Deadlines:

• Prior Email Notification of Intent:  15 September to abellega@bates.edu (need to identify the length of the leave & whether or not it is contingent upon external funding)
• Application Deadline: 1 November of the academic year preceding that in which the leave is to be taken

A faculty member becomes eligible for a first sabbatical leave after permanent tenure, or initial four-year contract, has been attained, and a period of twelve semesters of full-time teaching at Bates has elapsed. Unless the faculty member joins the faculty with credit toward the preliminary period for tenure, or unless the faculty member is awarded a pre-tenure leave, the faculty member would notify the Dean of the Faculty’s Office in her/his fourteenth semester of service, that is the year following the granting of tenure, of the intention to apply for a sabbatical leave to be taken during the next academic year.

The faculty member would thereby receive the initial sabbatical following fourteen semesters of service. Persons receiving credit towards the probationary period could receive the tenure decision, apply for a sabbatical leave, and receive a leave following twelve semesters of service. Following the initial leave, a faculty member is eligible for sabbatical leave after each twelve semesters of full-time teaching at Bates. For personal or departmental reasons, a sabbatical leave may be deferred up to four semesters without the loss of any credit toward the next sabbatical.

Lecturers who have taught twenty semesters at Bates are eligible to apply for an initial sabbatical leave. After the initial sabbatical, lecturers are eligible to apply for sabbatical leave after each twelve semester period of teaching at Bates. A sabbatical leave for a lecturer shall consist of half the contracted courses and units for the year of the lecturer's regular salary, or, at the option of the lecturer, all the contracted courses and units for the year at one-half that salary.

A sabbatical leave shall consist of one semester at full salary and full benefits or, at the option of the individual, a full year at one-half salary and full benefits.  During the period of the sabbatical leave, the College's contribution to the TIAA/CREF and FICA retirement programs is based on the salary actually paid by the College. Tenured faculty and senior lecturers may apply for enhanced faculty sabbaticals to increase their benefits during their sabbatical through the Phillips Faculty Fellowship and the Enhanced Sabbatical Program.

The semester during which leave is taken must be the semester in which the teaching load is two courses. In some cases, departments and programs apportion teaching credit in such a way that a faculty member may teach 2.5 courses in a given semester.  Where this is possible, and agreed upon by the department or program, a faculty member on a one-semester sabbatical satisfies normal teaching responsibilities by teaching 2.5 courses, or half of the normal instructional workload.

When a faculty member takes a one-semester sabbatical leave, the three courses taught during the remainder of the academic year may occur all in the other semester, or over one semester and Short Term, depending on the needs of the department or program. In many cases, however, it should be possible for a faculty member on a one-semester sabbatical leave to schedule all courses during one semester, leaving a full semester and Short Term for the non-teaching responsibilities of the sabbatical leave. In the circumstance of a one-semester sabbatical in which a faculty member does not teach during Short Term, that faculty member is excused from the normal governance and service responsibilities during that Short Term.

Sabbatical leaves are based on FTE positions. For example, a faculty member with a 50% FTE tenure-track position is eligible for a sabbatical leave based on 50% FTE. Incidental earnings (all extra income which might well have been earned under a regular teaching load at the College) during or resulting from sabbatical leave may be retained by the faculty member in addition to payments from the College.

The sabbatical program is intended to strengthen the faculty of the College. Each leave has a direct impact on the future of Bates, and each faculty member who is granted a sabbatical leave is expected to return to the college. A report of achievement must be submitted to the dean of the faculty upon completion of the sabbatical leave. This report must be submitted no later than the end of the first semester of teaching following completion of the leave.

Eight copies of the application for sabbatical leave must be made in writing to the dean of the faculty. The faculty member should identify the length of the leave and whether or not it is contingent upon external funding. The application must specify the time requested for leave, and indicate in as a detailed a manner as possible the academic purpose of the leave.

With the sabbatical leave request, the program or department must submit a plan of leaves, a statement regarding the impact of the leave on the department's or program's course offerings, and a request for a replacement, if needed, so that division chairs and deans can evaluate the request with a full understanding of the needs of the program or department. Replacements are determined on the basis of curricular needs.

8/2009