The leave program of the University is designed to ensure that Faculty members may be relieved periodically from normal teaching and other University duties in order to pursue scholarship. Leaves are recommended by the Chair of the department on the basis of a Faculty member's proposed program of scholarship, while taking into account the teaching and service needs of the department. The leave program does not guarantee that each Faculty member receives a specified number of leaves during a given number of years. It is intended rather to provide flexibility in planning both for the individual Faculty member's scholarly pursuits and for the instructional program of the department. There are several kinds of leave, including sabbatical leave and leave without pay. For sabbatical leaves, at least five consecutive semesters of service at 100% duty time must precede the leave. For leaves without pay, at least two consecutive semesters of service at 100% duty time must precede the leave. No member of the Faculty may be on leave of any kind for more than four semesters in a seven-year period. Sabbatical Leaves Tenured faculty become eligible for a semester of sabbatical leave after five consecutive semesters at 100% duty time, or an academic year of sabbatical leave after ten total semesters at 100% duty time (“accrual period”). During each of these semesters, faculty must have spent meaningful time performing the essential functions of their position, including teaching, research, and service, as determined by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty. Eligibility does not guarantee that a sabbatical leave will be granted for any given semester. For purposes of calculating sabbatical leave eligibility, a semester that includes any of the following exceptions to the 100% duty time rule may be considered a semester at 100% duty time: short-term disability, a protected leave of absence (such as FMLA), reduced duty time due to a reasonable accommodation for a disability, teaching relief for childbirth, workload relief for childcare, or comparable circumstances as determined by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty. Up to two semesters per exception may be counted at 100% duty time per accrual period of five consecutive semesters. Otherwise, for individuals whose duty time is less than 100%, the accumulation of semesters earned toward a sabbatical leave is proportional to that duty time. Reduced duty time for any reason shall not be less than 50% duty time. Sabbatical leaves may be with full pay for one semester or half pay for two semesters in the same academic year. External funds may be used to provide the other half salary so long as these funds do not entail obligations which alter the purpose of the leave. One semester of paid leave may be "banked" to be used at a later time, with the understanding that no more than one semester of paid leave may be banked at a time and that five semesters of service at 100% duty time remains the minimum interval between sabbatical leaves. For example, Faculty may elect to serve ten semesters of service at 100% duty time and take one academic year on leave at full pay. Note that sabbatical leaves are available only to Faculty who are actively engaged in scholarship, teaching, and service. No more than 1/3 of tenured faculty in the department may be on sabbatical leave in any given academic year. One-in-Six leaves for Assistant Professors in the Humanities or Social Sciences It is University policy that an Assistant Professor in the humanities or social sciences is granted one semester's leave with full pay or its equivalent during the first three-year appointment. Leaves for Bicentennial Preceptors A Bicentennial Preceptor is granted one academic year's leave with full pay during the term as Bicentennial Preceptor in addition to the one-in-six leave granted to Assistant Professors in the humanities and social sciences. Leaves for University Preceptors A University Preceptor is granted one semester's leave with pay during the term as University Preceptor in addition to the one-in-six leave granted to Assistant Professors in the humanities and social sciences. [Updated: December 2023]
