Sabbatical leave requests will be due on Friday, November 7, 2008 for sabbatical leave in AY 09/10.
The Sabbatical Application can be found at: {http://www.towson.edu/provost/provost/documents/form_sab.doc}.
The information below summarizes the nature and purpose of a sabbatical, considerations criteria for preparing the sabbatical proposal, faculty responsibilities including reports and deadlines, and procedures to follow if the sabbatical project is changed.
Sabbatical Leave Guidelines
Nature and Purpose of a Sabbatical
A sabbatical represents an opportunity for a tenured faculty member to engage in a planned scholarly activity that may integrate work to date, lay the foundation for continued inquiry or serve as a bridge to new perspectives, topics or methods of inquiry. Sabbatical leaves represent a privilege earned through scholarly efforts made during the past six or more years, The purpose and plan for the sabbatical must be carefully considered and endorsed by the Department Chair, the College Dean and the Provost. To access this opportunity, a faculty member must meet the temporal criteria set forth in the Faculty Handbook and prepare a formal request (detailed below) in a timely manner.
Sabbatical Project Description and Guidelines
The sabbatical project must be clearly linked to the faculty member?s scholarship plan; it must serve to advance the faculty member?s expertise or be focused on the faculty member?s development of a related or new area of expertise that relates to scholarship. The proposal must address advancement of that plan. Thus, the sabbatical project ordinarily is not a stand-alone project. The focus of the sabbatical project must be deemed to be ?significant? within the discipline. A broad definition of scholarship is used relative to sabbatical projects.
Sabbatical Proposal Criteria
The sabbatical project proposal must:
? have a clear, logical, well-developed plan for completion or implementation
? have one or more substantive outcomes, which might be a publication, an artistic work, a body of data for continuing analysis, or a teaching project carried through that has scholarly value
? reflect a full-time commitment to the sabbatical activities
? include a description of how the scholarly work will positively impact the faculty member?s teaching and associated student learning
Sabbatical Reports and Deadlines
All faculty are required to submit a written report and give an oral presentation regarding the sabbatical project.
The written report must provide a substantive description of the sabbatical activities. Depending on the form of the work undertaken, it might normally include as well a copy of manuscripts or published work; photographs, explanations, data, or summaries of qualitative and quantitative research; or other materials illustrating results of the sabbatical project. In addition, the report must include a description of the project?s impact on the faculty member?s scholarship plan and, when appropriate, a plan for integration of the project?s activities and/or outcomes into teaching. The written report is due one month following completion of the sabbatical. Accomplishment of sabbatical outcomes and submission of the sabbatical report will be included in the faculty member?s annual review process and for comprehensive review in the time period, in which the sabbatical occurred,
The date and time of the sabbatical presentation should be selected to maximize attendance by interested faculty and students and published at least two weeks prior to the sabbatical presentation. The scholarly presentation should include a substantive description of the project and its results and allow for questions/discussion by attendees. The oral presentation must be given within a semester following the faculty member?s return from sabbatical.
Changes to Sabbatical Plans
Any proposed substantive change to a sabbatical plan must be submitted in writing to the Department Chairperson at least three months prior to the beginning of the sabbatical. The change in plans must be approved by the Chairperson, the Dean, and the Associate Provost.
Note: Faculty are referred to the current Faculty Handbook and the sabbatical application form for other information related to sabbaticals.
Approved by the Deans? Council 4.22.08
