Provost

The intent of sabbatical leave at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is to promote scholarly endeavors of faculty in order to ultimately benefit the students, faculty and the University. Sabbatical leaves shall be granted for purposes of (1) research or creative activity that will enhance the faculty member’s academic and professional stature within their discipline and contribute to the academic reputation of the University, and (2) scholarly study to advance knowledge in the discipline or other areas of professional expertise. Sabbatical leaves are an opportunity for faculty to engage in extraordinary projects (i.e., scholarly endeavors that typically could not be accomplished under the workload of a normal academic year). Sabbatical leave should result in scholarly, creative, or artistic products consistent with the professional standards of the faculty member’s academic discipline. Sabbaticals are a privilege granted to eligible faculty as a means to value their contributions and are ultimately an investment in excellence at the University.

Advanced training not closely tied to ongoing research and discipline-specific professional development should be handled through the Professional Development Leave (Faculty Handbook, Personnel Policies, SIUE, II 9-10).

Eligibility for Sabbatical Leave

A continuing faculty member shall become eligible for a full sabbatical leave at the end of not less than six years of full-time service from the initial date of full-time appointment or six years of full-time appointment from the terminal date of a previous sabbatical leave. With the exception of faculty time paid through an external grant, all time spent on unpaid leave of absence shall be excluded in determining years of service. Full sabbatical leave may be granted for a maximum period of six months at one hundred percent of salary or for twelve months at fifty percent of salary.

A continuing faculty member shall become eligible for a partial sabbatical leave at the end of not less than three years of full-time service from the initial date of full-time appointment or three years of full-time appointment from the terminal date of a previous sabbatical leave. With the exception of faculty time paid through an external grant, all time spent on unpaid leave of absence shall be excluded in determining years of service. Partial sabbatical leave may be granted for a maximum period of six months at fifty percent of salary.

Funding of Sabbatical Leaves

Funds shall not ordinarily be provided for replacement of a person on sabbatical leave. The affected unit shall be expected to assume the work load. The dean or director shall include a statement regarding the programmatic and budgetary feasibility of every application for sabbatical leave.

Deferment of Sabbatical Leave

When a sabbatical request has been approved on its merit but deferred in the interest of the department, college, school, or University, eligibility for the first leave shall be retained and the time interval to establish eligibility for a subsequent sabbatical shall be counted as if the sabbatical had been granted, except that no person shall receive a full sabbatical leave more often than once in five years. Approval for such deferment must have the concurrence of the department chairperson, the school or college dean, and the provost. Deferments should be limited to no more than twelve months unless special conditions exist as agreed to by the faculty member, chair, dean, and provost. If sabbaticals are taken after more than a year’s deferment, updated materials may need to be provided. Substantial changes may be subject to review.

Financial Assistance

A recipient of a sabbatical leave may receive financial assistance from sources other than the University, provided that specific arrangements have received administrative approval. Sources other than the University shall for the purposes of this paragraph include externally funded grants, contracts, and fellowships awarded to the University for support of the plan of the recipient's sabbatical leave. However, during the period of sabbatical leave a faculty member shall not engage in salaried work for another employer unless such arrangement has received prior approval of the provost and the chancellor, through submission of the form titled Approval Request for Non-University Employment by Full-Time Faculty.

Other

Vacation entitlement shall not accrue during the period of sabbatical leave except that a faculty member appointed to a twelve month assignment shall routinely accrue vacation entitlement during a sabbatical leave.

At the end of the leave, a faculty member who has been granted a sabbatical must recognize an obligation to return to the University and remain in full-time service for a time at least equal to that of the sabbatical leave.

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION OF SABBATICAL REQUESTS

In evaluating sabbatical applications, reviewers shall consider:

1. Evidence that the project is a scholarly endeavor that will enhance the faculty member’s academic and professional stature within their discipline and contribute to the academic reputation of the University;

2. Evidence of preparation and planning;

a. Faculty should construct their proposals to ensure all legal aspects of the project are considered. This includes (without limitation) any permits and/or permissions necessary to conduct research with animals and/or human subjects; requisite approvals for compliance with export control laws; documents and permissions associated with travel outside of the United States (including Clery Act compliance); documents and permissions associated with external funding or contracts; etc. See the Sabbatical Application Guidelines for additional guidance.

3. Evidence of professional qualifications necessary to carry out the project;

4. A discussion of the probability of successful completion of the project;

5. An explanation of why sabbatical leave is necessary for the project;

6. An explanation of the expected sabbatical outcomes and a rationale for why these outcomes make the project significant. Outcomes would typically include peer-reviewed products.

PROCEDURES FOR ADMINISTRATION OF THE SABBATICAL LEAVE POLICY

1. The Office of the Provost shall distribute to the schools and colleges a list detailing the total number of sabbatical leaves available in the upcoming academic year no later than August 31.

2. Faculty intending to apply for a sabbatical leave shall file a letter of intent with the chairperson or unit director by September 1 prior to the academic year of the sabbatical.

3. Applications for sabbatical leave are to be received by the Provost no later than November 1. Prior to this date, applications shall be reviewed by departmental or unit committees, departmental chairs or unit directors, and school or college deans. In addition to the procedural steps outlined in this policy, if schools or colleges have a school or college-level committee charged with reviewing sabbatical applications for merit, these committees may continue to review such applications. (See below for Application Guidelines).

4.  Review of Application by Departmental Committee

a.   The sabbatical application shall be reviewed and evaluated by faculty colleagues within the same academic discipline or by a designated committee within the department prior to submitting the proposal to the department chair, dean and provost.

b.   While each department or unit shall be free to create a sabbatical review committee in a manner consistent with its operating papers, the membership and structure of this committee shall conform to the following basic requirements: 1) the committee shall be composed of an odd number of members; 2) the committee shall be composed of at least three faculty members; 3) no more than 1/3 (one third) of the total committee members can be at the rank of assistant professor; 4) while graduate faculty status is not a prerequisite to serve on the sabbatical review committee, faculty members who have had their graduate faculty status revoked may not serve on these review committees.

c.   Faculty colleagues (or designated committee within the department) have the responsibility to review the sabbatical application using the criteria listed above to make a determination whether or not the proposal is scholarly, practical, with professional merit, and will enhance the faculty member’s academic and professional stature within their discipline and contribute to the academic reputation of the University. If the committee deems a sabbatical application to be unsatisfactory, the applicant shall be given an opportunity to revise the proposal based on written feedback from the committee members, and resubmit it to the committee. This review process should occur expeditiously in the context of the dates specified for submitting an application.

5. Review of Application by Department Chair or Unit Director

Separate to the deliberations of the departmental committee, the chair or unit director shall also make a determination whether or not the proposal is scholarly, practical, with professional merit, and will enhance the faculty member’s academic and professional stature within their discipline and contribute to the academic reputation of the University. In their written statement to the Dean, chairs or directors shall also describe how the responsibilities of the applicant would be met during the leave. The statement shall include courses normally taught, independent study and graduate research for which the faculty member is responsible, and significant committee assignments. The department chair or unit director shall also ensure that the proposal complies with all University, state and federal regulations.

a.   If the department chair or unit director deems a sabbatical application to be unsatisfactory, the applicant shall be given an opportunity to revise the proposal based on written feedback, and shall resubmit it to departmental committee.

b.   The departmental committee will evaluate the revised sabbatical application to determine whether or not the concerns raised by the chair have been adequately addressed or not by the applicant.

c.   If the committee approves the revisions as adequately meeting the concerns, the chair shall endorse the committee’s determination and forward the sabbatical application to the Dean.

d.   This review process should occur expeditiously in the context of the dates specified for submitting an application.

6. Review of Application by Dean

The dean should review and evaluate the ability of each department to sustain their respective activities while faculty members are on leave. The dean should also take responsibility for ensuring the proposal complies with all University, state and federal regulations.

If the dean deems a sabbatical application to be unsatisfactory, the applicant shall be given an opportunity to revise the proposal based on written feedback from dean, and resubmit it to the committee, chair and dean. This review should occur expeditiously in the context of the dates specified for submitting an application.

After approval by the committee, chair, and dean, the dean will forward the sabbatical applications to the provost. In cases where applications for sabbatical exceed the number of allotted sabbaticals for a particular school or college, applications shall be ranked by a committee (such as a Personnel Committee) formed by faculty members from each school or college.

7. The provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs will review all applications for sabbatical leaves submitted by deans and directors, notify the respective dean or director about his/her recommendation concerning each application, and forward his/her favorable recommendations to the chancellor. The chancellor will review applications recommended by the provost and submit his/her recommendations to the President and to the Board of Trustees, which makes the final decision concerning the grant of a sabbatical leave.

8. The school/college shall adopt one of the following two methods for awarding full sabbatical leaves. Once adopted by a unit, the method applies to all sabbatical leaves granted within the unit. A school/college which wishes to adopt option b must develop and receive the Provost's approval of a plan to fund the option proposed.

a. Faculty shall be granted four and one-half months of sabbatical leave at one hundred percent of salary, or twelve months of leave at fifty percent of salary. A maximum of 13 percent of the total number of continuing and tenured faculty of that school may be on sabbatical in the same year.

b. Faculty shall be granted six months of sabbatical leave (one semester and the 1.5 summer months immediately preceding or following the semester of sabbatical) at one hundred percent of salary, or twelve months of leave at fifty percent of salary. A maximum of 10% of the continuing and tenured faculty of that school may be on sabbatical leave in the same year. For faculty with 9-month appointments, money for this option shall be provided by the school or college and not by the summer budget money provided by the Office of the Provost.

A partial sabbatical leave could be accommodated within these provisions as well.

SABBATICAL APPLICATION GUIDELINES

The Application must be accompanied by the official University form titled Application for

Sabbatical Leave.

Please respond to the following on separate sheets.

I.   Previous Sabbatical Activity

a.   Give the dates of all previous sabbatical leaves at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and describe the primary focus and results of each leave. Attach copies of approved written reports from all previous sabbaticals.

II.      Procedures For the Sabbatical Work (approximately 1,000 words)

a.   Describe the activities or work which you expect to undertake during this proposed sabbatical leave. This should include an explanation of the project’s significance to you and of its possible role in the furtherance of knowledge in your field. You should also include a timetable for your work. The description should help the reviewers to understand the relation of the proposed activities to your career in departmental, University, disciplinary, and other appropriate contexts. In preparing this section, please address the items outlined in the “evaluation criteria” for sabbatical leave.

b.   If the requested sabbatical leave is for the preparation of written work, please attach an outline.

c.   Describe where you will work during the sabbatical, and justify the location.  Identify any institutions, agencies, or persons with which (or whom) you will work.

d.   Have you applied or will you apply to any external agency or group for funding for your work while you are on sabbatical? If so, please identify the agency and the status of the funding. If you have received funding, how will such funding support your sabbatical endeavors?

e.   If the intended sabbatical-leave activity involves animal or human subject research, the requisite approvals need to be in place and accompany the sabbatical application. Failure to meet or complete these critical preliminary steps will prevent the application from moving forward through the approval process.

f.    If the sabbatical leave involves travel outside of the United States or working with foreign nationals, you must obtain the requisite approvals [e.g., U.S. Export Control Laws].  Evidence of this compliance needs to be included in the sabbatical application as it moves forward through the approval process.  Failure to meet or complete these critical preliminary steps will prevent the application from moving forward through the approval process.

III.  Anticipated Sabbatical Results

a.   List the anticipated results of the creative activity, research, or investigation you plan to undertake during the requested sabbatical leave.

b.   Describe the significance of the anticipated results for the University, for the discipline, and for you.

c.   What criteria can the University and you use in determining whether your sabbatical was successful?

IV.      You must attach an up-to-date vitae.

CHANGES TO SABBATICAL REQUESTS

I. Changes to Sabbatical Application Prior to the Start of Leave

Any changes to an approved sabbatical request shall be provided in writing and approved by the same process that approved the initial sabbatical request.  When possible, the committee that approves the changed proposal must be identical in membership to that which approved the original request. Endorsement by faculty colleagues (or designated committee within the Department) should be in regards to whether the new proposal is scholarly, practical, with professional merit, and will enhance the faculty member’s academic and professional stature within their discipline and contribute to the academic reputation of the University. Requests for change should be submitted for expeditious approval.

II. Changes to Anticipated Sabbatical Outcomes during the Sabbatical Leave

If the expected sabbatical outcomes described in the application and approved for sabbatical leave change during the course of the sabbatical leave, the faculty member must submit in writing a set of revised, expected sabbatical outcomes.  These revisions will be evaluated and approved by the dean of the respective school or college. Once approved, these revised outcomes will become the new benchmark by which the success of the sabbatical will be measured.

Typically, such revisions shall be submitted for approval within the first half of the leave period.

SABBATICAL REVIEW GUIDELINES

I. After the completion of an approved sabbatical leave, faculty must submit a written report listing the outcomes associated with the approved project for evaluation by the department or unit committee who conducted the original sabbatical request review (if possible), the department chair, dean and provost.  At every level, the written sabbatical report shall be reviewed as either meeting or not meeting the expected outcomes.

a.   Written reports shall be submitted by October 31 for spring or summer sabbatical leaves (including year-long leaves ending in the spring or summer) and March 31 for fall sabbatical leaves (including year-long leaves ending in the fall). The reports shall be reviewed by faculty colleagues, the department chair and the school or college dean and forwarded to the provost within forty-five (45)calendar days of receipt.