3.22 Sabbatical Leaves

There are two types of regular sabbatical leaves available for Scripps faculty: seventh year and seventh semester sabbatical leaves. Faculty members are eligible for sabbatical leave upon completion of a requisite number of years of teaching after their full-time appointment to the College, or after a specified number of semesters of teaching since their last sabbatical leave was accrued, as outlined below. A sabbatical leave is not a reward for service previously rendered but an opportunity for the development of the individual’s abilities as a teacher and a scholar for the benefit of the College as well as the faculty member. Therefore, no one should apply for sabbatical leave (of either type) unless the faculty member anticipates several years of employment with the College after return from the sabbatical, except in the case of a terminal sabbatical (a terminal sabbatical can be no longer than 1 academic year).

Probationary faculty members may be eligible to apply for seventh semester sabbatical leaves if they have been granted new, on-going contracts after successful completion of three years of service. The APT Committee normally does not review faculty members who are on leaves of any kind.

1. Seventh Year Sabbatical Leaves. Tenured faculty members  are eligible in the seventh year after their full-time appointment to the College or in the seventh year after their last regular sabbatical leave, to take a full year’s sabbatical at 80% pay or, alternatively, a one-semester sabbatical at full pay. If a seventh year sabbatical leave is taken for one semester (at full pay), the faculty member will teach two courses or the equivalent in the alternate semester of the same year.
2. Seventh Semester Sabbatical Leaves. Tenured or tenure-track faculty members have the option, in the seventh semester after their full-time appointment to the College or in the seventh semester after their last regularly accrued sabbatical leave, of taking a one-semester sabbatical leave. Effective academic year 2013-14, tenured faculty receive 80% pay for such sabbaticals. Pre-tenure faculty receive 100% pay for their first seventh-semester sabbatical, and 80% pay for any subsequent seventh-semester sabbatical leave.  The faculty member will teach two courses or the equivalent in the alternate semester of the same year. 

3. Accrual of Semesters Toward Next Sabbatical for Tenured or Tenure-Track Faculty. Accrual of semesters, or years, toward the next sabbatical occurs for every teaching semester. Faculty wishing to have time spent on personal/professional leave credited to next sabbatical must submit this request in writing to the Appointments, Promotions and Tenure Committee at the time the request for personal/professional leave is made. A recommendation from the Appointments, Promotions and Tenure Committee must be approved by the President and by the Board of Trustees (FH 3.4).  By contrast, faculty members will continue to accrue semesters towards sabbatical during the total period of the FMLA/CFRA and/or Pregnancy Disability leave (FH 3.3). If institutional or personal needs require postponement of an approved regular sabbatical leave or the request for a regular sabbatical leave, accrual toward the subsequent sabbatical leaves continues as normal for teaching semesters. [approved: faculty meeting 3/18/2021]

4. Senior Lecturer Sabbatical Leaves.  Senior Lecturers are eligible for 1 semester sabbatical leaves every 7 years (half of those accorded to full-time faculty) at the rate of 80% of salary. The salary level of which they will receive 80% will be determined to be an average of their last 5 years’ number of courses times the current salary level. After 14 years a part-time Senior Lecturer can apply in the 14^th year for a one semester sabbatical during the 15^th year at their full part-time salary.  The senior lecturer will teach two courses or the equivalent in the alternate semester of the same year.
5. Sabbatical Leave Request Process.  Each fall the Dean of the Faculty will invite faculty eligible for sabbaticals to submit their requests for the following academic year, in writing. The letter should specify the semester(s) in which leave is desired, type of leave requested (e.g., 7^th semester, 7th year), a detailed plan of professional activities for period of leave, accomplishments from the most recent leave, and impact on the curriculum. The chair of the faculty member’s department must submit a letter to the Dean stating the impact of the proposed sabbatical on the department and affiliated programs. Approval of sabbatical leaves is based upon the merits of the proposal and on past performance in research, teaching, and service.

The APT Committee will review such requests for sabbatical leave and make a recommendation to the President. The candidate will normally be notified of the final decision of the Board of Trustees by January 15, but no later than April 15, of the academic year previous to the proposed sabbatical.

Within one month of return to teaching from sabbatical leave, the individual concerned must submit to the Dean of the Faculty a written summary of the professional activities undertaken while on leave. Any departures from the earlier tentative plan should be explained, since the two documents will remain in the individual’s file as a record of his/her planning and achievements during that particular year of service to the College.

Course replacements for faculty leaves are not automatic. Department chairs are required to complete a “DEPARTMENTAL REQUEST FOR COURSE REPLACEMENT FORM” and submit this to the Faculty Executive Committee for approval.