Faculty are eligible for all leaves outlined by Human Resources (see the Ursinus web page). In the cases outlined under Family Medical Leave, a pre-tenure faculty member has the option to extend his/her tenure timeline accordingly (NOTE: faculty-specific policies pertaining to Family Medical Leave, including maternity leave, are reviewed in cooperation with Human Resources and are published separately).
All full-time employees of the College who hold faculty positions are also eligible for the leaves, specific to faculty, outlined below. For faculty with asymmetrical annual teaching loads who are granted Pre-Tenure and Sabbatical leaves, the teaching semester carries the higher teaching load.
Leave of Absence
Faculty members may apply for a leave of absence for no more than one year at a time. Requests should be addressed to the Dean of the College, who makes a recommendation to the President. Faculty may request that leave be extended for a second year; only under exceptional circumstances will the request be granted.
Pre-Tenure Leave
The one-semester faculty pre-tenure leave program is designed to assist tenure-track faculty in their professional development. These leaves are not granted for the purpose of pursuing or completing a terminal degree.
Faculty who have been notified of reappointment at the completion of their pre-tenure review are eligible to apply for a pre-tenure leave. Typically, the leave will be taken during the fifth year.
The format of the application is prescribed by the Dean’s Office in an annual communication. Basic components include:
- A brief description of the project to be undertaken during the leave, including the specific plan and methodology to be followed;
- The scholarly significance of the project, including where applicable, an explanation of how the project relates to the existing literature;
- A brief description of where the project will be undertaken, including rationale (append indication of support from your host or collaborator if applicable);
- How the project enhances the applicant’s professional development;
- How the project addresses the three-year professional plan;
- What outcomes are expected at the completion of the leave, with a brief description of the final product(s).
The Dean will consult with the Faculty Development Committee before reaching final decisions on leave requests and will notify the applicants of acceptance or need for modification.
The pre-tenure leave is granted for one semester at full salary and benefits. The applicant may indicate a preferred semester, but the decision will be made by the Dean based on College and Departmental needs.
Recipients of pre-tenure leaves are required to submit to the Dean a report, along with any visible products, within four weeks of the beginning of the first semester following leave. If the visible product is not available, faculty will submit a descriptive report of the work done to date and the results obtained, along with an indication of when the completed product will be submitted. Specifics of the report are prescribed by the Dean’s Office in an annual communication.
Upon return from a pre-tenure leave, faculty members will make a public presentation to the campus community on the work conducted during their pre-tenure leave.
Sabbatical Leave
Sabbatical leaves are granted to allow faculty members to engage in scholarly activity that will contribute to their long-term effectiveness as a teacher and a scholar at Ursinus and in the academic profession.
Typically, tenured faculty members are initially eligible in their seventh year of full-time service at Ursinus to submit an application for sabbatical leave. Unsuccessful applicants may re-submit applications in subsequent years.
Initial Sabbatical Sequence
|
First year of employment |
Earliest |
Initial |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Year |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
S |
Faculty must provide a minimum of six years of full-time service between sabbatical years. Thus, counting from the academic year that begins after a sabbatical is taken, a faculty member is next eligible to apply during his or her sixth year of full-time service for a sabbatical to be taken in the seventh year of full-time service.
Subsequent Sabbatical Cycles
Sabbatical
|
Earliest Apply |
Sabbatical |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
S |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
S |
|
Years of full-time service |
|||||||
A sabbatical leave may be granted for either one-half year at full salary or a full year at one-half regular salary; in either case the recipient retains full benefits.
Applicants will provide sufficient information to the Dean’s Office describing the project for the faculty development committee to assess:
- Scholarly relevance of the project
- Feasibility of the project
- Intended products of the project
- Qualifications of the faculty member to pursue the project.
The format of the sabbatical leave application and subsequent report is prescribed by the Dean’s Office in an annual communication, and is also available on the Faculty Development web page. To facilitate planning the Dean will set a deadline for applications that is no later than September 15 of the year prior to the proposed sabbatical year.
Sabbatical leaves are approved by the Dean in consultation with the President, based on recommendations of the Faculty Development Committee.
Recipients of sabbatical leaves are required to submit to the Dean a report, identifying any visible products, within four weeks of the beginning of the first semester following leave. If the visible product is not available, faculty will submit a descriptive report of the work done to date and the results obtained, in terms that a person outside your discipline can understand, along with an indication of when the completed product will be available.
The number of sabbatical leaves granted in any academic year will ordinarily be limited to 10% of the tenured faculty.
The faculty member must agree to return to Ursinus College for at least one full year following a sabbatical leave. A faculty member on sabbatical leave may not be employed outside of the college during the period of the leave except with the written approval of the Dean. Upon return from a sabbatical leave, faculty members will make a public presentation to the campus community on the work conducted during their sabbatical leave.