Teaching Sabbatical
U23A
In addition to FR&D sabbaticals and post-promotion sabbaticals, the University supports faculty development through eligibility for occasional teaching sabbatical opportunities. Teaching sabbaticals are defined as reassignment from all teaching duties in a single semester. Faculty on a teaching sabbatical have a zero-course teaching load for the length of a single semester. However, unlike an FR&D sabbatical or post-promotion sabbatical, teaching sabbaticals do not release faculty from their other expectations.
A probationary teaching sabbatical is available to undergraduate continuing- and tenure-track faculty who have completed at least their first probationary year but who have not yet reached the year in which they submit their file for continuance or promotion/tenure. It allows for a faculty member to have one fall or spring semester with no teaching responsibilities (zero course load), allowing them to focus on scholarship. Sample annual teaching loads would be 0-1-3 or 3-1-0. The teaching sabbatical is available by combining one departmental reassigned time with one reassigned time through the Provost's Office. Faculty and department chairs should work closely to best meet departmental and faculty development needs.
Awards are not granted on a competitive basis. However, eligible faculty should submit to their Dean and the Provost's Office (Assistant Provost for Scholarship and Creative Activity) a plan for their scholarship. A final report of teaching sabbatical research progress is due in the Provost's Office by October 15 of the year after the teaching sabbatical is taken.
Post-probationary faculty (see definition of post-probationary under "Grants Awarded by the Post-Probationary Faculty development Committee") may be eligible to create a teaching sabbatical utilizing reassigned times awarded to them as part of the post-probationary faculty development support system. Post-probationary faculty eligible to create a teaching sabbatical once every seven years, but not consecutive to an FR&D sabbatical or post-promotion sabbatical.
A post-probationary teaching sabbatical allows for a faculty member to have one fall or spring semester with no teaching responsibilities (zero course load), allowing them to focus on teaching, service/leadership, or professional activity. The teaching sabbatical is created by utilizing one's post-probationary or other reassigned times. Faculty and department chairs should work closely to best meet both the departmental and student experience goals, and faculty development needs, and agree on the optimal semester for teaching sabbatical.
Chairs should make reasonable efforts to inform faculty of when their post-probationary reassigned time expires and work with faculty to minimize loss of reassigned time. If a faculty member is unable to make use of or reassigned time outside of the post-probationary system, they may request (i) an extension and/or (ii) a payout, at the overload course pay rate, from the Provost's office. Post-probationary reassigned-time balances are not carried over across terms and cannot be paid out; futhermore, they are replenished in full at the start of each new cycle, based on rank and status.
Chairs should inform the Dean and the Provost's Office of the eligible faculty member's plan for their teaching sabbatical. A section in the faculty member's Unit I will serve as a final report of teaching sabbatical accomplishments.