Legal Reference: Title 131, Interpretive Rule, State College System of West Virginia, Board of Directors, Series 10.

It is the policy of West Virginia Northern Community College that all eligible faculty be granted sabbatical leave contingent upon the merits of the request, availability of funds and the instructional needs of the College.

Rationale:

 Sabbatical Leave is granted to a faculty member in order that they may engage in research, writing or other activity calculated to contribute to their professional development and to the benefit of the College.

1. Definition:

1. Eligibility for Sabbatical Leave – Any person holding faculty rank is eligible for sabbatical leave after the completion of at least six years of full-time faculty employment at West Virginia Northern Community College. After completing a sabbatical leave, a faculty member is not eligible for another sabbatical leave until the seventh subsequent year.

 

2. Compensation – A faculty member on sabbatical leave shall receive full salary and full benefits for no more than one half of the contract period or half salary and full benefits for no more than one full contract period. The faculty member must identify which option they wish on their application for sabbatical leave.

1. Conditions governing the granting of sabbatical leave –

1. The awarding of sabbatical leave is not automatic but is contingent upon the merits of the request, availability of funds and the instructional needs of the College.

 

2. All requests for sabbatical leave are evaluated with respect to consistency with the College Strategic Plan and with respect to the manner in which the Sabbatical Leave will benefit the College, the students, and the professional development of the individual particularly as articulated in the individual’s Three Year Goal Implementation Plan. All Sabbatical Leaves must result in a tangible product. Examples of the type of activities that may meet the overall criteria are as follows:

1. To complete an advanced degree, professional accreditation or undertake post graduate work.
2. To complete a book or other scholarly work that is of value to the individual and to the academic community.
3. To participate in research or an operational project of at least one semester’s duration or more which would result in improvement in the applicant’s overall competency for responsibilities at the College.
4. To take part in some organized community project designed to improve relations between the College and the community.

1. Other considerations may be taken into account when evaluating sabbatical leave requests. For example:

1. Contributions which the applicant has made over the years to the College.
2. Previous sabbatical leave or comparable leave granted previously to the applicant.
3. Length of service of the applicant to West Virginia Northern Community College.
4. Clarity and completeness of the application.

1. Obligations of the Faculty Member

1. While on sabbatical leave, a faculty member may not accept remunerative employment without the written consent of the President or his/her designee. Fellowships, grants, and similar stipends shall not be considered remunerative employment within the context of this faculty obligation.

 

2. A faculty member shall notify the President, in writing, as soon as possible, if, for any reason, they are unable to complete the program or meet the objectives for which the sabbatical leave was granted. The President shall determine the appropriate action to take in such circumstances, including termination of the leave, assignment to another leave category, reassignment to regular full-time duties, and/or reimbursement to the College for any monies due to the College as a result of a change in leave status.

 

3. All faculty must apply for sabbatical leave on the sabbatical leave form provided by this policy.

 

4. All faculty must apply on or before the published deadline for sabbatical leave application.

 

5. Upon completion of a sabbatical leave, a faculty member shall file with the President a written report of their scholarly activities while on leave. This report should describe what was learned and/or accomplished and should faithfully reflect the stated goals and objectives of the application. Failure to provide a timely report or to adequately justify not meeting the written objectives of the leave may require action by the President. The President shall determine the appropriate action to take in such circumstances, including, but not limited to, a letter placed in the faculty member’s personnel file and/or reimbursement to the College for any monies due to the College as a result of change in leave status.

 

6. A faculty member is obligated to return for a full year of service upon completion of the leave. Failure to return will obligate the faculty member to fully reimburse the institution for salary received during the period of leave.

 

7. In accepting a sabbatical leave, a faculty member shall sign a statement indicating that he/she is aware of and agrees to all conditions of the leave as specified herein.

1. Obligations of the College

1. All faculty on sabbatical leave shall be considered, for the purpose of fringe benefits and retirement, as full-time employees.

 

2. All applications submitted through the process outlined in Subsection E will be sent through the process outlined in Subsection E regardless of the recommendation made at each level of review.

 

3. The President approves all sabbatical leaves upon the recommendation of the Vice President for Teaching & Learning.

 

4. Applicants who are denied will receive written explanation for the denial.

1. Operational Process

1. The purpose of this section of the sabbatical leave policy is to set forth the operational process for requesting, reviewing, and awarding faculty sabbatical leaves. The procedure also provides a mechanism to enable faculty representatives to advise the appropriate College officer with respect to the selection of faculty members for the award of sabbatical leaves.

 

2. The Sabbatical Leave Task Force

1. The functions of the Sabbatical Leave Task Force

1. The Sabbatical Leave Task Force will evaluate applications for faculty sabbatical leaves;
2. The Sabbatical Leave Task Force will to advise the Vice President for Teaching & Learning with respect to the selection of faculty members for the award of sabbatical leaves.
3. The Vice President may also ask the Task Force to review completed sabbatical leave reports.

1. The Task Force is composed of six faculty members, two from each campus, appointed by the Faculty Senate. Members serve a two-year staggered term. The Senate shall notify the Vice President for Teaching & Learning of the membership of the committee upon appointment.

1. Procedure

1. By October 15, of the academic year immediately preceding the academic year in which leaves may begin, the Vice President for Teaching & Learning will meet with the Task Force to discuss the published criteria, the priorities for the forthcoming year, the review process, and the method by which applications are recommended.

 

2. By November 1, the Vice President for Teaching & Learning will make available through the Division Chairs a standard application form for submitting requests for sabbatical leave.

 

3. By December 15, of the academic year immediately preceding the academic year in which the faculty member intends to commence such leave, the completed application for sabbatical leave, which should include a statement of the objectives to be accomplished during the leave, shall be submitted through the Division Chair, with recommendation, to the Vice President for Teaching & Learning.

 

4. By January 25, or earlier if possible, the Vice President for Teaching & Learning will forward all eligible applications for sabbatical leave to the Sabbatical Leave Task Force.

 

5. By March 1, the Task Force will submit their recommendations to the Vice President for Teaching & Learning.

 

6. By March 15, the Vice President for Teaching & Learning will forward the sabbatical leave applications to the President with his or her recommendations.

 

7. By April 15, the President will make a final decision regarding applications for sabbatical leave.

 

8. By May 1, the President will notify all applicants as to the disposition of their request for sabbatical leave.

West Virginia Northern Community College

Applicant’s Name_____________________________

Division_____________________________________

Present Position/

& Current Academic Rank______________________________

Highest Degree Held/

& Field of Study_______________________________________

Dates of full-time employment:

From____________________To______________Total Years________

Date Tenured:_______________

Date of Last Sabbatical Leave_____________________________

Summarize the results of previous sabbatical leaves, including the ways in which your leave advanced the goals of the College. (Attach additional paper if necessary)

Dates of requested Sabbatical Leave:

From_____________ To_______________ No. of Semesters________

Please circle the option for which you are applying:

1. One Semester at full pay

 

2. One Academic Year at half pay

Please identify grants or other financial assistance that will help you finance this leave and identify the source and amount of assistance.

Leave Activities: On 2 to 4 attached pages, please provide the following (Please number each section):

1. The specific objectives of the leave.
2. Your plan for achieving these objectives. Include with your plan your time-table for achieving these objectives. Indicate why you believe that you can achieve your objectives within your time-table.
3. Your qualifications for the objectives and plan you have set for yourself.
4. Documentation, where applicable, of an invitation by a research institute or graduate department.
5. How your proposal supports the criteria outlined in Subsection B.2. and B.3. of the policy statement.
6. Attach a current Vita to your application.
7. Sign and Date your attachments.

Signature_____________________ Date_______________

Print Name____________________

In submitting this Sabbatical Leave Application, I acknowledge that I have read the West Virginia Northern Community College policy on Sabbatical Leave and I agree to its provisions.

Applicant Signature______________________ Date_____________

Please indicate how teaching, advising and other duties will be met during this faculty member’s absence.

Recommendation:

I concur with this request________ I do not concur with this request______

Comment:

Signature_____________________ Date_____________

Sabbatical Leave Task Force:

Signature of all Task Force Members is required --

Task Force Chair _____________ Date_____________

(Signature)

Recommendation:

I concur with this request________ I do not concur with this request______

Comment:

Task Force Member __________________ Date_________

(Signature)

Recommendation:

I concur with this request________ I do not concur with this request______

Comment:

Task Force Member __________________ Date_________

(Signature)

Recommendation:

I concur with this request________ I do not concur with this request______

Comment:

Task Force Member __________________ Date_________

(Signature)

Recommendation:

I concur with this request________ I do not concur with this request______

Comment:

Task Force Member __________________ Date_________

Recommendation:

I concur with this request________ I do not concur with this request______

Comment:

Task Force Member __________________ Date_________

Recommendation:

I concur with this request________ I do not concur with this request______

Comment:

Recommendation:

I concur with this request________ I do not concur with this request______

Please indicate how the institution will pay for the coverage of classes normally taught by this instructor.

Comment:

Signature ________________ Date___________________

Action:

Approve______________ Disapprove__________

Comment:

Signature____________________ Date______________