10.2 Sabbatical Leave Policy

10.2.1 Statement of Authority and Purpose 

This policy is promulgated by the Board of Trustees pursuant to the authority conferred upon it by §23-41-104(1), C.R.S., and in accordance with the requirements of §23-5-123, C.R.S., in order to set forth a policy outlining the terms and conditions under which sabbatical leave and paid administrative leave shall be granted to employees at Mines.  This policy shall supersede any previously promulgated Mines policy that is in conflict herewith.

10.2.2 Policy Statement   

The Board is cognizant of the necessity of maintaining a high caliber of faculty at Mines and the importance of the faculty's contribution in delivering quality education to Mines students.  The Board recognizes that faculty sabbaticals play an important role in developing and enhancing faculty expertise and promoting faculty excellence in teaching and research.  The Board also recognizes that a faculty sabbatical is a privilege, rather than a right, and should be granted only when it directly benefits Mines and the education of its students.  Therefore, the Board shall judiciously grant faculty sabbaticals which are designed to foster teaching and/or research excellence at Mines and thereby result in a benefit to the State of Colorado.

10.2.3 Policy

The following rules and procedures shall henceforth apply to the granting and administration of all sabbaticals at Mines.

1. Mines may not authorize a sabbatical or an extended period of paid administrative leave for any person holding an administrative position, except that it may, for a reasonable period of time, authorize such employees to take paid administrative leave for disciplinary or investigative reasons. Accordingly, administrative faculty members do not qualify for sabbaticals hereunder.  Due to the nature of their positions, research faculty members are likewise ineligible for sabbaticals.  The Board is aware that certain administrative positions at Mines are filled by tenured academic faculty members whose status hereunder may be unclear. For the purposes of this policy, an "administrative position" shall be defined to mean any position that does not require at least fifty percent of total effort to be devoted to teaching and academic research.
2. Mines may not grant a sabbatical for any faculty member more than once every seven years.  A tenured faculty member shall first become eligible for a sabbatical after six years of service to Mines (i.e., in the seventh year). To qualify for a sabbatical, the faculty member must have actively served in a full-time, tenured and/or tenure-track position for the six-year period, or an aggregate of twelve semesters.  Time spent on unpaid leave is not counted as fulfilling this requirement. In order to be eligible for a subsequent sabbatical, a faculty member must actively serve Mines for six more years following completion of the previous sabbatical, have satisfied the report requirement after the previous sabbatical (described in Paragraph I below), and have met all other requirements associated with sabbatical leave outlined in this Policy. Time served by a tenured faculty member in an administrative position shall count toward fulfillment of the service requirement. A sabbatical approved for a full year must be completed in two consecutive semesters. A sabbatical may not be granted to any faculty member serving on a transitional appointment.  Mines may delay, for up to one academic year, the taking of a granted sabbatical when it determines that such delay is necessary to avoid significant disruption to Mines operations and the delay will advance the excellence of Mines’ delivery of services.  When Mines requires a delay in taking a sabbatical, the faculty member will be eligible to seek a grant of sabbatical for the seventh year following the year in which Mines granted the prior sabbatical. 
3. When applying for a sabbatical, a faculty member shall submit to his or her department head as far in advance as possible a detailed sabbatical plan specifying: (1) how the sabbatical activity will result in the faculty member's professional growth, enhance the reputation of Mines and the educational experience of Mines students and increase the overall level of knowledge in the faculty member's area of expertise; and (2) the goals that the faculty member will achieve while on sabbatical.
4. The department head shall review the sabbatical plan and forward the plan along with a recommendation to grant or deny the sabbatical request to the Provost, hereinafter the “Provost," within a reasonable time.  The Provost shall review these documents and, if the Provost approves the sabbatical request, forward the file to the President with his or her recommendation within a reasonable time.  The President shall review these documents and, if the President approves the sabbatical request, forward the file to the Board along with his or her recommendation for final approval.
5. All sabbaticals taken by Mines faculty shall require Board approval in advance.  In considering a sabbatical request, the Board shall consider the quality of the faculty member's proposed activities while on sabbatical; the individuals who will be involved in such activities; the benefits to be received from such activities by the faculty member, Mines and Mines students; the hardship imposed, if any, on the faculty member's colleagues or department if the sabbatical should be granted; and the number of sabbaticals or requests for sabbaticals currently outstanding within the department or area of expertise of the faculty member requesting a sabbatical.
6. If, due to serious and unforeseen circumstances, a faculty member becomes aware that he or she will be unable to fulfill the approved sabbatical goals during the sabbatical period, the faculty member shall expeditiously consult with his or her department head and the Provost to establish amended sabbatical goals for the remainder of the sabbatical period.  If such circumstances involve a personal or family illness, sick leave may be substituted for the sabbatical, and in such case, the faculty member's record will not reflect the granting of sabbatical leave.
7. Compensation for faculty on sabbatical shall be provided on the following basis: (1) 50% of the academic year base salary plus 100% of the employer-provided benefits for a one-year sabbatical; (2) 100% of the academic year base salary plus 100% of the employer-provided benefits for a one-semester sabbatical.
8. A faculty member receiving paid sabbatical leave must return to full-time employment at Mines for at least one year after the conclusion of the sabbatical.  A faculty member who does not fulfill this condition will be required to repay the full amount of compensation (salary plus employer-provided benefits) received from Mines during the sabbatical period.
9. Upon completion of a sabbatical, the faculty member shall submit a final sabbatical report to the Board, including a summary of his or her activities while on sabbatical and the benefits derived by the faculty member that includes a brief (150-200 word) abstract of the sabbatical report. Final sabbatical reports need not include specific details of the faculty member's research conducted while on sabbatical.  A faculty member may also be requested to make a brief oral presentation of his or her completed sabbatical to the Board.
10. The Provost shall review the sabbatical plan and the final sabbatical report prior to its submission to the Board, and certify in writing whether or not the faculty member has met the goals stated in the plan.
11. The Board may not grant a subsequent sabbatical to any faculty member who does not meet the goals or amended goals stated in his or her sabbatical plan.
12. Every participant in the sabbatical process shall be responsible for ensuring that each sabbatical granted by Mines meets the requirements of §23-5-123, C.R.S., and this policy.  Any employee involved in applying for, reviewing or approving a sabbatical at Mines who acts in bad faith or in a willful and wanton manner may be subject to disciplinary sanctions if the above-mentioned requirements are not met.

Promulgated by the Mines Board of Trustees on September 9, 1994.
Amended by the Mines Board of Trustees on December 16, 1994.
Amended by the Mines Board of Trustees on June 10, 1999.