NHS Sabbatical Leave
Workshop
Purpose of Sabbatical Leave
• “The sabbatical leave program is designed to provide an
opportunity for growth and renewal for tenured faculty
members. Sabbatical leaves must be for the manifest,
demonstrable benefit of the University in meeting its
responsibilities of teaching, scholarly and other professional
activities, service and the advancement of knowledge and
must contribute to the further development of an individual
as a teacher-scholar. ”
• Board Policy Manual, sections 1-1-309 & 2-3-1001
• University Regulation 3-3-1001(1)
Eligibility for Sabbatical
Tenured and tenure-track faculty
•
In sixth year of full-time service, leave to occur in seventh or subsequent
years
•
Only tenured faculty are eligible, TT must be granted tenure to take leave
•
New service count begins after completion of sabbatical; a full-time faculty
member is eligible to apply during the sixth year of full-time service after
completion of a sabbatical
•
Service count begins on hire date anniversary. One semester service counts
as half year
•
Employment beyond the academic year does not count as service unless
contract so specifies
•
Leave without pay or full-time administrative work do not count toward timein-service. LWP may count if previously approved by Unit Leader and Dean
prior to the commencement of the leave
Eligibility for Sabbatical
Part-time tenured faculty
• Receive prorated credit toward eligibility that is
proportional to FTE assignment
- 2 semesters @ 0.5 FTE = 1 semester time in service
Term faculty
• Ineligible
• If converted to tenure track, must have years of
service credited toward sabbatical leave approved by
Unit Leader, Dean, and CAO at time of conversion.
Acceptable Sabbatical Proposals
• The pursuit of research or study at an institution of
higher education or similar entity where improvement of
oneself as a teacher-scholar is the focus
• The pursuit of research projects within a faculty
member’s specialty to advance knowledge, improve the
“state of the art,” or to produce material for publication
• The acquisition of practical experience within a
discipline that will directly enhance the individual’s oncampus responsibilities
• The pursuit of special studies or projects for the
purpose of expanding institutional-related services
beyond the faculty member’s obligations
Unacceptable Sabbatical Proposals
• Study at a university, the primary purpose of which
is to gain a degree in an area or discipline not related
to current responsibilities
• Travel which is not directly related to on-campus
responsibilities. (A significant distinction is made
herein between travel to improve oneself as a
teacher-scholar and travel in and of itself)
• Any sabbatical request within the faculty member’s
current obligations to the University. (Examples
include rewriting of course materials, course
development, and the like)
• Activities or research not related to current oncampus responsibilities
Restrictions on Sabbatical Leaves
• May not be a terminal leave or be taken in last year
of employment
• May not immediately precede or follow an unpaid
leave
• May not unduly disrupt student academic programs,
as determined by the dean and department
chair/school director
• Shall not be used as a means to augment personal
income
Approval of Sabbatical
• Based on merits of proposal communicated
by the specific goals and plan for
achievement outlined in the proposal
• Dependent on availability of resources and
staffing considerations
• No guarantee that sabbatical leaves will be
granted in a given academic year
Special Note on Leave Duration
2012-2013 Proposals
• From the Provost’s office:
• Applications for both full-year and one semester
sabbatical leaves will be accepted this year.
• Instructional replacement costs for one semester
sabbatical leaves will need to be funded by the
program or college.
Salary During Sabbatical
• One Semester Leave  Full Pay (No salary savings)
• Academic Year Leave  60% Academic Year Base
Salary (Salary savings reverting back to college to pay
for instructional needs)
• May not receive compensation for overload
• Must repay university by working full-time for one
academic year after sabbatical leave or immediately
refund the sabbatical remuneration (salary & benefits)
Application & Approval Process
and Procedures
Board Policy Manual 2-3-1001(5)
• University application found at
http://www.unco.edu/provost/forms/appforleave.pdf
• Submit application and NHS attachment (5 pages max), plus a
current CV to Unit Leader according to unit deadline.
• Unit Leader will call a meeting of tenured and tenure-track faculty
to consider the proposal for approval/disapproval using
procedures established by the unit based on the merits of the
proposal according to the standards of the discipline as well as
resource and/or staffing issues
• Voting Faculty
•
All full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty in the program area, department or school will
participate in review and evaluation of faculty in their discipline but only tenured faculty must
participate in voting; each tenure-track faculty member may choose to vote or not. Tenured faculty
in the program area who are on full-time administrative assignment may not vote. Nor shall term
faculty vote.
Application & Approval
Process and Procedures (cont.)
Board Policy Manual 2-3-1001(5)
• If faculty vote for approval, Unit Leader will submit faculty’s
recommendation and Unit Leader’s recommendation to the
Dean by November 9, 2012 (If the proposal is not
recommended for approval at any level and is not withdrawn by
the faculty member, it will be retained for reporting purposes.)
• Dean will submit Unit recommendations and Dean’s
recommendation to the university chief academic officer
• CAO will make final decision and report such decision to the
Board of Trusties and to the President
• Applicants will be informed of the recommendations and be
afforded an opportunity to respond at each level of the review
process up to the CAO, whose decision is final
Supplement to Sabbatical Leave Application
NHS Guidelines (≤ 5 pages)
• Detail specific goal(s) and plan(s) for achievement
• Show the relationship of the activities to be pursued to the
individual’s on-campus responsibilities
• Specify the effect on the applicant’s professional growth and
development of knowledge in the discipline
• Show how the activities will influence the student’s educational
experience and enhance the University’s reputation
• Detail the expected cost of leave, as well as how the leave will
impact program staffing, and student progression towards degree
in applicant’s program
• Identify the period of time since the last sabbatical leave and
whether the proposal has been previously postponed.
Proposal Prioritization Process
CAO prioritizes proposals based on:
1. Time sensitivity – work must be done by end of following
academic year or it cannot be completed; detail justification in
proposals
2. Proposals that have been postponed in favor of more timesensitive proposals take precedence – detail previous
postponements in proposals
3. Duration between sabbaticals – longest take precedence over
shortest; detail the period of time since the last sabbatical leave
or since the time of hire
4. When a leave is postponed for any reasons, eligibility for the
next sabbatical leave is calculated as if the postponement has
not occurred.
Timeline





November 9, 2012: Director’s/Chair recommendation to NHS
Dean
December 10, 2012: Deans recommend sabbatical leaves to
Provost
January 14, 2013: Provost recommends sabbatical leaves to
President
February 11, 2013: President’s recommendations returned to
Provost
March 8, 2013: Provost announces sabbatical leaves to the
Board of Trustees
Delay of Sabbatical Leave
• Delay of Leave by Faculty Member
• If apply for and granted sabbatical leave, but not able to take
at specified time
• May request postponement of leave for up to one year
• Requires recommendation of Unit Leader and Dean
• Delay of Leave by Dean
• May change effective dates of leave
• May not postpone leave for more than one year from the
requested start date, unless the faculty member agrees
Proposal Revisions
• Must submit proposed revisions to Unit Leader
and Dean for approval
• If either Unit Leader or Dean does not approve,
faculty member will be provided opportunity to
provide additional information
• General expectation is that work will be done as
proposed
• Final report must match proposed objectives
unless a revised proposal has been approved
Final Report Expectation
• Required written report to program area, department or
school faculty (no more than 5 pages)
• Detail activities, goals attained, and benefits to university
that reflect the approved proposal or proposal revision
• Reviewed by Faculty, Unit Leader, Dean, and CAO
• Must be submitted within one academic year after
completion of sabbatical
• Unacceptable reports will result in ineligibility for
subsequent sabbaticals
• Failure to submit report w/in one year
• Failure to pursue sabbatical activities as proposed
• Failure to address how sabbatical leave met the appropriate uses of
sabbatical leave (Board Policy 2-3-1001(3))
Institutional Accountability
• Joint Budget Committee
• Education Committees of the Colorado Senate and
House of Representatives
• Colorado Commission on Higher Education
• Colorado Open Records Statute
Questions?