Academic Affairs Sabbatical Guidelines

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Sabbatical Guidelines

XXV. SABBATICAL LEAVE AND LEAVE WITHOUT PAY GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES

Policy and Guidelines

Sabbatical leave may be awarded a full-time faculty member on regular appointment who has served at Pittsburg State University for a period of six years or longer. Sabbatical leave may, upon the recommendation of the President and the approval of the Board of Regents, be granted for the purpose of pursuing advanced study, scholarly activities, or securing appropriate industrial or professional experience and such leave shall not be granted for a period of less than one semester nor for a period of more than one year, with reimbursement being made according to the following schedule:
1. for nine-months faculty members, up to half pay for an academic year, or up to full pay for one semester, or
2. for twelve-months faculty members, up to half pay for eleven months, or up to full pay for five months.
Provisions
1. Regular salary is defined as the salary being paid at the time the sabbatical leave begins. Outside grant funds received by the University in support of the individual's scholarly efforts during his/her sabbatical leave may be used for supplemental salary, but total sabbatical leave salary in these instances may not exceed his/her regular salary.
2. That the number of faculty members to whom leave of absence with sabbatical pay is granted in any fiscal year shall not exceed four percent of the number of equivalent full-time faculty with rank of instructor or higher, or equivalent rank at Pittsburg State University for the fiscal year for which the leave of absence is granted.
3. That no faculty member will be granted leave of absence with sabbatical pay who does not agree to return to the service of Pittsburg State University for a period of at least one (1) year immediately following the expiration of the period of leave.
4. Persons failing to return to Pittsburg State University shall refund all sabbatical pay. Those who fail to remain for the full one year of school service (9 and 12 months depending on annual term of employment) shall refund that portion of their sabbatical pay as represented by the portion of the one year they fail to serve.
5. Leaves without pay will not be regarded as a break in service. Scholarly leave without pay will count toward tenure probationary period unless the employee and the institution agree, in writing, to the contrary at the time leave is granted. All other leaves without pay will not count toward the tenure probationary period. A leave without pay will not count toward sabbatical leave. Those on a leave without pay are governed under provisions set forth in policies regarding resignation and release from employment obligation.
6. Acceptance of sabbatical leave or leave without pay assumes that adequate reports will be filed with the Chairperson of the Department, the Dean of the College, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs within one month after return to the University. Sabbatical leaves occurring in the Fall Semester, the report(s) will be due by the first Monday after January 1.
7. The form of the report shall be designated by the Chairperson of the Department and should reflect the following: the manner in which the stated purpose of the leave was carried out, the primary results achieved, and any tangible results of the leave such as publications, new course strategies, new teaching methods developed, scientific materials collected or designed, paintings created, music composed, non-fiction written.
8. Chairpersons, Deans and the Faculty Affairs Committee will use the following guidelines in evaluating sabbatical leaves and leaves without pay requests.
  1. Requests must meet the published deadlines.
  2. Faculty must have completed six years of full-time, tenured and/or tenure earning service at Pittsburg State University to be eligible for a sabbatical leave.
  3. Leaves without pay may be requested after a minimum of one year of service to the University.
  4. Faculty requesting their first sabbatical leave should apply during the fall semester of their sixth year or after.
  5. Faculty requesting their second sabbatical leave should apply during the fall semester of the sixth year since their last sabbatical leave or after.
  6. The plans for the sabbatical leave or leave without pay must be specific as to not only the project to be undertaken but the details of how, where, and with whom the leave will be carried out.
  7. Plans for the leave must demonstrate adequate resources to carry out the objectives of the leave in terms of time, equipment and materials, literature sources, appropriate location(s), and, if appropriate, sources of expertise.
  8. The leave must be demonstrably beneficial to the professional responsibilities of the faculty member at Pittsburg State University.
  9. The leave must be demonstrably beneficial to the University and its academic community.
    
    Chairpersons and Deans are expected to evaluate requests for leaves on their professional development merit, on their administrative feasibility (staffing, funding, assignments, etc.) as well as on the criteria noted above.
    
    The Faculty Affairs Committee will evaluate leave requests utilizing the criteria noted and the professional development merit of the leave proposed.
Procedures