Sabbaticals: Effective Practices for Proposals, Implementation and Follow-Up

Spring
2008
Topic
Professional Standards
Committee
Educational Policies Committee

In 2007, the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges adopted the paper Sabbaticals: Benefiting Faculty, The Institution, and Students. Based in part on survey results, it reiterated the fundamental value of the sabbatical leave concept, but uncovered wide disparities in implementation among California's community colleges. This paper proceeds from the assumption that sabbatical leave is crucial to the academic well-being of any institution, and then examines the three main procedural components of an effective leave policy: application and approval, actual leave activities, and final reporting and dissemination. Suggestions are made for how local academic senates can ensure that all three components function effectively together to encourage wide participation and produce a vibrant sabbatical leave program. This will greatly benefit the wider college family of students, faculty, institution and community.