Selected Virginia Universities Study Leave/Sabbatical Policies
James Madison University
Compensation: One semester at full salary or one academic year
at half salary.
Policy: Sabbaticals provide opportunities for faculty members
to pursue full-time independent study, graduate/postgraduate study, research,
or creative activities that will enhance their teaching abilities, professional
growth and intellectual renewal.
Sabbaticals are grants by a competitive process within each college. Each college
develops and publicizes its process for selecting its faculty members to be
awarded sabbaticals.All faculty members who have been at the University for
three years and not received a sabbatical in at least five years are eligible
to apply. Recipients are expected to return to at least one year of full-time
service to the university following leave.
University of Virginia
Compensation: One semester at full salary or one academic year
at half salary.
Policy: The Academic Vice Presidents can award “research
assignments” to full-time resident teaching faculty of the schools that
report to them. These assignments are limited in number and depend on the resources
available; therefore, they are very competitive. Each Dean maintains his/her
own written policy concerning eligibility, the criteria and mechanism of selection,
the application procedure, the schedule of decision-making, and reporting requirements.
An assignment may also originate from the deans or from the vice president and
provost under special circumstances, such as to a faculty member who has contributed
significantly to academic administration, or for other special purposes to meet
the urgent needs of a school or department. The winner of the Alumni Board of
Trustees Teaching Award for tenure-track faculty members also receives a research
assignment as part of that award. Benefits continue as for full-time employment
during leave.
Virginia Commonwealth University
Compensation: One semester at full salary or one academic year
at half salary.
Policy: The awarding of leave is based on merit and is subject
to the availability of funds and the ability of the department or school to
meet its teaching and other requirements. Faculty members are encouraged to
seek external funds to support study-research leave. Eligible faculty must be
tenured with six years of prior University service and have completed six years
of service since a previous study-research leave. The faculty member must submit
to the dean—through the department chair—a written request for leave
6-12 months in advance of the leave period. The appropriate vice president makes
final approval. Faculty members on study-research leave are considered to be
full-time employees in reference to retirement benefits, insurance, taxes, and
other deductions. Faculty members will not accrue annual, sick, or holiday leave
while on leave. Recipients must return to the University for a period of employment
equal to twice the period of the leave.
Virginia Tech
Compensation: Partial salary up to 50% with full employee benefits.
Policy: Tenured faculty members, or faculty members on continued
appointment, with the rank of assistant professor or higher, holding full-time
faculty appointments and having accrued a minimum of six years service, are
eligible to request study-research leaves. Following completion of any study-research leave, members may propose
a single semester of study-research leave at half-salary following three years
of full-time service to the university. Otherwise, an additional six years service
is necessary before a faculty member may be considered for another study-research
leave. Requests for study leave to be taken in the following academic year should
be submitted to the department chair by the end of November for consideration
by the Board of Visitors’ winter meeting, or by mid-February for consideration
at the Board’s spring meeting. Applications need to be approved by the
chair, dean, and Provost before being submitted to the Board of Visitors. The
faculty member must return to full-time service with the University for a period
twice that of leave, with a minimum obligation of one academic year. A report
of accomplishments while on study-research leave must be sent to the Provost
within sixty days of return to full-time status.
William & Mary
Compensation: One semester to 24 months without pay. Faculty
members can apply for a research grant for one semester at full salary or one
year at 80% salary.
Policy: W&M encourages leaves for academic reasons because
1) they offer opportunities for faculty to develop professionally and acquire
new ideas, 2) persons hired to replace those temporarily on leave add to the
diversity of academic life, and 3) faculty travel and residence at other institutions
bring credit to W&M and extend its reputation. The general criterion for
sabbatical leave is that its primary purpose is to extend the scholarly and
teaching skills of the faculty member. Full-time, tenured, or tenure-eligible
faculty members who have completed a year of full-time service are eligible
for one-semester research grants. Faculty with six or more years of service
will receive highest priority for grants. Applications from faculty with fewer
than six years will be considered only after all of the faculty with six or
more years of service have been considered. Faculty members must submit an application, a proposal describing their project
and its contribution in their field, any fellowships or grants applied for,
and a vitae to the Faculty Research Committee. The proposals will be judged
by the Committee on the following: 1) the clarity with which the project is
explained and justified; 2) the merit of the project; and 3) the research record of the applicant. The final recommendations of the
Committee will be forwarded to the Provost for final approval. All requests
for leave without pay must be approved by the appropriate dean and the Provost
in enough time for them to reallocate classes or hire temporary adjunct faculty.
Medical and Life insurance may be continued for the period of the leave up to
24 months. Persons on leave at less than 50% pay are not eligible to earn retirement
service credit while on leave. Recipients must return as a full-time member of the faculty for at least one
academic year immediately following the leave. Reimbursement for all costs borne
by W&M during the period of leave will be sought should the faculty member
not return.