SABBATICAL
LEAVE PROGRAM
ELIGIBILITY
Faculty members and librarians are eligible to apply for one sabbatical leave
during each period of seven years' full-time service to Indiana University in
faculty or librarian rank (including time on sabbatical leave), following the
first six years of full-time service. If a sabbatical is not taken during a
given seven-year period, that eligibility is lost, e.g., if a sabbatical leave
is not taken in the period extending from the seventh year through the
thirteenth year, one is eligible for only one sabbatical during the
period extending from the fourteenth year through the twentieth year. Any
exceptions to these requirements must be made, in writing, by the Dean of the
Faculties. Leaves of absence without pay do not count toward sabbatical
leaves, except that recipients of nationally or internationally competitive
fellowships for which a Research Leave Supplement was awarded may count up to
one such year toward their next sabbatical leave; sabbatical leaves ordinarily
are not granted within four years of a previous sabbatical leave, nor when a
faculty member has not been recommended for tenure, nor during a
faculty member's last year before retirement.
APPLICATION DUE DATES
Sabbatical leave
applications are due for the following academic year (or second semester of it)
in the fall of each year. The Dean of the Faculties administers this program
and sends to each faculty member a reminder of the schedule and procedures each
fall:
·
Request
sabbatical leave application forms from Academic Personnel Policies and
Services,
·
Inform
departmental chairperson or dean by September 15 of your intention to
apply for leave.
·
Submit
completed application to chairperson or dean by October 15.
·
Deans
should forward completed applications to the Dean of
the Faculties' office no later than November l5.
In order to
provide the faculty member or librarian with the maximum amount of time to make
firm plans and arrangements, the Sabbatical Leaves Committee will attempt to
process all applications as expeditiously as possible. To accomplish this,
applications must be submitted on time.
DURATION OF LEAVES/DIVIDED
SABBATICALS
Traditionally,
sabbatical leaves have been awarded either for one semester at full pay or for
the academic year at half pay. n 1981 the University Faculty Council and the Trustees of
Indiana University extended that policy:
"A
sabbatical leave need not be taken in a single academic year but may be divided
over several academic years." Faculty members should discuss their plans
carefully with their chairpersons or deans before applying for a divided
sabbatical. The following general guidelines have been established:
·
The
Sabbatical Leaves Committee will review applications for divided leave periods
giving careful consideration to the appropriateness of the proposed time
allocation to the successful completion of the project.
·
The
initial application for a divided sabbatical leave must set forth the plans for
the total duration of the sabbatical leave, indicating when the
applicant will take the various leave periods.
·
Applications
requesting divided leaves for less than half a semester
should provide a well-supported rationale for the shortness of the leave
period(s). Such applications will be scrutinized with particular care.
·
A
divided sabbatical leave may be taken for a total of either ten months at half
pay or five months at full pay, but not for any combination of half and
full-pay periods.
·
Eligibility
rules for a divided sabbatical leave remain the same as those for the
traditional sabbatical leave; no part of a sabbatical leave may be taken before
the completion of six years of full-time service.
·
The
University's policy that all persons who have been on sabbatical leave are
obligated to return to their regular positions at Indiana University for at
least one academic year also applies to divided sabbatical leaves.
Once a sabbatical
leave application has been approved, the scheduling of the sabbatical may be
altered within the same academic year by approval of a Personnel Action
Recommendation Form through the standard departmental, school, campus, and
University offices. However, if a sabbatical leave is postponed to another
academic year, the application is treated as a new one and must be submitted in
the usual manner.
SABBATICAL LEAVE APPLICATION
REVIEWS
All applications
for sabbatical leave are subject to both budgetary and substantive review. (See
F-4 for
condensed sample application form.) Since sabbatical leaves are an expensive
investment by the University, the Sabbatical Leaves Committee must be convinced
that the sabbatical will indeed be of benefit to the University. This means
that the sabbatical leave applicant must provide a well thought-out, clearly
delineated plan of research for the sabbatical leave, in which the relevance to
the University should be explained. Even though the application must be made
approximately a year before the individual's planned leave period, it is
important that the proposal be specific. Failure to outline a clear plan runs
the risk of rejection by the committee, and is likely to result in a less
satisfactory sabbatical than is the case when the plan has been clearly
delineated.
PURPOSE
The Sabbatical
Leaves Committee is charged with evaluation of applications in light of the
purposes set out by the Bloomington Faculty Council. The
Sabbatical Leaves of Absence Program (DOCUMENT F-II)
provides as follows:
A faculty member has two academic functions, teaching and research. Travel to
use other libraries or research centers, to work with other scholars, or to
conduct field research is generally necessary for scholarly endeavor. The
sabbatical leave program is undertaken to provide time for such scholarly
research and any travel incident thereto and to allow members of the faculty to
keep abreast of developments in their fields of service to the University. . .
A statement of
proposed use of time is required to indicate the manner of achieving these
general objectives. Adherence to an approved plan is expected of a faculty
member...Acceptable programs for the use of time may include:
1. Research on significant problems;
2. Important creative or descriptive work in
any means of expression; for example, writing, painting, and so forth;
3. Postdoctoral study along a specified line
at another institution; and
4. Other projects satisfactory to the
Committee on Sabbatical Leaves of Absence.
AWARD CRITERIA
To accomplish the purposes of the program, the
Sabbatical Leaves Committee judges each proposal for its intrinsic merit and
potential contribution. The following points are considered in judging every
application for sabbatical leave. The application should be written so as to
provide adequate information on each point:
Purpose and rationale. Is the purpose of the proposed project
clear? Are the outcomes specified so that the contributions of the project to
scholarship, creative endeavor, and/or professional practice may be judged? Are
the outcomes likely to enhance the faculty member's effectiveness in the
University? Is the project well grounded in theory, previous scholarly work,
artistic development, and/or professional advances? Does it address an
important problem or need?
Procedure/Methods/Plan of Attack. Does the proposal show a clear and well
developed plan? Are methods or procedures well designed for the problem? Are
the procedures feasible considering the time and resources available? Have travel
plans or choice of other institution been adequately justified in the light of
the purpose and rationale for the project? If the research is to be conducted
in
Proposer's Background and Qualifications. Does the proposal demonstrate that the
faculty member's background and qualifications are suitable for the project?
Does the proposal make clear how the project will advance the faculty member's
capacity to contribute to the University's objectives?
Normally
applications are not approved which propose a leave for writing a textbook,
course development or improvement, post-doctoral work on this campus,
continuation of research and/or creative activities normally conducted on this
campus by the faculty member, or travel or visits to other institutions that
have no clear scholarly purpose. If post-doctoral work is proposed, the role of
the training in enhancing the University's academic capability should be emphasized.
In developing the
application the faculty member should plan the statement of the project with
care to ensure precision and conciseness. Vaguely worded proposals suggest that
the goals and procedures have not yet been clearly determined and run a high
risk of rejection. Extensive discussion of historical precedent for the
proposed project is unnecessary.
EXTERNAL SUPPORT
Activities and
funds to supplement the sabbatical leave must be consistent with the purpose of
the sabbatical leave. Teaching responsibilities, if more than an occasional
guest lecture is involved, are not generally considered to be consistent with
the sabbatical leave program. However, under special circumstances, permission
may be granted for a faculty member to augment a full-year, half-salary
sabbatical stipend through part-time teaching at a host institution. The purpose
of such an exception is to make it possible for a faculty member lacking
outside support to pursue an opportunity for research or creative activity
during a full-year rather than a half-year sabbatical leave. The faculty member
must explain in writing how the prospects for a productive sabbatical leave
will be enhanced, and must specify the nature and extent of the proposed
teaching. The departmental chairperson and Dean must then recommend the
exception to the Dean of the Faculties, who will make the final determination
as to whether or not it can be allowed. Under no circumstances may total
stipends, salaries, etc., exceed the normal salary the faculty member would
have received had he/she been on normal appointment at
SABBATICAL LEAVE REPORTS
At the end of sabbatical leave, a report describing
the execution of work for which leave was granted is to be sent to the Dean of
the Faculties. A sample of the Report Form appears on page F-6. The
requirement of this report is set forth in the Sabbatical Leaves Program. (See DOCUMENT F-II.)
This report will be attached to the faculty member's next application for a
sabbatical leave before it is circulated to the committee.
RETIREMENT PLAN
CONTRIBUTIONS WHILE ON SABBATICAL LEAVE
During a semester
or academic year sabbatical leave, IU Retirement Plan contributions will be
made on salary paid. If on sabbatical leave at half pay,
contributions will be made based on the half salary. This conforms to
IRS regulations for retirement contributions.
INSURANCE--SABBATICAL
It is the policy
of the University to continue full life and medical insurance coverage in the
case of an academic year sabbatical leave at half pay, or a one-semester
sabbatical at full pay. Deductions for the appointee's share of the medical insurance
premiums from monthly payroll checks will be continued during the leave.
SICK LEAVE
The Trustees of
Indiana University approved a sick leave plan which is available to full-time
academic appointees on appointment for at least an academic year for any major
illness. (See DOCUMENT
F-III.) It provides for six weeks of sick leave at full pay. An
extension to the end of a semester to a total maximum of six weeks at full pay
and nine additional weeks at one-half pay is provided when the prognosis for
early recovery is favorable and the extension is approved by the Chairperson
and Dean.
PREGNANCY AND SICK LEAVE
The Sick Leave Plan applies to medical disabilities of
full-time academic appointees resulting from pregnancy (including pre-delivery,
delivery, and post-partum medical needs, and complications of pregnancy and/or
child-birth and termination of pregnancy). (See DOCUMENT
F-III.) The period of a pregnancy leave is established as: six weeks
at full pay and such additional time as is medically required. Within these
constraints, leave of up to six weeks will be paid at the full rate. Additional
leave for which one is eligible will be paid at one-half rate. Prior to the
beginning of a pregnancy leave, a Personnel Action Form should be initiated
putting the appointee on sick leave at full pay for six weeks. An automatic return
at the end of the six weeks will be expected unless a Personnel Action Form is
submitted for additional medically required leave at half-pay, or for a leave
without pay (LWOP). Questions about the interpretation of the plan for academic
appointees should be directed to the Dean of the Faculties Office.
PREGNANCY &
CHILD-REARING LEAVES
Pregnancy and child-rearing shall be considered a permissible purpose for
applying for a leave without pay, either partial or full, and shall be
available as prescribed by the policy on LWOP . (See DOCUMENT
F-III.)
FAMILY & MEDICAL LEAVES
The Family and
Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) requires Indiana University to provide up to
12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave
for certain family and medical reasons to employees who have worked for 1250
hours over the previous 12 months (generally interpreted as 60% time/12 month
appointment, 72% time/academic year appointment).
An overview of
the FMLA provisions appears on the following page. (For Department of Labor
Program Highlights and more details, see DOCUMENT
F-VI).
PARTIALLY-PAID FAMILY LEAVE
POLICY
Full-time
academic appointees with at least three years of service are eligible to apply
for a partially-paid family leave of absence for (1) the birth or adoption of a
child by the academic appointee or the academic appointee's spouse or (2) the serious
health condition of the academic appointee's spouse, child, or parent when the
academic appointee is the primary or co-primary caretaker. (See
DOCUMENT
F-VII.) The partially-paid leave shall be for a period not to exceed
15 weeks or to the end of the semester, whichever occurs first.
In the case of
the birth of a child, the academic appointee may wish to take pregnancy leave
(six weeks at full pay) before taking advantage of the Partially-Paid Family
Leave Policy.
LEAVE FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Leaves with pay
are accorded, by the Trustees of Indiana University, for military tours of
duty, jury duty, and appearance as subpoenaed witnesses. (See
DOCUMENTS F-IV
and F-V.)
Leaves for the latter two purposes shall be permitted for whatever periods may
be required by the courts. Leaves for military obligations shall not exceed 15
days in any one calendar year.