Section III.C: Academic Leaves (Sabbatical) Policy - College of Arts & Sciences
Purpose
A sabbatical leave is offered by Lewis & Clark College to its faculty for the purpose of research, writing, or other creative scholarly activity contributing to the professional development of the recipient as a teacher and a scholar.
Eligibility
Only tenure-track or tenured members of the faculty are eligible for sabbatical leaves.
Eligibility for sabbatical leaves is determined by the number of years or semesters of full-time service. A semester of full-time service is any semester in which the faculty member 1) teaches what is considered a normal full-time load minus possible course releases for College administrative duties (e.g., department chair, program director, or associate dean); 2) leads a College overseas or off-campus program; or 3) is on a sabbatical, family, or medical leave.
Nontenured Tenure-Track Faculty:
Junior faculty may apply for a one-semester sabbatical leave at full salary to be taken in the pre-tenure period, normally in the fourth year of full-time service.
Tenured Faculty:
Full-time tenured faculty with 12 semesters of full-time service since the last sabbatical are eligible for a one-semester sabbatical at full salary or a two-semester sabbatical at two-thirds normal annual salary. There is one exception to the 12-semester interval between sabbaticals. Faculty who took a junior sabbatical are eligible to apply in the year following a successful promotion and tenure decision.
Conditions
A faculty member must agree to return to Lewis & Clark College for a minimum of one year of full-time teaching following a sabbatical leave. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, if a faculty member does not return for the minimum one-year period, the faculty member must repay all salary paid to the faculty member by the College during the sabbatical leave. Both the recipient and the College shall continue to make their regular contributions to the retirement program during the period of sabbatical leave, such contributions to be based upon the sabbatical-leave salary. Time spent on sabbatical leave shall be counted as time in rank for purposes of promotion and tenure.
Application
A complete and detailed description of the objectives of the sabbatical and the methods to be used in accomplishing those objectives is required. Applicants must include a statement as to how the sabbatical relates to prior experience and future professional activity. If the applicant has had a previous sabbatical at Lewis & Clark, a copy of the report of the most recent sabbatical must accompany the application. Appropriate outside sources of funds for projects of the type proposed should be identified. If application has been made for outside funding, the applicant may submit a copy of the funding request. The application should be signed by the chair of the department to indicate his or her approval.
Basis of Approval
Applications are submitted to the associate dean for consideration by the Faculty Council in the Fall semester of each year. The Faculty Council evaluates each application and ranks those it believes worthy of funding in priority order.
The scholarly merit of the project is the primary basis of approval. Factors that will also be considered include 1) the relationship between the sabbatical and the continuing professional development of the applicant and 2) the likelihood of achieving the goals of the sabbatical.
The priority ranking of worthy applications and the rationale for those rankings are considered by the Faculty Council for approval. The number of sabbatical leaves that can be granted will depend on three variables: 1) the total cost of the leaves being sought, 2) the ability of the department to function adequately in the applicant’s absence, and 3) the total number of regular faculty members away from the campus in one academic year. In weighing this last variable, the Faculty Council will consider overseas teaching assignments and other leaves of absence as well as the sabbatical applications.
In the case of one-semester sabbaticals, the home department will be expected to cover the absence without the expenditure of adjunct funding. In the case of full-year sabbaticals, the Faculty Council will review the matter of replacement on a case-by-case basis on programmatic grounds. In the context of a five-course annual teaching load, a one-semester sabbatical is considered to be the equivalent of two courses.
Other Remuneration
The faculty member is encouraged to seek outside grants to provide additional financial support for the sabbatical. If a faculty member proposes to work for a salary during all or part of the sabbatical, this plan must be specified in the application and approved by the Faculty Council.
Since the purpose of the sabbatical is scholarly work, such employment will not normally be approved.
Reports of Results
A written report to the Faculty Council and the department chair is required the first semester back on campus. If appropriate, arrangements should be made to present the results of a sabbatical leave to the campus at large through a seminar or faculty colloquium.