Sabbaticals

Full-time faculty members, including professional assistants, on continuing appointment are eligible for sabbatical leave after each six years of full-time service since joining the faculty (for a first sabbatical) or since returning from a previous sabbatical (for a second or later sabbatical). If your last sabbatical was seven years ago, you're eligible.

A call for sabbatical applications is sent out by administration each fall, and applications are due October 15. The secretary of the FA, who co-chairs the committee with the Vice President for Academic Affairs, hosts sabbatical workshops every September to help eligible members understand the application process.  

The sabbatical guidelines are not intended to be restrictive; they are intended to encourage a broad range of academic and intellectual pursuits. The contract states, "Sabbatical leaves may be granted for one or more of the following: graduate study, writing a significant work for publication, doing a significant research project or dissertation that complies with the permitted purposes for a sabbatical and is within the context of professional review, developing a new curriculum or program which is consistent with college plans, or other significant academic or intellectual projects." Bear in mind that the above examples are not meant to be all encompassing.

The application form has four main areas:

  • abstract for Board of Trustees resolution (needed if sabbatical is awarded)
  • narrative on the sabbtical activity
  • demonstrated professional benefit to the applicant (discuss how the activity will make you a better teacher, professional, or scholar)
  • demonstrated benefit to the college (discuss the specific impact your sabbatical may have on carrying out your professional responsibilities, e.g. to teaching; to student learning; to programs, courses or curriculum development; to retraining; or to an institution-specific project).

In addition to existing criteria, applicants must demonstrate that the proposal will involve activity at least equivalent to a full-time teaching/work load and is beyond the professional activity expected to be performed concurrent with full-time duties.

Nine full-year sabbaticals (at half pay) and nine half-year sabbaticals (at full pay) may be awarded in each academic year. The conversion provision applies, which means that every two full-year sabbaticals left unawarded can convert to one half-year sabbatical.

Applications for sabbatical are reviewed by the sabbatical committee which is composed of four members appointed by the FA president and four members appointed by the college president.

All applications are blind, and the committee recommendations for sabbatical awards are based upon merit, by majority vote of the committee. If a sabbatical recommended by the committee is not supported by the college president, the president will provide reasons, in writing, to the committee for the omission.

Sample Sabbatical Applications

Science Faculty Application

English Faculty Application

Communications Faculty Application

Music Faculty Application

Sample Sabbatical Reports

Science Faculty Report

English Faculty Report (1)

Mathematics Faculty Report (2)

Music Faculty Report

Communication Faculty Report