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The Leave of Absence (LOA) policy is available for those times when it is necessary to request time off for certain qualifying reasons. Please refer to the AdventHealth Handbook for details (accessed through the Hub).
12.1 Professional Leave
Faculty may wish to return to full-time practice in their profession in order to renew their skills and/or update their professional practice. Requests for leave from teaching responsibilities must be made to the Provost well in advance of the desired experience and will be granted only when it is deemed in the best interest of the faculty, students, and the University. Generally, no salary or expense considerations will be made when such requests are granted. A specified length of time must be part of the request.
12.2 Sabbatical Leave
AHU Administration recognizes the need for faculty to participate in scholarly activities. Faculty need to have the time for research, publication, and presentations. Sabbatical leaves allow faculty concentrated time to engage in these activities.
Criteria
Qualifications
Full-time assistant-, associate-, or professor-level faculty who have completed six years of fulltime employment as a faculty member at AHU, and who are already engaged in scholarly activities which will be continued or completed during the sabbatical leave are eligible. Faculty will be eligible for a Sabbatical every seven years.
Length of Sabbatical
One trimester of full-time sabbatical, or two trimesters of half-time sabbatical with half-time campus assignments.
Purpose of Sabbatical
The pursuit of scholarly activities, such as research, publication, and presentation. These activities must show benefit to both the faculty member and the University. They must be activities for which the faculty member has been adequately prepared.
Pay/Benefits for Sabbatical
Full-time pay and benefits will continue during the sabbatical. Funds for the leave must be included in the approved departmental budget for the year in which the sabbatical is taken.
Limits
The number of faculty who may be approved for a sabbatical will be determined by administration on an annual basis. Approval by an academic department will also be based on the ability of the department to find adequate departmental/teaching coverage.
Procedure
Application
The faculty member must submit a Sabbatical Leave Application and a Letter of Intent to the Office of Academic Administration. Signatures from the Department Chair and Human Resources department must be obtained prior to submission to Academic Administration. The Sabbatical Leave Application and Letter of Intent must be submitted by July 1 of the academic year prior to the sabbatical leave. The office of Academic Administration acknowledges receipt of the application.
The letter of intent must include a curriculum vitae and outline of the proposed scope of activities during the sabbatical including: a draft research proposal, travel plans, a list of collaborators, if any, and any other information that supports the proposed sabbatical leave activity. .
Approval
The sabbatical leave application and Letter of Intent will be forwarded by Academic Administration to the Rank and Promotion Committee for review. This committee will make recommendations to Academic Administration for final approval, in consultation with the University President. Written notification of final approval granting sabbatical leave will be given by December 1 of the academic year prior to the leave. (See Appendix J - Sabbatical Leave Application .)
Report
Within a trimester after the sabbatical has been completed, the faculty member must disseminate accomplishments of his or her sabbatical work by:
- oral presentation
- the submission of evidence to an appropriate venue
- peer-reviewed publication
Return and Length of Stay
The faculty member must agree in writing to return to AHU following the sabbatical leave. The faculty member must be fully employed at AHU for two academic years following the completion of the sabbatical leave or he/she must fully repay the cost of the leave to the University. The cost of leave is equivalent to the total salary and benefits paid for the length of sabbatical leave.
Repayment of Leave Costs
The cost of the sabbatical leave must be repaid if the following conditions occur:
- The faculty member fails to complete the sabbatical leave requirements.
- The faculty member does not complete a full year of full-time employment at ADU after the Sabbatical.
- The faculty member is terminated by the University for disciplinary reasons. (See Faculty Handbook Sec.23.1.)
Service Record
Time spent on sabbatical leave will count as full-time service to the institution. It will have no negative impact on promotion or retirement vesting.
12.3 Bereavement
Please refer to the AdventHealth Handbook (accessed through the Hub).
12.4 Attendance at Professional Meetings
Faculty members are encouraged to actively participate in professional associations and societies. Each year, as part of the budget approval process, the departmental budget will provide reimbursement for faculty to do so. Faculty will submit for approval a travel authorization form with all estimated expenses to their department heads prior to the event. Approved travel will be reimbursed after the expenses have been incurred and only subsequent to filing an expense report with appropriate documentation.
12.5 Jury Duty
Please refer to the AdventHealth Handbook (accessed through the Hub).
12.6 Voting
Please refer to the AdventHealth Handbook (accessed through the Hub).
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