The University may, from time to time, grant sabbatical leaves to faculty for study, research, publication, or other activities which will result in increased performance or will produce academically or institutionally useful results. To qualify for sabbatical leave, the faculty member must have completed six years of continuous full-time teaching at the University since beginning service, or seven years continuous full-time service since their last sabbatical. Approved leaves of absence shall not constitute a break in continuous service; however, such leaves shall not be counted toward the service. Preference shall be shown to those applicants who have seniority and plan to use the leave for activities that will contribute both to the advancement of knowledge in their disciplines and to their teaching assignments.

Sabbatical leaves will not be granted automatically; they are, however, to be granted on the basis of their educational value to the University and within the limits of the University’s ability to support them financially. The University will determine the number of sabbatical leaves, if any, to be awarded in any given year. In lieu of full sabbaticals, the University may grant partial sabbaticals. When a sabbatical leave is granted, normally it will be for one semester at full pay or two terms at one-half pay, or short-term teaching and load equivalencies mutually agreed upon by the Vice President of Academic Affairs and the faculty member. The terms for partial sabbaticals will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Upon completion of a sabbatical leave, the faculty member shall be obligated to return to the University for a period of at least one year and will return to a teaching assignment of like status and compensation, with all benefits and increments to which they would have been entitled had they been in regular service. If the faculty member does not return to the University as indicated above, they will be obligated to repay to the University the amount of the total financial support received during the awarding of the sabbatical.

A sabbatical leave will not be granted for the purpose of accepting a teaching position in another institution or compensated full-time non-teaching positions unless they directly benefit both the professional growth of the individual and substantially aid in the development of the academic programs of the University. If the faculty member receives outside financial support in the form of a grant, fellowship, or salary, the University’s contribution will be calculated so that total compensation received will not exceed the faculty member’s current University salary. Recipients of sabbatical leaves are responsible for reporting any such salary supplements to the Office of Academic Affairs

Application Process

Candidates eligible for sabbatical leave shall submit an application in the form of a written proposal by February 1 of the year preceding the requested leave. The proposal shall set down detailed plans for the sabbatical, anticipated results, and arrangements being made to achieve the results. The application for a sabbatical leave shall be submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs, who will respond in writing to the applicant no later than March. Sabbatical leaves will be granted with the approval of the President and the Learner Success Committee of the Board of Trustees.

Upon completion of the sabbatical leave, within 60 days of the academic term of their return to teaching/service, the faculty member shall submit a written report of the scholarly or creative activities that were proposed and the results achieved during the sabbatical leave. This report shall be submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs and the faculty member will make a summary report at a meeting of the full faculty.