Development and Scholarship
FAQs: Applying for a Sabbatical
Download a pdf format of the guidelines

When do I become eligible for a sabbatical?
According to the Handbook, “a faculty member may be granted a sabbatical leave not more often than once during each seven-year period following the attainment of tenure. “

What kinds of sabbatical leaves are currently offered?
An application for a sabbatical leave is submitted early in the fall semester of the preceding academic year. Right now, one can apply to take one semester off at full pay or two semesters off at half-pay. The two kinds of leaves have different advantages in terms of money and time. Some departments prefer a faculty member to take a full-year leave because then a full-year replacement can be found. Others prefer to have the faculty member back as soon as possible. Ultimately, however, it’s the faculty member’s decision as to which kind of leave to take.

When is the deadline for applying for a 2010-2011 sabbatical?
The deadline for sabbatical application this year is Friday, October 30, 2009 at 12:00 p.m

Where do I submit my application?
Deliver eight copies of your application to the Provost’s Office.

What does a complete sabbatical application require?
A complete sabbatical application includes:

--a written proposal

--an up-to-date vita

--a letter from the department head endorsing (a) the merit of the project and (b) the feasibility of the proposer's replacement in the department.

How long does my sabbatical proposal have to be?
According to the Faculty Handbook, the narrative statement of the proposals must be “between two to four typed pages.” Furthermore, the proposal must be “related to the discipline taught by applicant” and “state precisely how the research or project will be carried out and present a timetable for achieving desired results.” In practice, FDSC has tended to judge with particular favor proposals that seem realistic in terms of what can be accomplished and how long it will take; in fact, a realistic timetable is often the mark of a serious scholar. You don’t have to sell us the moon.

But don’t I have to be writing a book or something? Does my project have to be at an advanced stage?
No. The Handbook articulates the following criteria for evaluating sabbaticals:

Each proposal is evaluated on the basis of its potential for (1) contributing to a specific field of knowledge, (2) increasing the faculty member's knowledge of teaching subject matter, and/or (3) improving the academic course(s) taught by the faculty member.

Faculty Development and Scholarship Committee hereby emphasizes the “faculty development” part of its mandate, which it believes represents an ongoing commitment to Muhlenberg faculty as well as a commitment to process as well as progress. A good sabbatical proposal will therefore demonstrate how a sabbatical will further the development of a serious scholarly or pedagogical project. While some faculty use sabbaticals to work on already-advanced projects, others generate new projects or further define projects which are in relatively early stages. Faculty members at Muhlenberg have successfully applied to work on projects in every stage of their development, from preliminary reading lists to the editing and proofreading of completed manuscripts.

Other faculty members have applied to reinvigorate their teaching by using the sabbatical semester(s) to familiarize themselves with significant developments in their fields. Successful applications of this kind will append a bibliography and demonstrate the faculty member’s preliminary research into the current state of the field.

Are sabbaticals competitive? Are they ranked?
While the granting of sabbaticals is not automatic, this means only that applicants must be working on a serious scholarly or pedagogical project. In other words, a sabbatical is explicitly not for “rest and relaxation.” However, as noted above, the Handbook recognizes a wide range of projects as sabbatical-worthy, and faculty do not and should not compete with each other for sabbaticals. Consequently, FDSC will not rank sabbatical proposals unless the college officially notifies us of financial exigencies, as the Handbook states.

What are my responsibilities once I have received a sabbatical?
First of all, you are required to return to campus! The Handbook states that “sabbatical leave will be granted only to a faculty member who will have a continuing appointment with the College after the end of the leave and who, at the time of notification of approval for the leave, has not made a commitment inconsistent with his or her return to the College.” You are also required to submit a written report of your accomplishments to the Provost’s office when you return to campus. You may be asked to discuss the results of your sabbatical with your department head.