Statement of Purpose
The sabbatical program at the University of Tampa provides a faculty member with necessary leave from normal duties to promote intellectual or professional renewal, to sustain intellectual or professional growth, or to pursue the enrichment of teaching. Even though sabbatical topics are diverse, scholarly activities are the primary focus of all sabbaticals. All rights, privileges and benefits as a faculty member continue through the sabbatical leave.
A sabbatical may be taken for one semester at full pay or an entire year at half pay. All fringe benefits and evaluations for salary increases continue during the sabbatical leave. After completing a sabbatical, the faculty member must continue his/her service to UT for not less than one full academic year following the academic year in which the sabbatical is taken or reimburse the University for the salary and benefits paid during the sabbatical period.
Appropriate sabbatical activities may include study, research, writing, creative explorations, and artistic performance. Sabbatical leaves are not granted for the following reasons: illness, family leave, vacation, or solely for financial gain. A faculty member is encouraged to seek external financial support for his/her sabbatical, but such support must be consistent with the Handbook policy regarding outside employment. Nor should employment during the sabbatical period defeat the purpose of the sabbatical.
Eligibility
A tenured faculty member may apply for a first sabbatical in his or her 6th year of full‐time service at the University of Tampa with the sabbatical to be taken in the 7th year. A faculty member may apply for a sabbatical and tenure/promotion during the 6th year of full‐time University of Tampa academic service.
In the 6th full academic year after completing a sabbatical, a faculty member is eligible to apply for the next sabbatical to be taken in the 7th year. An unpaid leave of absence does not count as a year of service nor does it erase the accrual of previous years of service.
If a faculty member’s proposal is recommended for approval by the Faculty Sabbatical Committee and approved by the provost but the applicant’s sabbatical is deferred by the provost, then the applicant’s accepted proposal requires no resubmission. The proposal will be given the highest priority by the provost among the approved sabbatical applications in the following year. The deferral does not alter his/her place in the rotation: in these circumstances, the faculty member will again be eligible for a sabbatical seven years from the date originally requested for the deferred sabbatical.
When the provost denies a faculty member’s proposal, the faculty member may reapply in any subsequent year. The denial alters his/her place in the rotation: in these circumstances, the faculty member will again be eligible for a sabbatical seven years from when a sabbatical is granted by the provost. A faculty member who chooses not to apply for a sabbatical when eligible will alter his/her sabbatical cycle: the cycle will not resume until the faculty member goes on a sabbatical.
Application Procedure & Review
The provost will solicit sabbatical proposals for the next year by notifying all eligible faculty members by April 1st prior to the year in which they can apply. At the same time the provost provides notice to the faculty member, the provost will also provide a current application and the notification of sabbatical training, to be led by members of the Faculty Sabbatical Committee. Faculty members are urged to signal their intent as early as possible. The applicant is responsible for forwarding their completed application to the provost, the appropriate college dean, department chair and the University’s Faculty Sabbatical Committee by October 1.
In addition to the application cover sheet, the sabbatical request must include a clear and concise statement of not more than five (5) pages detailing:
- What will be done during the sabbatical;
- How the faculty member’s proposed sabbatical leave will:
- Enhance teaching/scholarship and foster significant intellectual, professional growth or renewal;
- Substantively benefit the applicant’s discipline(s) and the University;
- How the faculty member will document the effectiveness of the sabbatical at its conclusion.
The Faculty Sabbatical Committee will evaluate the proposal’s merit using the above criteria. If the proposal is found to be meritorious, the committee will recommend approval. If there are concerns about the proposal, the chair of the Faculty Sabbatical Committee will work with the faculty member to help meet the criteria. Written comments will be sent to the applicant, who will be allowed one week to respond in writing to the Faculty Sabbatical Committee.
The Faculty Sabbatical Committee will forward their recommendations to the provost by December 1st. On that same date the committee will copy each sabbatical applicant and his or her department chair and dean on the recommendation sent to the provost. Each recommendation will specifically state if the FSC recommended the proposal for approval or denial. Each recommendation for denial will provide an explicit and detailed rationale regarding the recommendation.
Sabbatical applicants whose sabbatical requests are recommended for denial by the FSC may send a letter of rebuttal to the provost within five working days.
The provost’s decision shall normally be based on merit, subject to budgetary and staffing limitations. The provost will send out letters of approval, delay, or denial to all sabbatical applicants prior to January 7 of that academic year. Each letter will provide an explicit and detailed rationale as to why the sabbatical was denied or delayed, if such is the case. The recommendation will also include whether or not the dean and chair were consulted as to the delay and their recommendations, if any.
After a sabbatical application has been approved, any substantial changes in the sabbatical plan must be communicated to the provost, the dean, the department chair and the chair of the Faculty Sabbatical Committee. The faculty member must submit a summary of the sabbatical activities to the dean and the provost within 90 days of completing the sabbatical.
This policy and process may be disrupted when the president, provost, deans, and the Faculty Sabbatical Committee agree that financial difficulties exist.