for regular sabbatical leaves, the Dean and committee must consider if the proposal will significantly aid in preparing the faculty member to meet the stated criteria for tenure. Eligibility for consideration for a sabbatical leave following a pre-tenure leave comes after a further six full years of service.
