INSTRUCTIONS FOR SABBATICAL LEAVE APPLICATION
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Discuss your proposed project and plan for sabbatical leave with your Chair/Dean well in
advance of the application due date. Since these individuals will write a letter of
recommendation in support of your application, it is in your best interest to keep them
informed of your plans.
Review the description of the sabbatical leave program on the Faculty Development website.
Fill out the sabbatical application completely, including all requested information on the
cover page of the application, with an abstract or summary of the work to be done (150 word
maximum), and check agreements to the provisions of the sabbatical.
Begin the narrative description of the sabbatical project on page 2 of the application by
addressing the criteria described below written in a way that minimizes disciplinary jargon as
much as possible (if necessary to include, provide definitions) and is understandable for a
non-technical reviewer.
Divide the narrative into five sections, using the bolded headings below. If you do use
disciplinary words or phrases, briefly explain or define them.
The narrative is limited to 5 pages of double-spaced, 12 point font text with 1 inch
margins.
Provide information for the timetable, bibliography, curriculum vitae, supporting documents,
and previous sabbatical final report in Appendices that follow the narrative.
Submit the final electronic copy of your application in one Word or PDF document to the
Faculty Development Center (facdevctr@stthomas.edu) by 4 p.m. October 1.
Give a copy of your completed application to your Chair/Dean by October 1, and provide
that individual with the electronic version of the document for the Sabbatical
Recommendation Form. Remind them that they must submit the Recommendation Form to
Faculty Development by October 8.
Guidelines for the Narrative:
(A) The significance of this work in your discipline. State the basic question/issue/hypothesis
you will be examining. Place your work in the context of your discipline and the previous work
done by others. Why is this an interesting project/question/issue to be pursuing? You need to
convince the reviewers of the worthiness of your project.
(B) A basic description of the proposed work. This section would include a description of the
kinds of activities you will use address the question/issue/hypothesis you are exploring. You
must convince the reviewers that your project is feasible, but not overwhelm them with technical
details that would require specialized knowledge.
(C) Information about your previous work in the area of your project. If this is a new direction
for you, comment on the reason for the change and the preliminary work you have done to
prepare for the sabbatical project. If this is a continuation of your scholarly work in this area,
briefly describe what you have already done, and how this project grows out of your previous
work.
(D) Your specific professional goals for this project. In this section, discuss the potential impact
of this work on your teaching, your continuing scholarly agenda, and other aspects of your
professional work. This would include concrete goals for the dissemination of findings in the
form of conference presentations, journal or book publications, and other suitable scholarly
Revised Form (7/24/14)
materials. Reviewers are particularly interested in how this sabbatical leave project will
contribute to your professional growth.
(E) If the project will require you to work at off-campus locations (libraries, companies, other
universities, etc.), indicate how working at that site will facilitate attaining your goals. If
relevant, append letters of invitation or other documentation concerning your plan to work at that
site.
Appendix 1. Provide a detailed timetable for this work; list the tasks to be completed and the
approximate time required for each task.
Appendix 2. The bibliography should be divided into a Works Cited section for the narrative
and a Reference section of relevant literature. The purpose of the latter is to show the project's
place in the discipline/existing literature, and the applicant's familiarity with the relevant
resources and readiness to engage in the project.
Appendix 3. Provide a current Curriculum Vitae, limited to 4 pages, single-spaced with the
following information only:
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Name, department, email, campus mail, and office phone
Education with years and dates of degrees
Positions and appointments held
Honors and awards (including grants with titles, agencies, and funds awarded)
Courses taught during the last six years
Publications during the last 10 years with all coauthors, years, and appropriate citations
Appendix 4. Supporting materials. Copies of any written agreements with outside
organizations that are an integral to your planned work; letters of invitation if you will be
working at another university; etc.
Appendix 5. Final report from previous sabbatical. If you have had previous sabbaticals, a
copy of the report you submitted on your most recent sabbatical must be attached.
Revised Form (7/24/14)