Sabbatical Procedures

Purdue Northwest Office of Academic Affairs Memorandum (AA-8)
Operating Procedures for Sabbatical Leave Requests

Office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Effective date: July 1, 2022
[Supersedes all previous versions]

Statement of Process

This memorandum, in conjunction with Purdue University’s Policy on Sabbatical Leaves (I.A.5), defines the process for seeking approval for Sabbatical Leave at Purdue University Northwest and submitting recommendations for final approval to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

A sabbatical leave provides tenured faculty members the opportunity for a release from regular commitments at earned academic intervals to maintain and continue a high level of academic excellence and to periodically update and strengthen their professional skills. Sabbatical leaves are of vital importance to the University in that they provide for continued professional growth and new or renewed intellectual achievement through study, research, and writing.

Colleges and Academic Departments will assume responsibility for financing their approved faculty sabbaticals, including replacement for teaching costs. Under certain circumstances, such as budgetary restrictions, the Office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs may arrange to provide central funding fully or partially for approved sabbaticals

Eligibility

For tenured academic-year faculty members, sabbatical leaves may be granted as follows:

After a minimum of six semesters of service: one semester at half pay.
After a minimum of 12 semesters of service: one semester at full pay or two semesters at half pay, with pay adjusted proportionately for intermediate periods.
After a minimum of 18 semesters of service: one semester at full pay and one semester at half pay, with pay adjusted proportionately for intermediate periods.
After a minimum of 24 semesters of service: two semesters at full pay.

For tenured fiscal-year faculty members, sabbatical leaves may be granted as follows:

After a minimum of three years of service: six months at half pay.
After a minimum of six years of service: six months at full pay or up to one year at half pay, with pay adjusted proportionately for intermediate periods of time.
After a minimum of nine years of service: nine months at full pay.
After a minimum of 12 years of service: 12 months at full pay.

As each sabbatical ends, a new waiting period begins in accordance with the above sections.

Procedures

1. This document establishes the criteria and application process for Academic Affairs Sabbatical leaves. The review and advisory process will include the college committee and the colleges’ deans. The deans will make the final decision to approve sabbaticals on the basis of funding availability and priorities.

2. Applications for sabbatical leave will be submitted to the applicant’s Dean by an announced deadline each fall semester, which will be no later than two weeks prior to the date set for receipt of the decisions in the VCAA’s office. Applications will conform to the following form and style: single spaced, 11 pt., Times or Times New Roman font, one-inch margins. A single file is to be submitted electronically in MS Word format.

Arrange applications as follows:

Description and Rationale for Sabbatical Leave (Minimum three pages; maximum seven pages)

This section should begin with the applicant’s name, department affiliation, date of the application, date of faculty hire in the tenure track, date awarded tenure, date(s) of any previous sabbaticals, inclusive dates for the sabbatical leave, and the following components:

1. Plans and Goals for the Sabbatical – An overview of the sabbatical’s purposes and objectives, personnel and venues involved, etc.
2. Outcomes for the Sabbatical – Deliverables, such as manuscript(s), completed publication(s), grant applications, curriculum development, new collaborations, techniques and methodologies, etc.
3. Benefits of the Sabbatical – To the applicant, the applicant’s department, the applicant’s college, and to Purdue University Northwest.

Abbreviated Curriculum Vitae (no more than two pages)

This condensed, focused CV should document the applicant’s background and expertise, and include those citations (complete with authors, journal titles, dates, page numbers, etc.) that are of the greatest relevance to the application.

Letter of Support from the Department Head

This letter should address the value of the proposed sabbatical, the qualifications of the applicant, the applicant’s potential for success, and how the faculty member’s responsibilities will be covered in their absence. For single department colleges, a letter of support should be provided by the program coordinator/director.

3. All applications will be reviewed by a College Sabbatical Review Committee comprised of tenured faculty members who are not applying for sabbatical leave in the coming year. Each unit in the College will elect one representative to this committee. The Committee shall be composed of no fewer than three faculty members. In Colleges with no or fewer than three departments, at-large faculty representatives shall be elected from the entire College. The Dean shall appoint the Chair of the Committee.

4. The Committee shall review and prioritize the applications. The Committee will provide the Dean with a prioritized list of the applications with a written evaluation of how the application reflects the criteria for a sabbatical.

5. The Academic Dean shall review the Committee recommendations. The Dean will take the recommendation of the committee and make his/her own assessment and prioritization of the applications. The Dean’s assessment will include the impact of the proposed sabbatical on the department operations and mission; he/she shall review the benefits the sabbatical leave will (or will not) bring to the academic unit, as well as the costs, staffing concerns, and impact to the unit while the faculty member is on leave. The Dean will make the final determination as to the disposition of the applications, and will inform the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs of the decisions.

6. No later than 90 days following the end of their leave period, successful applicants will submit a written report (electronic copy – no more than two pages) of their sabbatical leave to the VCAA (copy to their Dean and Department Head) with information addressing compliance with the originally-proposed goals of the sabbatical and reporting upon the achievements and benefits derived from the completed sabbatical.

Assessment of Sabbatical Leave Proposals

University-wide guidelines are followed in the assessment of applications for a sabbatical leave. In general, consideration should be given to the following:

The potential value of the proposed project to the applicant’s professional development;
The potential value of the proposed project to the University, to the students, and to the applicant’s discipline, department, or college;
The evidence of preliminary planning to complete the project;
The qualifications of the applicant to undertake the project;
The applicant’s record of teaching, professional growth, and University service.

Academic Affairs

Office of Academic Affairs

(219) 989-2446

vcaa@pnw.edu