Operating Procedures for Requesting Sabbatical Leave

These procedures support the policy on Sabbatical Leaves (I.A.5) at Purdue West Lafayette. Refer to the policy for contact information and definitions.

Effective date: August 12, 2024

Submit the Request

1. Faculty members must complete the following steps at least one semester prior to the proposed start of the sabbatical leave. If the faculty member has two concurrent appointments, they must request leave for both positions. Review the policy on Sabbatical Leaves (I.A.5) and verify that they meet the minimum term of service requirement. If granted the leave, the faculty member agrees to a minimum of one complete year of service following their return, per the Policy.
2. Meet with their Department/School Head (or Senior Vice Provost for Purdue in Indianapolis for faculty holding University Tenure in Indianapolis) to discuss the scope of the work and coverage of campus duties. Note that it is the Department/School Head’s responsibility to arrange departmental schedules to permit eligible faculty to take sabbatical leave while minimizing (1) disruption to the academic program and (2) the cost of substitute instruction.
3. Prepare a written application for evaluation by their Department/School Head, Dean, and Provost (or designee). For faculty holding University Tenure in Indianapolis, the written application is instead evaluated by the Senior Vice Provost for Purdue in Indianapolis and Provost (or designee). The application will be evaluated on the merit of the proposed work and the benefit it will have for both the faculty member and the University. Include the following in the application:
   1. Executive summary: Provide a brief nontechnical overview of the goal of the sabbatical, the work to be accomplished, and the location where the work will be done.
   2. Project description: Describe the purpose, goals, significance, approach, specific plans, and potential impact of the proposed sabbatical work. Identify what form the results will take and how they will be shared with others. Include letters of invitation, where appropriate.
   3. Sabbatical justification: Describe how the sabbatical project will contribute to their personal scholarly professional development and how the leave will benefit Purdue University. Emphasize how the sabbatical will increase the value of their further services to the university.
   4. Coverage plan for sponsored projects and graduate students/other direct reports: Identify how their sponsored projects will be managed while they are on sabbatical, including an oversight plan for each of their active projects and any anticipated changes in the project(s) scope. Identify how their graduate students and other direct reports will be managed while they are on sabbatical.
   5. Curriculum vitae.
   6. Report on activities and accomplishments from prior sabbatical: Faculty who took sabbatical leave after July 2022 and do not have a copy of the report from that leave to submit with their next application are not eligible to take future sabbaticals.
4. Read, agree to, and submit all requests and forms arising from applicable university policies, including:
   1. Conflicts of Commitment and Reportable Outside Activities (III.B.1)
   2. Individual Financial Conflicts of Interest (III.B.2)
   3. Intellectual Property (I.A.1)
5. Submit the following electronically (via SuccessFactors):
   1. In SuccessFactors, there is a ‘Request Time Off’ button in the Quick Actions section. Select ‘Sabbatical’ in the Time Type drop down menu, and complete the requested information, including:
      1. The complete written application as described in item 3 above.
      2. All applicable documentation associated with item 4 above.
      3. The dates of leave.
      4. The primary country while on leave (if travelling internationally).
      5. The location(s) while on leave.

6. Meet with their department/school business office to discuss compensation and identify account numbers.

Review

Sabbaticals may be approved only if there is adequate reason to believe the proposed sabbatical leave will significantly enhance the faculty member’s capacity to contribute to the University’s missions. To expedite the review process, responsible parties in the workflow as noted below must monitor requests, watch for comments, and actively review and approve or deny in the system (SuccessFactors). Justification for denials must be documented in SuccessFactors.

1. The department/school/other appropriate business office enters financial information for the sabbatical leave request in the system.
2. Department/School Head Review (or Senior Vice Provost for Purdue in Indianapolis for faculty holding University Tenure in Indianapolis):
   1. Review the request, taking into account the following criteria:
      1. The scholarly productivity of the faculty member and the rationale for the sabbatical.
      2. The objective(s), scope, significance, expected results, and likelihood of success of the project.
      3. The contribution the project will make to the faculty member’s professional development.
      4. The benefit(s) to Purdue University.
      5. The ability to arrange departmental teaching schedules to permit eligible faculty to take sabbatical leave while minimizing (1) disruption to the academic program, and (2) the cost of substitute instruction.
      6. In cases where more tenured faculty in a unit are eligible for sabbatical the same year than can be accommodated in terms of departmental teaching schedules, preference will be given to those making significant contributions to discovery, learning, and/or engagement, and to those who have not been awarded sabbatical leaves for which they have been eligible in previous years.
   2. Enter comments and approval or denial in SuccessFactors.
      1. A sabbatical request approved by the Senior Vice Provost for Purdue in Indianapolis shall move to the Administrative Review step (section 4, below).
3. Dean (or designee) Review
   1. Review the request, taking into account the same criteria noted in 2.a above.
      1. There is no Dean review for faculty holding University Tenure in Indianapolis
   2. Enter comments and approval or denial in SuccessFactors.
4. Administrative Review
   1. Human Resources reviews request and verifies the faculty member’s eligibility for the leave.
   2. Sponsored Program Services reviews the request for funding issues or project constraints.
5. Provost (or designee) Review
   1. Review the request, taking into account the criteria noted in 2.a above.
   2. Verify all documentation is included and all reviews are complete.
   3. Make the final determination to approve or deny the request.

Return to Campus

Within three months of completion of the sabbatical leave and return to campus, the faculty member must provide a report of the sabbatical activities and accomplishments to the Department/School Head and Dean. Faculty holding University Tenure in Indianapolis will instead provide this report to the Assistant Vice Provost for Indianapolis Faculty Affairs and the Senior Vice Provost for Purdue in Indianapolis. Faculty members with two concurrent appointments must submit the report to both Department/School Heads and Deans. The faculty member and department/college are encouraged to feature the work done during the sabbatical in a seminar series or other event. Note: faculty are ultimately responsible for retaining a copy of their last sabbatical report in a secure location to submit with their next sabbatical leave request.

Additional Considerations

1. University funds cannot be used for activities related to personal or family travel to or from the location of the sabbatical (in accordance with the policy on Travel for University Business (II.A.3)). External funding given to the faculty member expressly for that purpose (e.g., Fulbright program) may be used.
2. Faculty may travel for university business while on sabbatical.
3. Refer to the conditions associated with grant and fellowship funding and with research / instructional / engagement leave and Reportable Outside Activity leave in the policy on Sabbatical Leaves (I.A.5): see sections on Eligibility and Remuneration and on Coordination with Other Leaves.