Sabbatical and Research Semester Leaves
University policies related to Sabbatical Leaves and Research Semester Leaves can be found in the Faculty Handbook. Please review these policies before submitting a leave request.
Deadlines
Applications for full-year and half-year sabbatical leaves and one-semester research leaves should reach the Department Chair approximately twelve months before the leave period, either in September or January, depending on when the requested leave will begin.
All sabbatical and research semester leaves should be reviewed and approved by the Department Chair and submitted to the Dean’s Office for review and approval, via the Sabbatical Leave Request Webform, by October 1 and March 1, again, depending on when the requested leave will begin.
The importance of early application and early notification for the University and for the individual faculty member cannot be overemphasized. Applications received with less than the lead time indicated may be accepted, but these applications risk receiving lower priority ratings, and this disadvantage should be recognized.
Eligibility
Departments are responsible for tracking faculty sabbatical and research semester leave eligibility. It is best practice for Department Chairs to regularly review sabbatical eligibility to allow for adequate unit resource planning, and Chairs should discuss potential sabbatical plans with faculty members as they become eligible. Faculty members should direct eligibility questions to their Departmental sabbatical contact. If additional clarification is needed, please contact Katie Holden, Manager of Faculty Administration, [email protected].
NOTE: With respect to fellowship awards, the College interprets the language in the respective parts of the Faculty Handbook to say that semesters spent on prestigious external fellowships will be counted toward a faculty member’s next sabbatical.
An optional tool that may help Departments to track sabbatical and research leave eligibility can be found below.
Instructions for Sabbatical Leave Request Webform
Faculty should complete the Sabbatical Leave Request Webform located at http://www.udel.edu/webforms under the Blanks tab.
PAGE ONE
Most of the information should pre-populate on this page except for “Initial Appointment” and “Period of Leave Requested.” If the period of leave you are requesting is not listed in the drop down box, you may be filling out the form too early. Sabbatical and research semester leaves must be submitted one year in advance of the leave, and the dates in the Sabbatical Leave Request Webform are changed each semester to reflect this timing.
NOTE: Research semester leaves are for one semester NOT half-year.
If your current job title, contract period, and/or previous leave information is incorrect, please contact your Department’s HR Liaison to request the appropriate updates.
PAGE TWO
Please note that the “Summary of leave activities” box has a 500-character limit (about 2-3 sentences). Additional information outlining the proposal for leave activities should be attached to the webform where indicated, along with the faculty member’s CV and the sabbatical report from the faculty member’s last leave, if applicable. If you have problems submitting the form after attaching the files, they may be too large. All attached files on this page must total less than 31 MB.
ROUTING
Please follow the below format when submitting the Sabbatical Leave Request Webform for approval:
Originator: The faculty member’s email address will pre-populate
Approver: This can be the administrator in the Department who verifies sabbatical eligibility and ensures accuracy of information on the form, or, it can be left blank.
Chair: The Chair’s email address will pre-populate
AS-Sabrecordkeeper: Pre-populated
Dean: This should pre-populate with the correct Associate Dean, but if it doesn’t, please add the appropriate Associate Dean’s email address.
Sabbatical AS-Dean Final Approver: Pre-populated
Modifications/Deferrals
If a Sabbatical Leave Request Webform has been submitted and approved, but the faculty member must modify their sabbatical or change its parameters (length of time, amount of pay, etc.), the faculty member must submit a new Sabbatical Leave Request Webform with the correct information. Please attach any documentation approving the modification to the new Sabbatical Leave Request Webform.
In terms of sabbatical deferral requests, please note the following, per the Faculty Handbook: “In the event of postponement or deferment of sabbatical leave by the University administration, the intervening period shall be counted toward the accrued time required for the next sabbatical leave application. On the other hand, if a faculty member delays the application until after the normal period has elapsed, he or she may not claim the intervening time toward another sabbatical leave request.”
Sabbatical deferrals require the approval of the Department Chair, Dean, and Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs. Deferrals should be approved via email, and once approved, the faculty member should submit the Sabbatical Leave Request Webform using their current eligibility date. In the additional explanation box, note that a deferred sabbatical has been approved, the date that the sabbatical will be taken (if known), and based on this plan, their next sabbatical eligibility date, when taking the deferral into account. Also, the email approval of the sabbatical deferral must be attached in the “Proposal of Leave” activities section.
Sabbatical Report
The faculty member must submit a written report to their Department Chair detailing their sabbatical accomplishments by the end of the semester following their return from leave. The Department Chair should ensure that the report is filed within the department and must share a copy with their Associate Dean.
Page last updated on: 08/09/2019