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Sabbatical and Difference in Pay Leave Policy and Procedures

Recommended By: Academic Senate
Approved: Ruben Armiñana, President
Date of Original Issue: August 15, 1997
Date of Current Issue: April 2, 2007
Effective Date: Immediately
Contact Office: Provost and VP for Academic Affairs

Policy #2007-1

  1. 1.0 Preamble
    1. 1.1 This policy is to be used in implementation of Article 27 (Sabbatical Leaves) and Article 28 (Difference in Pay Leaves) of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Agreement between the California State University and the California Faculty Association, January 27, 2004 to June 30, 2005. This policy will remain in effect until another such policy is implemented.
  2. 2.0 Sabbatical Leave: Policy and Procedures
    1. 2.1 A sabbatical leave shall provide a benefit to the CSU, such as research, scholarly and creative activity, instructional improvement or faculty retraining.
    2. 2.2 Eligibility is based upon the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Each full time faculty unit employees, excepting counselor faculty unit employees, shall be eligible for a sabbatical leave if she or he has served full-time for six (6) years at that campus in the preceding seven (7) year period prior to the leave and at least six (6) years after any previous sabbatical or DIP leave. The Vice Provost Academic Affairs will notify faculty eligible for a sabbatical leave no later than the last day of instruction of the spring semester preceding the year of application and will also notify faculty regarding the procedure for obtaining application forms.
    3. 2.3 The faculty unit employee shall submit an application for a sabbatical leave. All applications should be submitted to the department Reappointment, Tenure and Promotion (RTP) Committee. The application shall include a signed and notarized cover sheet with a bond of indemnity or an accepted statement of assets and/or a promissory note that is in lieu of bond, and a) a statement of purpose of the sabbatical; b) a description of the proposed project; c) CSU resources, if any, necessary to carry it out; d) the potential benefit for the university; e) a curriculum vitae; f) the nature of past service to the university; and g) a statement of the time requested, which shall not exceed one (1) year. The prospective applicant for a sabbatical leave must inform the department chair of the intent to apply for a sabbatical leave by September 15 (or the first working day thereafter if the 15th falls on a weekend/holiday). Applicants shall submit a completed application for a sabbatical leave to their department by October 15 or the first working day thereafter.
    4. 2.4 The department shall provide a statement in writing by October 1 or the first working day thereafter to the prospective applicant and to the school or library dean regarding the probable effect on the curriculum and the operation of the department should the sabbatical leave be granted. The prospective applicant has five (5) working days to write a response.
    5. 2.5 The review of a sabbatical leave application shall consist of three levels: university-wide, department and school. Each department RTP or sabbatical/DIP committee will evaluate all sabbatical/DIP leave applications for that department. In each school, the school RTP committees will evaluate all sabbatical/DIP leave applications for that school. The University RTP committee will review sabbatical leave recommendations from each school. The library will use its school level RTP committee to evaluate all sabbatical/DIF applications. A faculty unit employee applying for a sabbatical leave may not participate in any deliberations regarding sabbatical leaves. The department and school RTP shall not rank candidates. Ranking is the purview of the URTP committee.
    6. 2.6 When the department and/or school does not form an RTP committee, and a notification of intent to apply for a sabbatical or DIP leave has been given, the department and school sabbatical/DIP leave committees shall be formed by the last working day in September. The sabbatical/DIP leave committees shall consist of at least three (3) tenured faculty members. Probationary and tenured faculty unit employees shall elect the sabbatical/DIP leave committees.
    7. 2.7 The recommendations of the department and school RTP or sabbatical/DIP leave committee and the University RTP Committee shall consider questions related to the quality of the proposed sabbatical leave. The criteria (and their relative weighted values) used in evaluating the sabbatical request are: the merits of the proposal (40%); the nature of and quality of the applicant's past service to the university (30%); and the years of eligibility since the last sabbatical leave at Sonoma State University (30%).
    8. 2.8 The department RTP or sabbatical/DIP leave committee(s) shall forward its recommendations and all application materials to the school RTP committee by November 1 or the first working day thereafter.
    9. 2.9 The school RTP or sabbatical/DIP leave committee(s) shall forward its recommendations and all application materials to both the University RTP committee and the school or library dean by November 15 or the first working day thereafter.
    10. 2.10 The ranked recommendations of the University RTP committee shall be submitted to the president of the university by December 1 or the first working day thereafter. If the president’s decision alters the recommended ranking from that of the University RTP committee, at the request of the University RTP committee, the president shall meet with the committee to discuss reasons for the changes. Letters will be sent to the candidates from the president no later than January 15 or the first working day thereafter.
    11. 2.11 Should an applicant for a sabbatical leave wish to appeal [rebut] the recommendation of the department, school, university RTP or sabbatical/DIP leave committee; and/or president, a written response statement must be submitted within the first five (5) working days of the beginning of the spring semester. After submitting the response, the applicant shall have the opportunity to confer with the department, school, or University RTP or sabbatical/DIP leave committee within five (5) working days. Each committee involved in the response shall summarize in writing, and submit a copy to the applicant, all matters discussed at the conference.
    12. 2.12 Faculty members should not be denied a sabbatical leave based upon indispensability. However, if such circumstances arise, an action plan shall be devised to accommodate said faculty member in time for the next sabbatical application and evaluation cycle.
    13. 2.13 No later than one (1) semester after the return from leave, each person shall make a written report to the president and the school or library dean so as to provide a record of performance. The school dean shall forward this report to the department and school RTP or sabbatical/DIP leave committee.
  3. 3.0 Difference in Pay (DIP) Leave: Procedures and Policies
    1. 3.1 A difference in pay (DIP) leave shall provide a benefit to the CSU, such as research, scholarly and creative activity, instructional improvement or faculty retraining.
    2. 3.2 A DIP leave may be approved for one (1) or more quarters, semesters, or months as appropriate to the appointment.
    3. 3.3 The salary for a DIP leave for a faculty unit employee shall be the difference between the faculty employee's salary and the minimum salary of the instructor rank.
    4. 3.4 Eligibility is based upon the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). All full time faculty unit employees shall be eligible for a DIP leave if s/he has served full-time for six (6) years at that campus in the preceding seven (7) year period prior to the leave. Credit granted toward the completion of the probationary period for service elsewhere shall also apply toward fulfilling the eligibility requirements for a DIP leave. A leave of absence without pay or service in an academic administrative appointment excluded from the bargaining unit shall not constitute a break in service for eligibility requirements. A faculty unit employee will be eligible for a subsequent DIP leave after s/he has served full time for three years after the last sabbatical or DIP leave and has rendered service to the CSU from a sabbatical or DIP leave at the rate of one (1) term of service for each term of leave. The Vice Provost Academic Affairs will notify faculty eligible for a sabbatical or DIP leave no later than the last day of instruction the spring semester preceding the year of application and will also notify faculty regarding the procedure for obtaining application forms.
    5. 3.5 The faculty unit employee shall submit an application for a DIP leave. All applications should be submitted to the department RTP committee. The application shall include a signed and notarized cover sheet with a bond of indemnity or an accepted statement of assets and/or a promissory note that is in lieu of bond, and a) a statement of purpose of the DIP; b) a description of the proposed project; c) CSU resources, if any, necessary to carry it out; d) the potential benefit for the university; e) a curriculum vitae; f) the nature of past service to the university and g) a statement of the time requested, which shall not exceed one (1) year.
    6. 3.6 The prospective applicant for a DIP leave must inform the department chair of the intent to apply for a DIP leave by September 15 or the first working day thereafter. The deadline to submit all application materials for a DIP leave is October 15 or the first working day thereafter.
    7. 3.7 The department shall provide a statement in writing by October 1 (or the first working day thereafter if the 1st falls on a weekend/holiday) to the prospective applicant and school or library dean, or director of counseling regarding the probable effect on the curriculum and the operation of the department should the DIP leave be granted. The prospective applicant has five (5) working days to write a response.
    8. 3.8 The review for a DIP leave shall consist of two levels: department and school. In each school, the department RTP and school RTP or sabbatical/DIP leave committees shall evaluate all DIP leave applications. The library will use its school level RTP committee to evaluate all DIP leave applications. The counselors will elect a DIP leave committee to evaluate all DIP leave applications. A faculty unit employee applying for a DIP leave may not participate in any deliberations regarding DIP leaves. The department, school RTP or DIP leave committee must forward their recommendations and all application materials to both the president, and dean or director of counseling by November 15 or the first working day thereafter.
    9. 3.9 When a faculty unit employee is afforded an unexpected opportunity such as external funding, a scholarship or fellowship, a rapid and expedited review of a request for DIP leave will be provided.
    10. 3.10 The deadlines that apply for sabbatical leave requests also apply, where appropriate, to DIP requests.
    11. 3.11 Faculty members should not be denied a DIP leave based upon indispensability. However, if such circumstances arise, an action plan shall be devised to accommodate said faculty member in time for the next DIP application and evaluation cycle.
    12. 3.12 A faculty member may request to be considered for both a sabbatical leave and a DIP leave. A request for a DIP leave shall not prejudice the decision for a sabbatical leave.
Sabbatical and Difference in Pay Deadlines
September 15 The prospective applicant for a sabbatical/DIP leave must inform the department chair of the intent to apply for a sabbatical leave
Last Working Day of September When the department and/or school does not form an RTP committee, the school and department sabbatical leave/DIP committees shall be formed by the last working day in September.
October 1 The department shall provide a statement regarding the probable effect on the curriculum and the operation of the department should sabbatical/DIP leave be granted.
October 15 Candidate submits all application materials for a sabbatical/DIP leave to the department RTP committee.
November 1 The department RTP or sabbatical leave committee must forward their recommendations and all application materials to the school RTP committee.
November 15 The school RTP or sabbatical leave committee(s) must forward their recommendations and all application materials for a sabbatical leave to the University RTP committee and the school dean.
The department and school committees must forward their DIP recommendations to the president and dean or director of counseling
December 1 University RTP committee recommendation submitted to the president of the university.
January 15 Letters will be sent to the candidates from the president informing them of the status of their request for DIP/sabbatical leave.
Fifth Instructional Day of Spring Semester Should an applicant for a sabbatical/DIP leave wish to appeal [rebut] the recommendation of the department, school, and/or university RTP, or sabbatical/DIP leave committee, a written response statement must be submitted no later than fifth instructional day of spring semester.

 

Updated April 2, 2007 by SSU.policies@sonoma.edu