Sabbatical Leave Policies and Procedures

Sabbatical Leave Policies and Procedures

1. The policy of the University regarding sabbatical leaves is governed by the regulations of the Board of Regents, which state that "in strictly meritorious cases, a full-time faculty member on regular appointment . . . who has served continuously for a period of six years or longer" may be granted a sabbatical leave. The Board of Regents' policy on Leaves (Board of Regents policy manual II.C.10) also states that such leaves "shall not exceed four percent of the number of equivalent full-time faculty . . . for the fiscal year for which the leave of absence is granted." In April 1977, the Board extended the sabbatical leave policy to include those individuals identified by the University as "academic staff."

   In accordance with Regents’ policy and University of Kansas guidelines, a faculty or academic staff member must meet the following criteria to be eligible for sabbatical leave:

   1. Six years of full-time service in a regular appointment at the University of Kansas as a faculty or academic staff member since the initial appointment or since the last sabbatical.
      • The academic year in which a sabbatical is taken is not counted toward the next six years of full-time service.
      • Years on fractional appointment, leave without pay or other equivalent appointments are not counted.
      • Years of service on adjunct, courtesy, visiting, or term appointments are not counted.
   2. The faculty applicant must have tenure before the sabbatical is taken.
   3. The academic staff appointment must be supported by a 1.0 FTE state-funded position.
2. The sabbatical leave program is designed to provide an opportunity for faculty development. A leave may be granted "for the purpose of pursuing advanced study, conducting research studies, or securing appropriate industrial or professional experience" (Regents’ policy). Included in the scope of the sabbatical leave program are in-depth study in one's field of expertise and in related fields, research projects, development of new teaching materials and concepts, development of the use of technology to enhance teaching, preparation of a manuscript, a book, a play, or other scholarly or creative activities in one’s discipline and in related disciplines. The acceptance of a teaching appointment at another institution is ordinarily not regarded as an appropriate objective for a sabbatical leave.
3. The number of applications received each year often exceeds the number of leaves that may be granted. Thus, applicants applying for a leave should prepare their applications as carefully as they would for any competitive award.
4. Under Faculty Senate Rules and Regulations Article VIII, the University Committee on Sabbatical Leaves (UCSL) is assigned the responsibility of evaluating all sabbatical leave applications. UCSL is charged to evaluate each sabbatical leave application on the (1) value and benefits of the sabbatical plan to the applicant’s professional goals and the university mission, (2) the applicant’s record of teaching, service and scholarly creative endeavor, and (3) the applicant’s use of past sabbaticals. The application form and instructions for completion are available on the Provost’s web site.
5. Sabbatical leave for those persons on nine-month appointments may be granted for an academic year at half pay, or for one semester at full pay*. For persons on 12-month appointments, leave may be granted for 11 months of service at half pay, or five months at full pay*. The basis for salary calculations for persons on 12-month appointments is found in the following table:

   Appointment	Period of Leave	Salary Calculations based on Biweekly Pay Period Equivalents
   Twelve Month Appointments	5 months at full pay	11 biweekly pay periods
   	11 months at half pay	24 biweekly pay periods

6. *Administrative supplements will not be used in the calculation for sabbatical leave pay.
7. The Board of Regents, in providing the opportunity for a faculty or academic staff member to be on leave at full pay, assumes that during the period of such absence, no replacement will be required. If the sabbatical leave for one academic year is granted, the faculty or academic staff member will receive half pay for the academic year, on the regular monthly schedule. Any actions aimed at obtaining pay to equal the other half of the salary must be entirely up to the particular individual. Extra compensation received while on sabbatical leave must be within the guidelines specified in the Extra Compensation While On Sabbatical Leave policy.
8. Applicants will be notified of the recommendations of the Committee after the Chancellor’s approval. After approval, a change in the period of the leave or a substantial change in the nature of the sabbatical project may be made only with the approval of the departmental chairperson, dean, and the Provost. Requests for changes in the period of the leave should be submitted as early as possible, and not later than April 1.
9. Unsuccessful applicants may resubmit an application for sabbatical leave the following year. Although feedback may be requested to strengthen the application, the applicant must compete with new applicants and does not receive preferential treatment.
10. Regents' regulations require that a faculty or academic staff member who has been granted sabbatical leave shall, upon completion of the leave, return to the University to serve for a period of at least one year (9-12 months depending on the terms of employment). This return shall be in the semester immediately following the sabbatical leave. If a faculty member fails to return to the University, the faculty member is obligated to repay, within two years, whatever money was paid to the faculty member during the period of sabbatical leave. This obligation is prorated if the faculty member serves some but not all of the stipulated one year.
11. Within 90 days of the end of the sabbatical leave, a faculty member must file a brief narrative account of the leave with the Office of the Provost, with copies to the appropriate chairperson and/or dean or director. Applicants are encouraged to consult Article VIII of the Faculty Senate Rules and Regulations for additional information regarding the sabbatical leave policy and procedures.