Sabbatical

The university permits a tenured faculty member who has completed at least seven years of full-time service to the university and has the rank of assistant professor or higher to be freed of instructional or official responsibilities and granted a faculty professional improvement leave for the purposes of:  upgrading professional skills; acquiring new skills; or intellectual and professional development that will be of benefit to the individual and to the university.

It should be clearly understood that the faculty member has an obligation to continue in active service with the university for a period of at least one academic year following the completion of the leave.  If the faculty member does not return to the university, then the faculty member may be required to refund any salary received from the university during the period of leave.