The purpose of sabbatical leave is to provide time for scholarly research and creative activity and associated travel and to allow faculty to keep abreast of developments in their fields of service to the university. Sabbatical leave is granted to eligible faculty upon determination that the purpose of the leave will be achieved, and with the expectation that the leave will significantly enhance a faculty member’s capacity to contribute to the objectives of the university.
Sabbatical Leave
Eligibility
All IU Kokomo full-time tenure-track faculty are eligible to apply for sabbatical leave, subject to the following:
Faculty may apply for one sabbatical leave for each period of seven years of full-time service in faculty rank, following the completion of the first six years of full-time service at Indiana University.
Time on sabbatical leave counts as full-time service for purposes of establishing eligibility for a subsequent sabbatical. Leaves without pay (other than prestigious leave) do not count as part of the period by which eligibility for sabbatical leave is determined.
Sabbatical leave will not be granted until at least four years have passed since a prior sabbatical, and leaves may not be accumulated from one seven-year period to the next.
Typically, sabbatical leave will not be granted to faculty members who have been denied reappointment for the academic year immediately following the proposed leave; are under an improvement plan or other probationary employment status; or are under a disciplinary sanction for violation of any university policy. Sabbatical leave will not be granted to faculty members in the last year of service prior to retirement or who intend to resign at the end of the year for which a leave is requested.
Criteria
The following criteria are used to evaluate requests and determine the sabbatical leaves granted each academic year:
Purpose. The proposed scholarly or creative activities to be undertaken during the leave are clearly defined, fully described, relevant, and consistent with the purpose of sabbatical leave.
Enhancement. The extent to which the proposed leave activities will enhance the faculty member’s ability to contribute to university and academic unit objectives.
Academic Record. The degree of likelihood the proposed leave activities will be completed successfully and as described, based on the faculty member’s overall record of academic performance, including the outcomes of prior sabbatical leave.
Priorities. All the above being satisfactory and equal, when the number of sabbatical leave requests exceeds the number that can be funded in any academic year, the EVCAA will prioritize leaves as described above. In addition, when proposals are of approximately equal merit, the EVCAA may also consider other factors, such as working to promote equity across academic units over time by granting leaves in proportion to the size of their tenure-track faculty ranks; seeking to balance supporting the needs of associate professors and professors; and supporting sabbatical leaves which can be completed with the least cost and/or least interruption to campus and academic unit functions.
Review & Approval
Levels of funding for sabbatical leave are determined each fiscal/academic year by the EVCAA, Chief Financial Officer, and Chancellor, who will endeavor to fund at least four sabbatical leaves (and one sabbatical-like leave) each academic year.
Faculty are encouraged to develop sabbatical leave requests in collaboration with their dean and other unit faculty, within the context of a multi-year plan for the timing of applications that affords equal opportunity to all eligible faculty, minimizes the cost of substitute teaching, and avoids interruptions to program continuity and unit operations.
Sabbatical leave requests are evaluated by deans, the EVCAA, and Chancellor based on the criteria described above. Final approval of leave requests rests with the EVCAA.
Approved sabbatical leaves may be postponed if agreed to by the dean and EVCAA, but leaves may not be postponed longer than two academic years, and only one sabbatical (and one sabbatical-like leave) may be postponed each academic year.
Faculty may appeal directly to the EVCAA a decision to delay or deny sabbatical leave requests.
Conditions
Faculty granted sabbatical leave must agree in writing to reimburse Indiana University for any salary, retirement contributions, and insurance premiums paid during the leave if they do not return to university service for at least two semesters following the leave.
Faculty granted sabbatical leave must adhere to the proposed leave plan and activities that were approved during the review process. No later than three months following the completion of the leave and a return to university service, a report of activities engaged in during the leave must be submitted to the EVCAA.
Faculty may request sabbatical leave for one semester at full salary or for one academic year (or two consecutive semesters) at half salary.
Faculty granted sabbatical leave may not accept salary or stipend during sabbatical leave other than grants from various sources for travel and expenses legitimately incident to their proposed leave activities.
Faculty granted sabbatical leave for one year at half salary may engage in activity consistent with that for which the leave is granted and receive salary, stipend, or honoraria from other sources in amounts such that total funds received do not exceed the approximate annual income normally earned.
Application Format
Applications for sabbatical leave should be submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs (koacadem@iu.edu) no later than October 15 of each year, for leave requests for the following academic year.
Applications should include the sections and information described below. Applications should not exceed five pages in length and should be submitted in PDF format. An up-to-date CV should be attached to the application.
Sabbatical Leave Application
1. Name & Academic Title:
2. Academic Unit:
3. Period of Requested Leave:
4. Date of Initial Appointment as Full-Time Faculty at IU Kokomo:
5. Dates of Previous Sabbatical Leave:
6. Dates of Leave of Absence other than Sabbatical:
With Pay:
Without Pay:
7. Other/External Sources of Financial Support:
8. Overview:
Describe thoroughly but succinctly the purpose, scope and intent of the proposed leave activities. Include all pertinent information necessary to fully understand and objectively evaluate the request, such as methods, materials, sequences, timelines, collaborations, locations where work will be completed, costs, etc.
9. Prior Related Scholarly or Creative Activities:
Summarize prior scholarly or creative work related to the proposed leave activities and indicate how the proposed leave is relevant to and/or will complement or extend that earlier work.
10. Benefits:
Describe and explain the specific benefits and enhancements to academic unit programs, courses and students expected to result from the leave activities.
11. Dean Letter:
Include a letter of support from the academic unit dean which verifies the faculty member’s eligibility; addresses the criteria of purpose, enhancement and academic record; describes specific plans and costs for delivering courses and maintaining program continuity during the faculty member’s absence; and provides any additional information that may be relevant to the approval process.
12. Pledge to Indiana University:
If granted sabbatical leave, I will complete my employment obligation to IU Kokomo as described in the leave conditions.
____________________________ ____________________
Signature Date
Office of Academic Affairs Spring 2025