Sabbatical Leaves of Absence
CLOSING DATES:
THURSday, October 15, 2020 (for Full-Year Sabbatical Leaves and Sabbatical Enhancement Applications) *
friday, January 15, 2021 (for one-semester leaves)
The Faculty Development Committee (FDC) has primary responsibility for evaluating
applications for both pre- and post-tenure sabbatical leaves; however, your department
chair or program director must approve applications before submission to the FDC and
must provide a departmental plan for the period of the sabbatical leave to the Office of the Dean of the Faculty/Vice President for Academic Affairs (DOF/VPAA). Please provide your department chair with your sabbatical plan prior
to the deadline, giving the chair or program director adequate time to develop a departmental
plan and to complete the online approval form.
The deadlines, eligibility requirements, and procedures follow.
DEADLINES
Applications for both pre- and other tenure full year sabbaticals and sabbatical enhancement
applications must be submitted to the Office of the DOF/VPAA by Thursday, October
15, 2020.
Applications for both pre- and other tenure one semester sabbaticals must be submitted
to the Office of the DOF/VPAA by Friday, January 15, 2020.
(From 2019-20 Faculty Handbook, Part One, Section IX):
A. SABBATICAL LEAVES OF ABSENCE
1. PurposeSabbatical leaves of absence are granted by the Skidmore College Board of Trustees
upon the recommendation of the Dean of the Faculty/Vice President for Academic Affairs
to members of the faculty to provide professional experience that cannot be secured
during the academic recesses. Sabbatical leaves may be granted for the purpose of
advanced study, work on research and creative projects and for improvement of teaching
skills (and for improvement of skills related to librarianship), with the expectation
that in each case the college will benefit.
2. Eligibility
All tenured full-time members of the faculty (and library faculty and artists-in-residence who have been reappointed) who have served Skidmore College full-time
for six consecutive years are eligible to apply.
a. The required service time may include up to one year's leave without pay, if
so stated in the letter(s) granting such leave(s). If a faculty member serves full-time
for more than six consecutive years, the additional time will shorten the required
service time for later sabbatical leaves if the delay in taking a sabbatical leave
is requested by the Dean of the Faculty/Vice President for Academic Affairs for administrative
reasons and is so stipulated in writing.
b. Full-time members of the faculty who are in their sixth year and are candidates
for tenure (and full-time members of the library faculty and artists-in-residence
who are in their sixth year and are candidates for reappointment) may apply for sabbatical
leave. However, final approval of the sabbatical leave request is contingent upon
the granting of tenure or, in the case of library faculty and artists-in-residence,
reappointment.
3. Procedures
a. Application
i. Application should be made on forms available through the Dean of the Faculty/Vice
President for Academic Affairs.
ii. Plans should be discussed with the applicant's department chair or program director
at least two weeks prior to submission of application. The department chair or program director must then submit the online approval form.
iii. In addition to the application form, applicants must provide a brief statement
of purpose, together with a detailed plan of work to be pursued, a brief statement
of prospective value of the project, including plans for publication, exhibition,
performance, innovation in pedagogy, preparation of new courses or modification of
existing courses.
iv. For full-year sabbatical leaves, applications must be received by the Dean of
the Faculty/Vice President for Academic Affairs no later than October 15 of the academic
year preceding the desired leave. For one-semester sabbatical leaves, applications
must be received by January 15 of the academic year preceding the desired leave. The
Office of the DOF/VPAA will transmit one copy to the chair of the Faculty Development
Committee.
b. Consideration
i. On or before either October 15 or January 15 (whichever date pertains) of the
year preceding the intended leave, the applicant's chair should submit to the Dean
of the Faculty/Vice President for Academic Affairs an evaluation of the project together
with an explanation of departmental arrangements for the applicant's absence. The
Office of the DOF/VPAA will transmit a copy to the chair of the Faculty Development
Committee.
ii. Applications will be considered jointly by the Dean of the Faculty/Vice President
for Academic Affairs and the Faculty Development Committee. The Dean of the Faculty/Vice
President for Academic Affairs makes recommendations to the Board of Trustees for
final approval.
iii. Applicants and their departmental Chairs will be notified by November 15 or
March 1 (whichever date pertains) of the academic year preceding the leave.
c. Reporting
i. Major changes in objectives after the leave has been granted must be reported
and may be made only by agreement with the Dean of the Faculty/Vice President for
Academic Affairs. Petition for such change must be made in writing.
ii. Upon completion of the leave, a final report shall be sent to the Dean of the
Faculty/Vice President for Academic Affairs and the chair of the department, not later
than April 15 in the case of first-semester leaves and November 15 in the case of
second-semester or full-year leaves.
iii. Failure to file a satisfactory sabbatical report will affect eligibility for
future sabbatical leaves.
4. Criteria for Evaluating Proposals
In evaluating applications, the following will be considered:
a the worth of the project;
b. length of service without leave;
c. ease of departmental arrangements;
d. financial condition of the college;
e. benefit to the individual and the college; and
f. the individual's fulfillment of obligations regarding any previous sabbaticals
as outlined in paragraph 3, c, iii above.
5. Sabbatical Salaries
The stipend for sabbatical salaries is one-half the annual salary for a leave of one
academic year, or full salary for a leave of one semester.
B. Pre-tenure Paid Research Leaves of Absence
1. PurposePre-tenure paid leaves are intended to provide untenured faculty with opportunities
for research in support of scholarly and/or curricular development which will contribute
to their professional or teaching effectiveness and to the value of their later service
to Skidmore College.
2. Eligibility
Untenured tenure-track faculty who are either in their third or fourth years of service
to the college and who have been reappointed are eligible to apply for the following
year. Leaves may be requested for either a full year at half-pay or one semester at
full pay. The college will continue to provide all benefits through the Flexible Benefits
Program. Retirement contributions will be calculated on base annual salary paid during
the sabbatical. Faculty who are granted the Pre-Tenure Paid Research Leave will not
be eligible for a regular sabbatical until they have completed six consecutive years
of service to the college following such a leave, although this service time may include
up to two semesters' leave without pay, if so stated in the letter(s) granting such
leave.
3. Procedures and Criteria
The procedures and criteria for evaluating proposals are the same as those stipulated
for regular sabbatical leaves of absence. (See Part One [Faculty Rights and Responsibilities],
Article IX [Leaves of Absence], Section A [Sabbatical Leaves of Absence], numbers
3 and 4.) For further information, please consult the Faculty Handbook.
Procedures
The criteria and procedures for evaluating proposals are the same for pre-tenure research
leaves and sabbatical leaves. Applications should include:
- Statement of purpose: a detailed plan of work to be pursued and an explanation of the prospective value of the project including plans for publication, exhibition, performance, innovation in pedagogy, preparation of new courses, or modification of existing courses.
- The applicant's department chair or program director must submit the online approval form indicating his/her support of the project and what provisions have been made to cover the applicant's absence.
C. Full-year Sabbatical Enhancement Award
The Faculty Development Committee will offer a limited number of awards to support full-year sabbatical/pre-tenure leaves at 60 percent of salary. Full-Year Sabbatical Enhancement Awards provide compensation beyond the Sabbatical Stipend provided by the Office of the DOF/VPAA for all sabbaticals. Faculty applying for a full-year sabbatical are eligible for both. Full-Year Sabbatical Enhancement Awards are highly competitive; therefore, faculty should clearly outline the projected scope of work to be accomplished during the sabbatical year.Guidelines and Procedures:
- Faculty who apply for a full-year sabbatical/pre-tenure research leave are eligible to apply for a Sabbatical Enhancement Award. Faculty applying for a one-semester, sabbatical/pre-tenure research leave are ineligible.
- To be considered for a Sabbatical Enhancement Award, applicants should check the appropriate box, indicating this intention in the space provided on the DOF/VPAA online sabbatical/pre-tenure research leave application. In addition, applicants should submit a detailed proposal outlining the plan for a full-year sabbatical/pre-tenure research leave. Due to the highly competitive nature of this award, proposals should clearly describe the substance, scope, budget, and anticipated outcome of the sabbatical project, including why a full-year leave award is critical to the program of scholarship and research. In addition to an itemized budget projection, faculty should also indicate the amount and source(s) of other potential funding and support for the sabbatical and the project.
- Application must include a current CV. Additional documentation supporting or helping to explain the proposed project may also be submitted.
- The applicant's department chair or program director must submit the online approval form indicating his/her support of the proposal and what provisions have been made to cover the applicant's absence.
- Proposals will be assessed on their overall merit and quality, including the relative contribution a project may make to its respective field and to the mission of the college.
- Applications from faculty who have not filed completed reports for previous grants or sabbaticals awarded by the Faculty Development Committee will not be considered.
Applications must be delivered to the Office of the DOF/VPAA by the application deadline.
Proposals, CV and supporting documents may be delivered in hard copy to the Office
of the DOF/VPAA or may be submitted via email attachment to dpeters1@skidmore.edu.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Other relevant information about sabbatical leaves appears in the Faculty Handbook. If you have questions, please feel free to contact Janet Casey, Associate Dean of
the Faculty for Diversity and Faculty Affairs, in the Office of the DOF/VPAA or the
chair of the FDC.
The faculty member must submit a final report to the Office of the DOF/VPAA and the
chair of the department not later than April 15 in the case of first-semester leaves
and November 15 in the case of second-semester or full-year leaves.