Sabbatical Leave

1. General

1. Sabbatical leave provides an opportunity for full-time faculty members to engage in scholarly or creative activities that will enhance their professional growth and teaching abilities. It is a leave of absence from all departmental/school teaching, service and administration responsibilities.  
2. While sabbatical leave can be considered a reasonable expectation, it is not a mandatory right of any faculty member. Eligibility for sabbatical leave in accordance with the policy and procedures detailed below, does not of itself constitute entitlement to such leave. It is leave which is to be approved at the discretion of the applicable Chair of department, the Dean of the relevant School and the Provost.  Sabbatical leave is not granted for the purpose of taking full or part- time employment at another institution and faculty must not engage in such employment. 
3. Sabbatical leave may be granted at full salary for four (4) months.
4. Leave will be granted only if the chair of department and dean are assured that the leave will not adversely affect the department’s programs, including teaching, other scholarly activity, clinical and/or administrative responsibilities.
5. This University-wide policy and the procedures contained herein, aim to ensure that sabbatical leave is administered fairly and consistently, as well as outlining the application and approval process.

2. Eligibility

1. To be eligible for sabbatical leave, a faculty member must have had at least six (6) years (72 consecutive months) of continuous full-time and active service at the University. 
2. Time spent on leave in excess of 2 months per year, over the 6-year duration preceding the intended sabbatical time will not count toward the accumulation of service for sabbatical leave. 
3. Periods of temporary or part-time employment with the University do not count toward the accumulation of service for sabbatical leave.
4. Full-time faculty from the rank of lecturer and up constitute the eligible faculty. Rank-only, non-track positions are not eligible for sabbatical.
5. Eligible faculty members whose application for sabbatical leave has been denied may apply again 6-months from date of notification of refusal.             
6. A faculty member who has formally indicated in writing, an intention to leave the University or an intention to retire, is not eligible for sabbatical leave.
7. Affiliate faculty are not eligible for sabbatical leave.   

3. Sabbatical Leave and Replacement Teaching Arrangements  

1. The possibility of making satisfactory arrangements for the continued work of those on sabbatical leave to be carried out by other colleagues, is a significant consideration in the granting of sabbatical leave. It is generally expected that colleagues will cover the duties of faculty on sabbatical leave. This should not result in a work overload for any faculty member.
2. It is possible that the expertise of those who wish to proceed on leave may not be easily replicated within the department. In such circumstances, the University may consider that replacement expertise may have to be brought in and the applicant is expected to assist in the identification of any replacement faculty.  
3. In cases where approval of sabbatical will necessitate a request for temporary teaching replacement, chairs of department must make a case in writing to the provost, through their respective deans. chairs of departments should await the decision of the provost and the finance department before giving department endorsement to the leave application.  

4. Sabbatical Application requirements

1. Faculty members considering applying for sabbatical leave shall consult with the Chair of the department prior to making formal application. 
2. Leave may not be granted when the ongoing program of instruction results in costs exceeding one sixth (1/6) of the annual salary of the applicant.
3. A faculty member requesting sabbatical leave must submit a formal application with a sabbatical plan for the period, to the dean of their respective School, through their chair of department, with copy to the associate dean for faculty affairs. Sabbatical leave must be requested sufficiently in advance and must be done at least six (6) months in advance of the start of the proposed leave.
4. Absence must be planned to allow the work of the department or section to continue with the least inconvenience and lowest additional cost, during the faculty member’s absence. 
5. When sabbatical leave is requested by more than one person in the department, for the same period of time, special readjustments in sabbatical leave dates must be made given the teaching, scholarship and service obligations of the department. 
6. Approval of the leave must be given by the chair of department and dean of the SOM. A letter of support from the Chair of the department must accompany the request.
7. An updated copy of the applicant’s curriculum vitae must be submitted together with the application.
8. The sabbatical plan for the period of leave needs to be outlined, including:
   1. a summary of the proposed leave activities
   2. the dates of requested leave
   3. a description of the project, including its rationale and its significance for the applicant’s discipline, scholarship and overall professional development
   4. a brief description of the work to be produced, such as papers, books or grant proposals, as well as any supporting documents from collaborators and/or publishers
   5. if applicable, a description of any special circumstances that make such leave particularly desirable, for example, collaboration in a funded project. 
9. As a prior condition to the granting of sabbatical leave, the faculty member must agree, in writing, that on the completion of leave he or she will return to his or her employment with the University for at least one (1) year and if he or she fails to comply with this requirement, he or she will refund to the University the full salary and any such other benefits and compensation the University has paid to the individual, or on his or her behalf, during his or her leave.

5. Processing Sabbatical Leave

1. The application for sabbatical leave must be forwarded to associate dean for Faculty affairs, and from there to the Office of the senior associate dean of basic sciences and on to the Office of the Dean of the School of Medicine, with the appropriate dean’s and chair of department’s signatures and formal recommendation.
2. Once eligibility is established, a letter of approval or denial of the sabbatical leave is communicated by the provost to the applicant, with copies to the relevant Dean, associate dean for faculty affairs and chair of department. 
3. The letter of approval will include dates, the post-sabbatical service requirement and any special contingencies that are attached to such leave.
4. The dean of the School of Medicine reserves the right to consult independently with the chair of the department, the senior associate dean of basic sciences and/or the applicant about the applicant’s proposed leave, regarding the potential impact on the department and/or School’s resources.
5. In the event that a request for sabbatical leave is denied, the faculty member shall receive written notification of such from the office of the dean of the School of Medicine, stating the reasons for the denial. They will subsequently become eligible to reapply after 6 months of date of receipt of such.    

6. Renumeration/ Compensation

1. Compensation during the term of an approved sabbatical leave shall consist solely of the faculty member’s base salary amount applicable at the time the sabbatical leave begins.  Faculty members will not earn stipends while on a sabbatical leave. Salary payments made during a sabbatical leave shall be payable at the University’s customary payment intervals, in the currency that the faculty member generally receives, and will be subject to normal tax and other withholding requirements. 
2. Faculty members who are eligible to apply for a sabbatical leave, but choose not to do so, are not eligible to receive a cash or “in-kind” payment in lieu of the paid sabbatical leave. 
3. Faculty whose employment terminates before a potential sabbatical leave is earned, will not be eligible to receive any cash payment or pro-rated sabbatical period.
4. Sabbatical leave cannot be split. It can only be used as a single continuous block of time.

7. Accruing Leave for the purpose of Sabbatical Eligibility 

1. For faculty who take sabbatical leave, another six years (12 semesters) of continuous full-time employment and active service must pass before another sabbatical leave may be taken.
2. The new sabbatical eligibility time will begin to accumulate on the date the faculty member returns from their sabbatical. The time spent on sabbatical does not count towards a faculty member’s next sabbatical leave.
3. Sabbatical leave may not be accrued and used collectively. For example, should a faculty member not apply for sabbatical leave after the first qualifying six (6) years and, after twelve (12) years continued full time service time then applies, that faculty member does not qualify for a sabbatical of one (1) academic year.

8. Appropriate Activity

Scholarship, including research, should be the primary focus of the sabbatical leave, although engagement in pedagogical development may be an appropriate sabbatical component. Faculty members on sabbatical leave must utilize such leave constructively and give full time to the project and purpose for which the leave was granted. Faculty on approved sabbatical leave remain subject to University policies, including but not limited to the policy on intellectual property.

A faculty member on sabbatical leave, receiving full salary from the University, shall not engage in paid employment elsewhere.  

9. Post-Sabbatical Service Requirements

1. Given that sabbatical leave exists, in part, for the benefit of the University’s academic programs, approval is contingent on fulfilling the commitment of one (1) year of post-sabbatical service.  
2. Upon completion of the sabbatical leave, the faculty member shall submit a final written report to the associate dean for faculty affairs and the chair of department. The associate dean for faculty affairs will forward copies to the Dean of SOM. 
3. The report must be submitted within three (3) months of the completion of the leave. 
4. The report must clearly specify the activities undertaken during the leave, and how such activities have: (i) helped in achieving the agreed purpose for which the leave was granted (ii) contributed to the recipient’s professional development and the department/school and (iii) in light of these, how his or her professional development plan may change to reflect these recent achievements.  
5. Recipients must provide copies of any articles, books or other scholarly outcomes resulting from the sabbatical leave to his or her chair of department as soon as available, but not exceeding six (6) months after completion of the leave. A request to submit after this period, must be made to the chair of department and include justifiable reasons. 

10. Sabbatical Records

The dean of the respective school shall maintain information about all sabbatical leaves granted and denied each year and maintain a database of all sabbatical reports submitted.