general policy
Sabbatical leaves are not granted automatically upon the completion of the necessary period of service to the Institute. The faculty member must demonstrate, in writing, as part of his or her application, evidence of creative or scholarly activity, or other academic achievement to support the program of work which he or she plans for the sabbatical period, and show that this proposed program will accomplish one or more of the general purposes set forth above.

eligibility for sabbatical leave
Sabbaticals are considered a contribution by the Institute to professional development of artists and scholars on the faculty. The terms and conditions for awarding sabbatical leave are defined by the current CBA.

stipend
At the time of this writing, the CBA defined salaries for sabbatical leaves are:

• one semester at full salary, or
  
• one academic year at one-half of full salary. An adjunct faculty member’s salary shall be based on the average of the member’s workload during the previous academic year.

application procedures
By October 15, before the academic year in which the anticipated leave will begin, a faculty member wishing to receive a sabbatical leave must submit to his chair a formal application including the following information:

• length of service (full-time and part-time) at the Institute;
  
• length of time, if appropriate, since last sabbatical;
  
• a narrative outline of the planned project and a statement showing how it will increase the faculty member’s professional competence and value to the Institute;
  
• the faculty member’s qualifications to pursue such a project;
  
• indication, if possible, of any anticipated grants, fellowships, or appointments related to the sabbatical period.

Requests for one-year sabbaticals must be for two consecutive semesters unless some special aspect of the proposed sabbatical project demands a split one-year term.

Since other faculty of the department/school may be expected to absorb the teaching load of the individual on leave, the chair’s recommendation should include a statement about how the teaching load of the member on leave will be addressed.

The original and two copies of the application, evaluation and recommendation of the chair, and the statement of department or school plans referred to above, will be submitted to the appropriate dean no later than the date set in the academic planning calendar, which is distributed by the provost’s office prior to September 1 of each academic year. The appropriate dean will forward his/her recommendation and copies of all applications received to the deans council for review. Following deans council review, the provost makes sabbatical recommendations to the president, who then forwards his/her recommendation to the board of trustees. Notification of the board of trustees action is made to all sabbatical applicants by the end of the fall semester.

Obligations of Sabbatical Recipients
The recipient of a sabbatical leave must:

• make every reasonable effort to fulfill the terms of the sabbatical;
  
• return to the Institute for a minimum of one year following the completion of the sabbatical leave;
  
• file a detailed written report on the results of his/her project with the chair, the appropriate dean, and the provost within ninety days after the beginning of the semester following the sabbatical leave;
  
• ensure that all publications or other materials produced as a result of the sabbatical support include an acknowledgment to the Institute.

leave of absence

academic leaves
Academic leaves of absence may be requested for a period of time normally not in excess of one year. In extraordinary circumstances, a leave of absence may be extended upon request by the faculty member and with approval of the administration. A leave of absence shall be without pay. The CBA requires that applications for leaves of absence must be submitted by October 15 for the spring semester and by February 15 for the ensuing fall semester. Applications should be submitted to the department chair. If recommended by the chair, dean and provost, the leave of absence will be submitted to the board of trustees for final approval.

medical leaves
The Family Medical Leave Act covers a variety of situations. Faculty should check with the Office of Human Resources for details regarding medical leaves.

leaves and years of service
A faculty member on a board-approved leave of absence will maintain his/her seniority. However, time on sabbatical leave and/or leave of absence, including medical leave, service in the armed forces, Vista or the Peace Corps, does not count toward promotion in rank, or toward change of status, to include the probationary period for tenure.