Section IV.F: Academic Leaves (Sabbatical Policy) - Law
The sabbatical leave program is a component of the faculty professional development program and is designed to enrich teaching and research and to support the Law School curriculum. A sabbatical leave is for research, study, writing, or other academic or professional work contributing to the professional refreshment and effectiveness of the recipient as a scholar and teacher. It is an opportunity for development of the faculty member’s abilities for the benefit of both the school and the faculty member.
All tenured or tenure-track faculty members are eligible to apply for sabbatical leave after six years of full-time service as a tenured or tenure-track faculty member at the Law School. Upon completion of any sabbatical leave, a faculty member again becomes eligible for a sabbatical leave after another six years of full-time service. In the rare event that a faculty member postpones an approved sabbatical leave upon the written request of the Law School, the faculty member shall again become eligible for a sabbatical after five years of full-time service following the completion of the sabbatical leave. Compensation for faculty on sabbatical leave shall be at the following rates: full salary for a half year; 60 percent of salary for a full year. While on a sabbatical leave, a faculty member is entitled to all benefits then offered to faculty. Benefits (other than pension contributions) that are tied to salary shall be calculated on the basis of the full salary of the faculty member; pension contributions shall be calculated on the basis of the faculty member’s sabbatical leave salary. Time spent on sabbatical leave shall be counted as time in rank for purposes of promotion and tenure.
Faculty members who desire a sabbatical leave must submit an application to the Law School Sabbatical and Leave Committee by November 1 of each year. The application shall include a complete and detailed description of the objectives of the sabbatical and the methods to be used in accomplishing those objectives. The application should include a statement as to how the sabbatical relates to prior experience and future professional activity of the faculty member. The application should also discuss possible outside sources of funds for projects of the type proposed. If application has been made for outside funding, the applicant shall submit a copy of the funding request.
The committee shall evaluate each sabbatical application and when necessary place those it believes worthy of funding in a priority ranking. The worthiness of the project shall be the primary basis of approval and of priority ranking. In making its determination, the committee shall consider the following factors: 1) the relationship between the sabbatical and the continuing professional development of the applicant, 2) the likelihood of achieving the goals of the sabbatical, and 3) outside funding, if obtained.
The dean shall determine the number of sabbatical leaves that can be granted. The number will depend on three variables: 1) the total cost of the leaves being sought, 2) the ability of the Law School to function adequately in the applicants’ absence, and 3) the total number of full-time faculty members away from the Law School campus in one academic year. In weighing this last variable, the dean may consider competing teaching assignments and other leaves of absence as well as the sabbatical applications.
Faculty members are encouraged to seek outside grants to provide additional financial support for sabbaticals. If a faculty member plans to work for a salary during all of part of the sabbatical, this plan must be specified in the application and approved by the dean.
Unless otherwise agreed in writing, a faculty member must agree to return to the Law School for a minimum of one year following a sabbatical leave. 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 Law School during the sabbatical leave.
Upon returning from a sabbatical leave, the faculty member must submit a written report to the dean. If appropriate, the faculty member should arrange to present the results of a sabbatical leave to the law faculty or the Law School community through a seminar or faculty colloquium.