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Originally posted by: Arnold
". . . USM is not a "research university." Research universities give leaves to allow people to do research. USM is now a community college (or maybe people get sabbaticals there? I don't know). Maybe USM is a high school."

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Sabbaticals with accountability are standard operating procedure in teaching institutions, public and private, across the nation and around the "wurl."

Or, are teaching institutions beneath whatever USM is too?

Give me a break!

From The University System of Georgia Board of Regents Policy Manual

http://www.usg.edu/admin/policy/800.phtml

802.0804 EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LEAVE

The president of an institution may, with the approval of the Chancellor and the Board, grant leaves of absence, with or without pay, to employees of the institution. Leaves of absence of one academic term or less, with or without pay, may be granted by the institution's president. Extensions of such leaves require the approval of the Chancellor and the Board.

In considering a request for leave with pay, the president should bear in mind that it is the policy of the Board that such leave shall be granted only for the purposes of promoting scholarly work and encouraging professional development. The president should examine carefully the program or project on which the employee proposes to work, and he/she should also consider the likelihood of the employee's being able to accomplish the purposes for which leave is requested. (It is expected that scholarly and professional leaves shall be granted without pay where the leave is supported by an external grant or stipend).

In considering a request for a leave, the president should take into consideration the effect that the granting of the leave will have on the institution or on the department of which the employee is a member. If the employee's work cannot be handled by other employees and if funds are not available for the employment of a substitute, the president will be justified in refusing to recommend that the leave be granted or in deferring action upon the request for a leave.



If, after careful consideration, the president feels the interests of the institution and of the employee will be served by the granting of the leave requested, the president shall submit a recommendation through the Chancellor to the Board of Regents to this effect, together with a statement of the reasons supporting his/her recommendation.

The president ordinarily should not approve a request for a leave with pay if the applicant for leave has been employed at an institution for the period of less than three years, nor should the president ordinarily approve a leave with pay for a person in an academic position who has not already completed the requirements for a master's degree.

Any employee who has been granted a leave of absence with pay shall be required, before beginning the leave, to sign an agreement indicating that:

1. for a leave with pay of less than one year, the employee will return to the institution at the termination of the leave for a period of at least one year;

2. for a one-year leave with pay, the employee will return to the institution at the termination of the leave for a period of at least two years; and that

3. if the employee does not return to the institution for the full amount of time specified in the agreement, the employee will reimburse the institution for the amount of compensation received while on leave, as well as any other expenses paid by the University System of Georgia during the leave.

A faculty or staff member who returns from an authorized leave which enhances professional study and development shall be entitled to a salary which will include, as a minimum, the mandated across-the-board salary raises which occurred during the period of leave. (BR Minutes, 1980-81, p. 191).

No leaves of absence will be granted to persons in the University System who are retired and who are drawing retirement benefits from the Teachers' Retirement System of Georgia or from the University System. Approved leave shall allow employees the right to elect to continue group insurance benefits with institutional participation (BR Minutes, 1949-50, pp. 452-53; 1990-91, pp. 298-299).



From the University of Georgia Academic affairs Policy Manual

http://www.uga.edu/provost//polproc/aapm/faculty/leaves/11001.html#LEAVES%20OF%20ABSENCE%20WITH%20PAY

LEAVES OF ABSENCE WITH PAY

Based on departmental needs and programmatic development, a head or director may recommend that a faculty member be given a leave of absence with pay. Regents policy requires that prior to being granted a leave of absence with pay the faculty member sign an agreement indicating that, for a leave for less than one year, he or she will return to the institution for at least one year or that, for a leave of one year, he or she will return to the University for at least two years. If the faculty member does not return to the University for the time specified in the agreement then he or she will reimburse the University for compensation received from and any other expenses paid by the University during the leave. Otherwise, the operating policy and procedure are precisely the same as those for leaves of absence without the pay. The leave must be awarded specifically for the faculty member to assume scholarly responsibilities on a full-time basis which are in the best interests of the department [or school] and the university. The justification for a leave of absence with pay must include a brief statement of what the faculty member expects to accomplish during the leave. Leaves of absence with pay are earned and are not entitlement. They are to be recommended by the department head [or director] only when the proposed reassignment of responsibilities is of programmatic benefit to the institution. Within 30 days following the leave, the faculty member must submit a written statement to the department head and the dean describing what was accomplished.


So, what Georgia lacks is not a sabbatical policy, but the word "sabbatical" in its policy manuals.

Don't know how often the leaves described above are granted, though.

stephen--i haven't said our policy is unusual. i've said it's implementation is. at USM most sabbaticals granted are of the half semester full pay variety. few are of the full year, half pay variety (i don't know of anyone taking the latter variety). people at other universities i've talked to say things are the reverse there. very few people receive the half semester, full pay variety; there are few of them and they are very difficult to get. most receive the full year, half pay variety.

Well, where I am, we're on quarters, and it's one quarter at full pay, two quarters at 3/4 pay, or 3 quarters at 1/2 pay.

Typically, people only apply for one quarter, and most of these are granted.

The thing that makes my institution odd is the accrual of time: you accrue one quarter for every 2 years you teach full time. You are eligible to apply after 3 years of service. So I know several assistant profs that took off one quarter in their 4th or 5th year.

I'm trying for a year in the 2006-2007 academic year. Don't know how successful I'll be.

The state university I worked at before granted one year at half pay or one semester at full. Everyone in my department took one year, typically the year after they went through T&P.

I teach at sibling university where sabbaticals can be had if and only if professors can fund themselves, even the half-year sabbaticals.  As far as I know, there have been no university supported sabbaticals for faculty at my university in at least 8 years.

While my university doesn't invoke the corporate model in justifying this state of affairs, I am aware that state university faculty in some other states also have to fund their own sabbaticals if they want to take them - and are being pushed to fund their own annual salaries through grants and contracts.  I would guess this is the model your revered president is working toward with the "tech" university.