Faculty Handbook 2007-2008
Leaves from teaching responsibilities are provided by the University to permit members of the faculty to participate in activities that will:
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enhance their competence as teachers and scholars upon their return to Denison;
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permit the utilization of special expertise of faculty in programs of broad interest (for example, programs sponsored by professional societies or by the federal government);
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permit experiences in other non-academic settings that hold promise of developing new competencies and provide opportunities to test out alternative careers.
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The primary objective of the sabbatical leave is to keep a person intellectually alive by providing an opportunity to do research, to pursue critical and imaginative writing, or to develop a new course, or new approaches to teaching-whatever, in short, contributes to the growth and effectiveness as a teaching member of the faculty and in a manner which will be of benefit to the College.
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Faculty are expected to return to Denison following a sabbatical for at least one year. Financial support has been provided so that Denison students will benefit from the renewal and enhanced competence the faculty member has gained while away.
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A sabbatical is an investment in the future. It is not a reward for past service. Leaves are not made to persons who have completed six years of service to the College and are completing a terminal contract.
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A full-time member of the tenured teaching faculty is eligible to apply for a sabbatical leave after six years of teaching at Denison, excluding any time spent on leave without pay. Subsequently, the faculty member is eligible to apply for leaves according to the schedule given below.
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A faculty member who is considered for tenure during the sixth year at Denison may postpone the leave one year without penalty (that is, the second sabbatical would be "due" in the fourteenth year).
Table 1. Options for Sabbatical Leaves
| Number of Semesters of Full-Time Teaching Since the Previous Sabbatical | Duration of Leave | Compensation for the Year |
| 6 | 1 semester | 3/4 |
| 12 | 1 semester | full |
| 12 | 2 semesters | 1/2 |
In applying for sabbatical leaves, the faculty member submits first to the department a substantive plan in some detail explaining the nature of the project and the projected goals. The plan is reviewed and evaluated by the chairperson of the department for consistency with departmental needs and objectives. The request, along with the chairperson's evaluation, is then submitted to the Provost who may consult with the faculty member about the plan and may make suggestions for modifications.
Normally, one is not granted a sabbatical leave for teaching courses that are regularly taught at Denison. It is understood that some teaching may be a part of the total sabbatical activity, especially if the person is on leave for a full academic year.
Following return to campus, the faculty member reports to the Provost about the leave. The report may take the form of a summary of the activities for the year, a copy of a book, article, or paper, the syllabus of a new course, etc. A presentation to the general College community may be appropriate. The quality of the leave accomplishment is taken into account in evaluating the total contribution of the faculty member to the College. The Provost has the authority to decide on all applications for sabbatical leaves. He/she may consult with the Advisory Board.
The Provost makes an effort to ensure that approximately the same number of people is on leave each year within departments and in the College as a whole.
In the event that a faculty member is requested to consider applying for a sabbatical leave a year early, and if a leave is in fact taken a year early, he or she is eligible for the next sabbatical leave after the completion of seven years of service at Denison. If a person is requested and agrees to a postponement for a year, then the person is eligible subsequently after completing five years of teaching at Denison. In the event the person does not take advantage of the eligibility for a sabbatical leave after six years of teaching at Denison, the person may apply any year. Eligibility for a subsequent sabbatical leave normally occurs after completing the requirements set forth above.
Every effort must be made by the department to make arrangements so that a replacement is not required. Requests for a replacement will be reviewed by the Provost. A request for a part-time replacement is more likely to be approved than is a request for a full-time replacement. Departments ought to make every effort to absorb the workload of a person on leave, especially if the leave is only for one semester. If a faculty member is uncertain about taking either the full year or a semester, this should be stated clearly in the application. Changes in plans which would disrupt the departmental program or would result in unanticipated costs to the College should be avoided. A person may not switch from a year leave to a semester leave later than March 15 of the year preceding the intended sabbatical year and expect to be compensated for the entire year.
Faculty on continuing contracts with at least one-half time teaching responsibilities and expectations to engage in scholarly/artistic work are eligible to apply for sabbatical leaves. Time of eligibility and compensation during leaves will be prorated, based upon teaching load. For example, a faculty member teaching one-half time will be eligible to apply for a one- semester leave at full pay after 12 years or a one-semester leave at half pay after 6 years. An approved application for a leave and a pre-sabbatical review by the President's Advisory Board should occur in the year prior to the proposed sabbatical leave.
A University leave is granted without pay and for one or two years. An individual may be under contractual agreement with another institution during a University leave. Permission may be granted by the Provost after consultation with the President's Advisory Board. A sabbatical leave and a University leave of one year may be combined, again with the approval of the Provost. Under no circumstances may such a combination extend beyond two years.
Under this program a tenured faculty member is released from all normal responsibilities for one semester. The purpose is to provide an opportunity to advance a major research or other creative project. The opportunity is limited to faculty with a demonstrated record of research, scholarship or other creative work whose contracts assure at least one year of service at Denison following completion of the project. Guidelines are as follows:
Application by letter is made to the Provost with a proposal that includes:
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a description of the project;
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a description of how the project fits into the applicant's longer-term scholarly agenda;
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plans for scholarly presentation of the results of the project;
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a curriculum vitae.
The application must be accompanied by a statement of support by the chair. The chair's statement should include some assessment of the feasibility of finding a replacement. The proposals will be evaluated according to the following criteria (borrowed with modifications from the National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Fellowship competition):
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the quality of the project;
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the importance of the contribution that the project will make to the field;
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the conception, definition and organization of the project;
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the likelihood that the applicant will complete the project.
In the particular case of a textbook, an additional criterion would be the uniqueness of the project in terms of approach, point of view, or contribution to pedagogy.
Applicants must have tenure, and normally only one Robert C. Good Faculty Fellowship will be granted to a given faculty member between sabbaticals. Selection will be made by a panel of internal and external reviewers. The deadline for application is November 10, prior to the academic year of the fellowship so that departments have the opportunity to hire suitable replacements.
These fellowships consist of one semester of released time from teaching for untenured faculty normally in the fourth year at Denison. They are available only to faculty occupying full-time, tenure-track positions at Denison. Those who receive a Pre-Tenure Fellowship are expected to return to Denison University for a year of full-time teaching.
Application for a pre-tenure leave is made as part of the third-year review process. The third-year review dossier should include a pre-tenure leave proposal that includes a description of the project and a discussion of how the project fits into the applicants longer-term scholarly agenda. Departments are expected to include an assessment of the proposal as part of their evaluation of the candidate's dossier. The proposals will be evaluated by the President's Advisory Board along with the other third-year review materials.