Sabbatical Proposal Timeline
Sabbatical leaves are granted by the Board of Trustees in order to ensure that the College will maintain the quality of faculty and educational programs available to students. Every sabbatical activity should have as its basic element, programs that will improve the instructional, counseling, or other educational activity of the College. The sabbatical is an important means by which the vital faculty member increases their knowledge and keeps abreast of developments in their field. The sabbatical leave is a valuable academic tradition because it enhances instructional expertise and professional development, and because it serves to revitalize College programs. In this section you will find definitions and a calendar of deadlines for submitting your proposal.
Definitions
Approval - Action taken by the Sabbatical Leave Committee once the proposal has successfully met all the criteria listed on the Proposal page. An approved proposal is eligible to be forwarded to the Academic Senate and is eligible for ranking (if necessary) and selection.
Ranking - The procedure to be used if the number of Committee-approved proposals exceeds available funds or the 5% rule. The proposals are arranged according to objective criteria.
Recommendation - Recommendation for selection will be done by vote of the Academic Senate. The proposals recommended for final selection will be determined by available funds.
Selection - Final selection will be made by the President and Board of Trustees based upon the recommendations made by the Academic Senate.
Timeline for Sabbatical Leave Proposal
Ideally, individuals proposing a sabbatical should discuss their ideas in their Department early in the Spring semester preceding the Fall semester in which the Proposal is due. Department-wide support will be indicated by the Department Chair's letter of support.
In the same Spring semester, after department-wide discussions, applicants should discuss their proposals with their Deans. The Dean could supply information on overlapping research, staffing matters, or any relevant institutional concerns. We do not believe it is the Dean's role at this stage of the process to offer an opinion that a proposal is likely to be granted or denied or to try to substantially change what the applicant is proposing, but rather to help ensure a successful proposal process. These early discussions will allow the Deans to know how many applicants are coming from their divisions, what conflicts this may cause, and how to resolve those conflicts. It will also allow the applicant to learn of any Administrative issues and concerns. It will place unfair pressure on your Dean to hear about your Sabbatical Proposal for the first time when you are asking him/her to write you a letter of support. We feel that the Deans have a legitimate reason to refuse to write that letter if they are not given enough time to consider the impact of your proposal.
A workshop is typically held to acquaint prospective applicants with the various dimensions of the sabbatical leave process. In the event that you might want preliminary feedback about ideas or drafts of proposals, we invite you to discuss them with the Committee.
Submit copies of your proposal to your Department Chair and Division Dean along with their signature page for comments and possible suggestions for revision. If you are the Department Chair you may write a letter of support on your own behalf.
Copies of proposal returned to applicant by Division Dean and Department Chair with signature page(s) completed.
The eligibility form must be signed by the Assistant Superintendent / Vice President, Human Resources or designee. The letter of indemnification will be signed at the same time. Please include a copy of this letter in your proposal.
Complete formal proposal, including Department Chair, Division Dean, Personnel eligibility forms, and Letter of Indemnification due no later than this date. Be sure that all signatures are obtained and your proposal is complete. Submit one hard copy and a digital copy to the Committee Chair.
The Committee will evaluate all sabbatical leave proposals carefully, with the view of assuring that each proposal is presented in its finest light. We intend to follow this process:
a. Proposals for Sabbatical Leave should be discussed and acted on by the Committee before administrative feedback is received by the applicant. If the above mentioned early spring discussions have taken place there should not be any complications. After holding initial discussions, the committee will hear and consider the official Dean's input before voting for approval or rejection of the proposal. The Sabbatical Leave Committee should be the primary conduit for communication with the applicant at this point in the process.
b. The Committee may offer suggestions to strengthen the proposal if needed. Proposals may undergo revisions at this point. This peer review is a normal part of the process.
c. Revisions must be dated and resubmitted within two weeks (ten working days).
d. If the number of Committee-approved proposals exceeds the available budget, and/or the 5% rule, a ranking must be completed. The budget and 5% rule are established by District negotiation.
Recommendation for approval of sabbatical leaves will be submitted by the Committee to the President of the Academic Senate for presentation to the Academic Senate. If the number of Committee-approved proposals exceeds the available budget, and/or the 5% rule (see Policies Item p.), the Senate President may request that proposals be presented in ranked order. Ranking will be done based on information provided in the Service & Prior Sabbatical Form of the proposal.
The President of the Academic Senate will forward approved recommendations to the Superintendent-President.
Recommendations for approval of proposals will be submitted to the Board of Trustees by the Superintendent-President.
A letter will be sent to the approved applicants from the Superintendent-President after Board approval.