Sabbatical Leave 3.0

1.0    Purpose

This policy establishes guidelines for the process by which faculty and administrative employees request and take sabbatical leave.

2.0    Revision History

3.0    Persons Affected

3.1    Faculty and administrative employees who have completed six years of consecutive full-time employment without taking a sabbatical.

4.0    Policy

The policy of Casper College is to ensure:

4.1    Sabbatical leaves are granted to eligible faculty or administrative employees to pursue professional studies, investigations, research, or other projects.

4.2    The president, with the approval of the Board of Trustees, may overrule the eligibility guidelines.

4.3    Employees on sabbatical leave are considered full-time employees for computing length of employment and are entitled to all applicable full-time benefits.

4.4    Sabbatical leave is available for the following time lengths and compensation schedules. Other schedules are available upon Board approval.

• Time Length                                                  - Compensation
• Full annual contract period                                 - half pay
• Half annual contract period                                 - full pay
• Full annual contract period, working half-time    - full pay

4.5    Employees on sabbatical leave will return to the position they held prior to the leave. Reassignment may be made upon mutual agreement between the employee and Casper College.

4.6    Funds are budgeted and allocated annually for sabbatical leave salaries, benefits, replacement costs, and project or activity cost. Funds budgeted are limited to available resources.

4.7    Sabbatical leave may be terminated prior to the expiration date upon mutual agreement between Casper College and the employee or upon a breach of the Sabbatical Leave Agreement by the employee. The stipend paid to the employee will cease upon termination.

4.8    Employees who do not voluntarily return to work at the college after their sabbatical leave will reimburse the college the full amount of the sabbatical stipend. Employees who return to work at the college for less than two times the length of their sabbatical leave will reimburse the college a prorated rate of the sabbatical stipend. The Board of Trustees may amend the obligation to return to work.

4.9    Employees who are granted sabbatical leave will submit a written report on their sabbatical to their direct supervisor within 90 days after they return to work.

4.10    Five percent or less of faculty are granted sabbatical leaves per fiscal year.

4.11    Five percent or less of administrative employees are granted sabbatical leaves per fiscal year.

5.0    Definitions

5.1    Administrative. This job classification includes professional, non-faculty positions responsible for the management or operations of the college. Administrative employees are exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act.

5.2    Executive Council. This council consist of the president; vice presidents of academic affairs, student services and administrative services; director of information technology director; executive dean of continuing education; and director of public relations.

5.3    Faculty. This job classification includes employees who are responsible for teaching and instruction. Faculty are employed on a faculty contract. Faculty are exempt from the Fair Labor and Standards Act.

5.4    Sabbatical. A period of leave, usually with pay, granted by an employer for professional studies, investigations, research, or other projects.

5.5    Sabbatical Leave Application. Eligible faculty and administrative employees use this form to apply for sabbatical leave. The form includes the following items.

5.5.1    A description of the proposed sabbatical project or activity including a statement of relevance to the applicant’s discipline or job.

5.5.2    The benefits of the sabbatical project or activity to the college.

5.5.3    The benefits of the sabbatical project or activity to the applicant.

5.5.4    A budget and staffing plan developed with the applicant’s direct supervisor. The plan must include the applicant’s salary, benefits, and replacement cost. Include project or activity costs and funding sources if the applicant’s school or department is paying for any costs associated with the sabbatical, which is not typical.

5.5.5    A letter of recommendation from the applicant’s dean or supervisor.

5.5.6    Faculty applicants need a letter of recommendation from a faculty within their school and a faculty from outside their school. Administrative employee applicants need a letter of recommendation from an administrative employee within their department and a college employee outside their department.

5.6    Sabbatical Leave Agreement. A document signed by the president, appropriate Executive Council member, and the faculty or administrative employee granted sabbatical leave. The document details the compensation and return requirements of the leave.

6.0    Responsibilities

6.1    Eligible employees must to adhere to the guidelines of this policy.

6.2    Executive Council members are responsible for ensuring compliance to this policy for administrative employees and faculty in their respective areas.

7.0    Procedures

7.1    Application Activities

7.1.1    Eligible faculty obtain a Sabbatical Leave Application from the Faculty Alliance chair. Eligible administrative employees obtain a Sabbatical Leave Application from the Administrative Alliance chair.

7.1.2    Faculty complete and submit the Sabbatical Leave Application to the Faculty Alliance chair by the first Friday of November. Administrative employees complete and submit the Sabbatical Leave Application to the Administrative Alliance chair by the first Friday of November.

7.1.3    The respective alliance, or subcommittee thereof, will review the applications, interview applicants when warranted, and recommend applicants for sabbatical leave to the appropriate Executive Council member on or before January 15.

7.1.4    Executive Council members will submit a written recommendation for sabbatical leave for employees they oversee to the president by January 31.

7.1.5    The president will make final recommendation to the Board of Trustees by the February board meeting.

7.1.6    The Board of Trustees will vote to accept or deny the requests for sabbatical leave for each employee.

7.1.7    The respective Executive Council member will notify the applicant of the Board of Trustees’ decision.

7.2    Employees

7.2.1    After the sabbatical is approved, employees will finalize a plan with their supervisors to cover their leave.

7.2.2    The supervisor notifies the appropriate   Executive Council member if there is a need to hire a temporary replacement employee.

7.2.3    Employees submit two copies of a written report on their sabbatical to their direct supervisor within 90 days after they return to work. One copy is filed in the employee’s personnel file and one copy is sent to the president. The president will provide copies of the reports to the Board of Trustees.

7.3    Accounting

7.3.1    The Human Resources Department will pay the employee a salary using established payroll procedures.

7.3.2    Supervisors of employees granted sabbatical leave will incorporate the sabbatical budgets into their school or department budget.

7.3.3    Employees access funds and reimbursements for approved project or activity costs through the employee’s departmental procedures using requisitions or a college credit card and supporting documentation.