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Faculty and Academic Staff Handbook
19th Edition, 2008
Chapter IV: Faculty Personnel Rules and Procedures of UW-River Falls
4.12 Faculty Sabbatical Procedures
4.12.1 Purpose
The purpose of the faculty sabbatical program is to enable recipients to be engaged in
intensive study in order to become more effective teachers and scholars and to enhance
their services to the University. The sabbatical program should also be understood as
recognition of past and continuing academic contributions of the recipients in keeping
with the Select Mission of UW-River Falls.
4.12.2 Types
Two types of sabbatical leaves are available to faculty members.
4.12.2.1 One Year
A faculty member may take a sabbatical leave for an academic year and receive from the
institution financial support at any level up to 65% of his or her full compensation for that
period.
4.12.2.2 One Semester
A faculty member may take a sabbatical leave for one semester of the academic year and
receive from the institution financial support at any level up to a maximum of his or her
full compensation for that period.
4.12.3 Eligibility
4.12.3.1 Criteria
At the time the sabbatical proposal is submitted, the faculty member must have met the
following criteria:
(a) The faculty member is tenured at the time of application.
(b) The faculty member has completed at least five years since the conclusion of his or
her last sabbatical leave.
(c) The faculty member has completed at least six full years of employment at UWRF as
UWRF Faculty and Academic Staff Handbook
19th Edition, 2008 Version IV-51
a probationary/tenured faculty member.
(d) If the faculty member has taken a leave of absence, for whatever reason, the leave
period shall be excluded in determining the faculty member's years of full-time service.
4.12.3.2 Requirement to Return to UWRF
A sabbatical will not be awarded to a faculty member who does not plan to return to
UWRF for at least one academic year of service after the termination of the sabbatical.
4.12.4 Requirements
[FS 04/05 #30] Each applicant shall complete the Sabbatical Proposal Form, which describes the
proposed sabbatical in complete, clear, and specific terms, including each of the
following items:
(1) An abstract of 100 words or less summarizing the objectives of the proposal.
(2) The nature and objectives of the proposed sabbatical program, including a detailed
account of proposed sabbatical activities.
(3) The relationship of the proposed sabbatical to the applicant’s field of expertise is to
be demonstrated, and as appropriate, supported by references to the vita and other
documentation.
(4) The anticipated contribution of the proposed sabbatical to the enhancement of
teaching and/or course and curriculum development at UW-River Falls, which may
or may not include the relationship of the sabbatical program to the research
interests of the applicant.
(5) The proposed period and/or schedule of sabbatical, including a time line which
shows when the work will be done.
(6) A copy of the personal vita which must include evidence of excellence in teaching
and of the academic contributions made by the individual. If possible, submit an
electronic version of the CV to FASDB@uwrf.edu. If the proposal is approved, an
electronic CV will be required.
(7) A transmittal form signed by the department chair and the Dean acknowledging
their support of the sabbatical.
(8) Letters confirming the existence of a proposed relationship, travel/residence, or
outside institutional commitment germane to the sabbatical proposal, if any, should
be included. Letters of support from colleagues, department chairs, Deans, or
others are not to be included in the proposal and will not be considered by the
committee in its deliberations.
(9) Applicants should submit seven copies to the Assistant to the Provost and Vice
Chancellor for Academic Affairs, 104 North Hall.
4.12.5 Conditions
The following conditions govern the faculty sabbatical program:
- In the administration of faculty sabbaticals, creditable service for retirement
purposes will vary, depending on the length of the sabbatical and level of
compensation. A faculty member considering a sabbatical leave request should
consult with the institutional fringe benefit coordinator prior to submitting a formal
request.
- A faculty member may receive supplementary grants or other awards while on
sabbatical leave, but such compensation, when combined with the amount of
institutional compensation, shall not exceed the full compensation normally
received from the UW System for that period.
- Such additional grants or awards may be received by a faculty member only if the
conditions for accepting the additional resources do not interfere with the stated
purpose of a faculty member's sabbatical program.
- A faculty member may seek additional grants specifically for travel or unusual
living expenses incident to the sabbatical program without restriction by the fullcompensation
maximum (see condition 2).
- A faculty member may not use the sabbatical period to accept other paid
employment during the period of the leave, unless stipulated as a condition of the
leave. If so stipulated, condition (2) is operative.
- A faculty member must specify all grants or other awards applied for or to be
received during the leave in his or her application for the sabbatical program.
- A faculty member must agree to return to UWRF for at least one academic year of
service after the termination of the sabbatical or repay any compensation (salary
plus the University's share of fringe benefits) received from the UW System during
the sabbatical.
- A faculty member must submit to the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic
Affairs a written report outlining his or her accomplishments during the leave. This
report should be submitted within three months after the faculty member's return to
full-time employment.
4.12.6 Selection of Sabbatical Leave Recipients
- Call: The Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs shall notify the
faculty of the availability of sabbatical leave each March and shall call for
applications for the leave period beginning 18 months hence. The Provost and Vice
Chancellor for Academic Affairs shall make explicit in the call that funds for
sabbaticals are limited. In addition, any financial exigencies which might indicate
preference for year-long as opposed to semester-long sabbaticals must be
announced with the call. If no such exigencies are announced then all proposals
must be evaluated, and sabbaticals awarded, without preference to one period over
another.
- Following this notification, applicants should submit application in accordance
with the requirements set forth above. Proposals are due no later than October 1 of
the year preceding the proposed sabbatical period. One copy of the proposal and
supporting documents should be submitted to the applicant's department chair, one
copy to the applicant's academic Dean, and eight copies to the office of the Provost
and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. A transmittal form must be signed by
the appropriate department chair and Dean and be submitted with the copies sent to
the office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Transmittal
forms are available from the office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor for
Academic Affairs. The office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic
Affairs shall conduct the initial screening for eligibility defined under Eligibility: 4.12.1.3 (1) (a)-(d).
- The Faculty Professional Development Committee of the Faculty/Academic Staff
Development Board serves as the review board for sabbatical proposals.
- The committee shall be convened by the Assistant to the Provost and Vice
Chancellor for Academic Affairs, who will review with the committee the purpose
of the sabbatical program and the evaluation/selection process to be followed.
- At its final meeting, the committee shall discuss the proposals and then rank them
on a written ballot. The committee shall communicate their rankings of the
proposals to the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs or
representative. Included in this report shall be such information as the committee
determines may be helpful to unsuccessful applicants who may wish to apply at a
later time.
- During the first two weeks of November, the Provost and Vice Chancellor for
Academic Affairs, in consultation with the Deans, and the Chancellor shall review
the recommendations of the Faculty Professional Development Committee, shall
make the final selection, and shall notify the applicants of the status of their
applications. The Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs will
implement the granting of awards based on the committee's recommendations and
within budget limitations. The rationale for any changes from the Faculty
Professional Development Committee would be sent to the chair of the committee
by the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
- The Chancellor shall communicate his or her selections, in writing, to System
Administration by November 15th for formal announcement at the December
meeting of the Board of Regents.
- Evaluation: The criteria to be applied by the committee are as follows:
- The candidate must meet the minimum eligibility requirements.
- All forms of sabbatical activity are valid. That is, preference may not be given
to one particular form of activity (research, publication) over another (travel,
creative, course development). Proposals are to be evaluated on their merits.
- Preference shall be given to those candidates who have made significant
academic contributions to the University. Academic contributions include those
activities normally recognized in decisions of promotion and tenure: quality of
teaching, scholarly activity, and service to the University and the wider
community. The committee shall refer to the vita for evidence of academic
contributions. For candidates who have not received a previous sabbatical, the
time period for purposes of evaluation shall be the candidate’s full length of
employment at this University. For candidates who have received a previous
sabbatical, the candidate should submit, and the committee will consider, only
contributions made since the completion of the previous sabbatical. [FS 04/05 #30]
- After candidates have been evaluated on the basis of their academic
contributions the committee shall evaluate the merits of the specific sabbatical
proposals. This evaluation shall judge the extent to which the proposal clearly
follows the guidelines for proposals as specified under Proposal Requirements 4.12.1.4 (1)-(9).
- The Committee shall use an evaluation form approved by the Faculty Senate
to ensure the following:
(i) 65% of the overall evaluation shall be based on the candidate's record
of academic contributions to the University, and
(ii) 35% shall be based on the merits of the sabbatical proposal.
NOTE: WRS Retirement Credit--Creditable service for retirement is based on the
percentage of time a person is on the payroll. For more specific information, contact the
Staff Benefits Office in the Human Resources Office. For further information regarding
the UW System Sabbatical Program, see UW System Academic Planning Statement #3.3
and Wisconsin Statutes 36.11(17).
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