Description
Funds are allocated annually to support faculty leaves of absence to support faculty members' growth as teaching scholars. Faculty may elect a half-year's leave with full salary or a full-year's leave with half salary. Benefits will be continued but may be adjusted as mandated by law or policy (e.g., social security taxes and retirement annuity which are based on actual earnings.)
Eligibility
Sabbatical leaves, as the name implies, may be granted for eligible faculty once in every seven-year period of full-time employment. To be eligible for a sabbatical leave, a faculty member must hold tenure at the time the sabbatical is granted and must have completed six academic years of full-time teaching at the University of Puget Sound since joining the faculty or since the completion of the academic year in which the last sabbatical leave occurred. Clinical faculty in the Schools of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy, and full-time artist-in-residence faculty, who have completed six years of full-time teaching at the university since joining the faculty or since the completion of the academic year in which the last sabbatical occurred are also eligible. One semester of leave fully supported through competitive external funding or through competitive internal grants or fellowships may be included in the calculation of semesters of teaching for purposes of sabbatical application. Time spent on leave without pay or on sick leave for any extended period will not normally be credited toward the service requirement. Units allocated to administrative duties or units of released time granted through recognized university programs are considered a normal part of a faculty member’s full-time responsibilities within the expectation of full-time teaching. If a faculty member does not apply for a sabbatical leave when first eligible, the faculty member retains eligibility but does not accumulate service toward an additional sabbatical at a later point. With prior approval of the Provost, delay of a sabbatical to serve university needs may accrue service toward a subsequent sabbatical.
Please see policy statement and documentation required for university support of travel outside the United States.
Application
Application for a Sabbatical leave is completed via an online form and shall include:
- A description of the project, including anticipated outcomes. The summary of your proposal may be used in publicizing the awards. (500 words max)
- A description of how your proposed project will enhance your research and teaching. (500 words max)
- A Chair Support Form. Please ask your chair to submit their Support Form assessing the value of the proposed activity to you, the department, and the university.
- Foreign Travel Waiver documentation, if applicable.
- For research that involves the use of human participants or animals, please be aware that appropriate approval must be obtained before beginning research. Please consult IRB or IACUC approval processes information on the university’s website for details.
Applications are awarded on the basis of the needs of the department or the university and the value of the applicant's proposed project.
Deadline
Applications must be submitted by 11:59 pm on September 10 of the year preceding that in which the sabbatical leave is to be taken. If the application due date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the application is due by 11:59 pm the Monday immediately following the due date. Decisions will be communicated on or before December 8.
Reporting
Upon completion of your sabbatical fellowship, due no later than August 31 of the year during which the leave was taken, please submit a written report that outlines in sufficient detail what was accomplished during this leave and what benefits likely will accrue to the department or university from the leave. The report should be submitted to the department chair to provide the chair an opportunity to view the report before forwarding it. The chair will forward the report to the Provost.
Special Conditions
A faculty member receiving a sabbatical leave agrees to return to the university for at least one year following the leave or to reimburse the university for all funds received.
A professional leave funded in whole or in part by the university is designed to provide the time necessary for the individual faculty member to pursue intellectual growth and development within their field. Consequently, such a leave is not to be used for other employment.
Additional Forms:
If applicable, please complete these additional forms and upload them with your application.
Foreign Travel Waiver - if your research involves travel outside of the United States
Special Travel Waiver - if your travel includes countries on the Department of State's Travel Warning List or the Centers for Disease Control’s Travel Health Warning List