II - 2.00 - Policy on Sabbatical Leave for Faculty and Professional Librarians
I. Policy and Purpose
The President of the University may grant sabbatical leave to tenured faculty members and professional librarians, primarily for the faculty to conduct scholarly or creative work in order to enhance the mission of the University and to enhance his/her professional development.
This policy defines the conditions and procedures by which faculty members and professional librarians may apply for sabbatical leave.
II. Applicability
A. Scope
1. In most situations, sabbatical leave will be granted for one-half of the recipient's annual contract period at his/her normal compensation or, for the full annual contract period at one-half normal compensation for both full-time and part-time faculty.
2. Ordinarily, a leave of absence without pay shall not be regarded as service to the institution for purposes of determining eligibility for sabbatical leave.
3. As a condition for receiving a sabbatical leave, the recipient shall agree to return to the University immediately upon the termination of the leave and agree to serve on his/her normal basis at least one academic year.
4. During the sabbatical leave, the recipient will be permitted, with the approval of the President or designee, to accept, in addition to the compensation he/she receives from the University, grants, awards, contracts, fellowships, or other compensation or stipends, as may be related to the approved sabbatical leave project.
5. While on sabbatical leave, the recipient may accept compensation for consulting services rendered, provided that such services shall not exceed those allowed by the BSU and BOR Policy on Professional Commitment of Faculty (BSU & BOR II-3.10).
6. All benefits and privileges of a faculty member or librarian on sabbatical leave, such as salary increases, opportunity for promotion, retirement benefits, and other entitlement, shall be continued in the same manner as if he/she were not on sabbatical leave.
B. Eligibility
1. Both tenured faculty and professional librarians can be granted sabbatical leave.
2. A full-time faculty member shall have been granted tenure and shall have completed at least six (6) years of active service at the time of an initial sabbatical leave or since the last previously granted sabbatical leave.
3. A part-time faculty member shall have been granted tenure and shall have completed six (6) or more years of at least half-time service.
C. Responsibility:
1. Within one (1) month upon return from the sabbatical leave, the faculty member must submit a written Summary Report to the Department Chair, the Dean of the School, and the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs (Provost) detailing the following:
a) The nature of sabbatical project;
b) The outcome of the project; and
c) How it enhanced either his/her professional development and/or the mission of the University.
2. The faculty member may hold a public seminar, open to faculty members and students of the University, on the results of his/her sabbatical project and/or publish the results in the Spectrum or other campus journal.
3. Librarians applying for sabbatical leave will follow the appropriate procedures herein established for faculty members.
III. Guidelines and Standards
A. A faculty member or librarian applying for a sabbatical leave shall obtain a Sabbatical Leave Application Form from the Office of the appropriate School Dean (see attached).
B. Faculty members must submit a completed Sabbatical Leave Application Form to the Department Chair.
C. Professional librarians must submit his/her request to the Director of the Library or appropriate Dean for that department.
D. A faculty member or librarian must submit the request for such leave, at least one (1) year prior to the requested begin date of the sabbatical leave.
E. The Department Chair shall review the following in making the decision to advance a request for sabbatical leave to the Dean of the School and the Provost:
1. Performance evaluations during the preceding three (3) years to determine the degree to which the individual has met or exceeded the established performance standards;
2. The faculty member's or librarian's scholarly achievements in the past and his/her service to the University community; and
3. Seniority.
F. The Department Chair shall then attach a written recommendation to the faculty member's request for sabbatical leave and forward all supporting documents to the Dean of the School who forwards a recommendation to the Provost.
G. If in agreement with the recommendations of the Dean of the School or Department (for librarians), the Provost shall forward the request for sabbatical leave and all letters of recommendation, to the President for final clearance and approval.
H. If the request for sabbatical leave is approved, the Provost shall notify all parties (Department Chair, Dean of the School, and applicant) in writing of the approval and any conditions of the approval. In addition, copies of the approval letter shall be forwarded to the Director of Human Resources for appropriate action.
I. If the request for sabbatical leave is disapproved, the President or his/her designee shall forward a letter to the sabbatical applicant citing the reasons for the disapproval.
J. If a request for sabbatical leave is denied a faculty member or professional librarian, he/she may submit a request for the following academic year.
IV. Results
Faculty and professional librarians will be able to carry out professional development activities and enhance the mission of the University while maintaining their benefits.
V. Exceptions and Deviations
None
VI. Definitions
Sabbatical - A leave, granted only to tenured full-time or part-time faculty and professional librarians, often with pay, usually every seventh (7th) year, in efforts to allow the participant to advance his/her professional development and enhance the mission of the University through travel and research.
Effective Date: 05/05/1998