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1.1: Purpose
The major purposes of a sabbatical leave are to provide academic faculty opportunities to enhance professional effectiveness, increase scholarly usefulness, and strengthen the University’s academic, research, and service programs.
1.2 Eligibility
An academic faculty member who meets the following criteria is eligible to apply for sabbatical leave:
– Position is funded in whole from state sources.
– Has served as a full-time academic faculty member for at least 6 years total at NSU (regardless of contract type).
– Has not received sabbatical leave at NSU in the past 6 years. If there is an approved leave of absence, time accrued toward eligibility for a sabbatical will not be lost and the clock will continue once the leave of absence ends.
If an academic faculty member is not full-time at NSU but meets the 1.0 FTE criteria as an academic faculty member in NSHE as a whole, funding for a sabbatical leave must be negotiated proportionally with each of the affected NSHE institutions.
Administrative faculty and classified employees are not eligible for sabbatical leave or to serve on the Sabbatical Leave Committee.
1.2.1 Non-State Funded Positions
Full-time academic faculty whose positions are funded in whole or in part from non-state sources may be eligible for sabbatical leave only if the sabbatical can be funded from the non-state source. This use must be approved by the employee’s appointing authority and the funding source.
Requests for sabbatical leaves for non-state funded positions follow the same review process as state-funded sabbatical requests.
1.3 Requirement to Return to Employment
According to Nevada Revised Statutes 284.345(2), “…no sabbatical leave with pay may be granted unless the person requesting the leave agrees in writing with the [employer] to return to the [employer] after the leave for a period not less than that required by the person’s most recent contract of employment if the [employer] desires the person’s continued service.”
NSHE employment contracts cover a period of one fiscal year (running July 1st to the following June 30th). Academic faculty approved for a sabbatical leave must agree to return to NS in a paid status immediately upon the end of the sabbatical leave for at least one fiscal year; this agreement is submitted through the Sabbatical Agreement Form.
1.4 Sabbatical Leave Availability
“Sabbatical leave with pay may not be granted to more than 2 percent of the teaching personnel of a branch or facility of the System with the rank of instructor or higher in any 1 year.” (NRS 284.345). The number of NS faculty who can receive a sabbatical leave is determined annually by NSHE. Available sabbatical leaves cannot be divided into smaller units or distributed to a larger number of faculty. For instance, if NSHE informs the University that four sabbatical spots are available, only four faculty members total can be approved for a sabbatical leave, whether their requests are for a half-year or full-year leave.
Applications often exceed the number of sabbatical leaves available. Applicants applying for a sabbatical should prepare their portfolios as carefully as they would for any competitive award.
1.5 Sabbatical Leave Committee
According to the NSHE Handbook Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 15.7.b, “The appropriate faculty senate shall select the Sabbatical Leave Committee to review and rank all applications.”
The Sabbatical Leave Committee (SLC) is made up of:
1. Up to 1 tenured faculty member from each school and the Library;
2. 1 tenured at-large representative;
3. The Faculty Senate Academic Faculty Affairs Committee Chair (or designee), who serves as SLC Chair.
The Vice Provost of Faculty Affairs reaches out to deans to determine membership on the Committee, distributes the call for applications, receives applications, and distributes them to Committee members.
1.6 Review Process
The SLC evaluates each application based on (1) value and benefits of the sabbatical plan to the applicant’s professional goals and the University’s mission, (2) the applicant’s record of teaching, service, and scholarly or creative endeavors, and (3) the applicant’s expertise and qualifications to perform the proposed work. The SLC ranks all applications.
Sabbatical leave is approved by the Provost based on a review of the recommendation (including the Committee’s ranked list) of the SLC and the deans. The Provost makes the final decision on sabbatical applications.
1.6.1 Application Review
1. Applications are reviewed by the Sabbatical Leave Committee using the Sabbatical Leave Evaluation Rubric. The SLC forwards a recommendation to the candidate’s dean.
2. If the dean does not agree with the Committee’s recommendation, a written rationale shall be provided to the SLC and the Vice Provost of Faculty Affairs. If the dean agrees with the recommendation, they will inform the VP of Faculty Affairs of their agreement.
3. The Provost makes the final decision on sabbatical applications. Final decisions will be communicated by NSU email to the members of the Sabbatical Leave Committee and to applicants. This decision is final and is not subject to appeal.
1.6.2 Timeline
1. By September 15th: Faculty Senate Academic Faculty Affairs Committee Chair collaborates with the Vice Provost of Faculty Affairs to distribute the call for applications, including the deadline and instructions on accessing this policy and the Sabbatical Leave Evaluation Rubric.
2. By September 22nd: SLC established.
3. October 7th at noon (12 p.m. local time): Applications are due to the SLC, applicant’s dean, and VP of Faculty Affairs.
4. By November 10th: SLC submits recommendations to deans.
5. By December 1st: Deans forward recommendation letters to VP of Faculty Affairs.
6. By December 15th: Provost notifies applicants of final decision.
1.7 Compensation
Academic faculty approved for sabbatical leave have two options:
– 1 academic year’s leave at two-thirds of institutional base salary (IBS);
– A half-year leave at full IBS.
A half-year sabbatical will typically start on July 1 or January 1, but may be approved by the VP of Faculty Affairs to start at another time on the condition that a half-year leave cannot include more than one semester. For instructional faculty, sabbaticals must begin before or after the end of a semester.
Annual and/or sick leave is accrued at the appropriate FTE while on sabbatical.
1.7.1 Additional Compensation
A sabbatical leave requires the faculty member to devote their effort to the approved sabbatical activity; no other salary or stipend may be earned, with these exceptions (with dean and provost approval):
1. Faculty on sabbatical leave at less than full institutional base salary may engage in other non-teaching activity complementary to with that for which the sabbatical is granted and may receive salary, stipends, or honoraria from other sources provided that the total received does not exceed their IBS, plus any travel and research expenses. They may not receive salary for work that directly overlaps with their sabbatical project;
2. Faculty on sabbatical leave may receive grants for travel and research expenses related to their scholarly activity. Those funds do not count toward compensation;
3. Other suitable income (such as grant-in-aid or fellowships) may be accepted during the sabbatical leave provided the activity contributes to the individual’s professional development or future usefulness to the University and does not overlap with or duplicate the approved sabbatical project.
Requests for additional compensation under one of these exceptions must be submitted by email to the dean. The request must include a justification clearly stating how the effort and outcomes complement and are distinct from those of the approved sabbatical project. Approval of additional compensation will be based on evidence of the significance of the proposed project and evidence that the workload is commensurate with the period of leave. Faculty members cannot receive salary funding from pre-existing grant projects while they are receiving salary for a sabbatical.
The ECC limit for faculty on sabbatical leave is calculated based on their full IBS.
1.8 Summary Report and Presentation
A three- to four-page written report that outlines sabbatical activities and associated accomplishments will be submitted to the Vice Provost of Faculty Affairs and the dean within 3 months of returning from sabbatical leave. Sabbatical recipients must present their research or activities to the campus community within one calendar year of returning from sabbatical.
1.9 Acknowledgements
NSHE requires faculty who receive a sabbatical leave to acknowledge the sabbatical support in any publications resulting from work accomplished during the sabbatical.
1.10 Related Information
– Nevada Revised Statutes 284.345: Regulations for Attendance and Leave of Absence; Personnel of Nevada System of Higher Education
– NSHE Code Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 15: Sabbatical Leave
– Sabbatical Leave Application memo (distributed annually)
– Sabbatical Leave Evaluation Rubric (available from Office of Faculty Affairs)
1.10.1 Sabbatical Application Materials
Faculty will submit applications electronically using a link provided in the annual call for applications.
1. Record of Professional Qualifications and Accomplishments
a. Current CV;
b. Ratings in teaching, scholarship, and service from the 3 most recent annual reviews completed by supervisor.
2. Sabbatical Plan and Justification (explains nature and value of project, outlines major aims or research questions, proposes a timeline, includes expected outcomes)
a. Action plan
i. Description of nature and purpose of project;
ii. Detailed explanation of proposed activities;
iii. Proposed timeline for activities;
iv. List of expected outcomes and how you will measure success of the project;
v. Summary of qualifications and expertise to perform the proposed work;
vi. Letters of acceptance, appointment, support, and/or itinerary (if applicable);
vii. Contact information for individuals or institutions (other than NS personnel) who will be involved in the project;
viii. Any additional funding received;
vx. Rationale for feasibility of project and proposed timeline.
b. Justification
i. Benefit to the University;
ii. Benefit to the discipline and/or community;
iii. Contribution to the faculty member’s professional growth and development in teaching, service, and/or scholarship.
c. Letter of support from direct supervisor (chair, dean, or other supervisor)
d. Explanation of accomplishments from previous sabbatical leave (if applicable).
1.10.2 Revision History
– Approved August 2008.
– Revisions approved by Dr. Abbey Peters on 5/28/2019; Dr. Vickie Shields on 6/24/2019; and President Bart Patterson on 8/19/2019.
– Revisions approved by Dr. David Cooper on 11/05/2024; Dr. Sarah Frey on 12/16/2024; Berna Rhodes-Ford on 3/04/2025; and President DeRionne Pollard on 4/02/2025.