ARTICLE 17 - Sabbatical Leaves

17:01    A sabbatical leave is a period during which a faculty or librarian member with tenure or permanence is relieved of normal teaching or librarianship and administrative duties in order to pursue a program of independent study and research or creative activities.  Sabbatical leave has two (2) immediate purposes: to allow members to improve themselves academically or professionally; and to allow members to engage in research, scholarship or creative activities.  A sabbatical leave serves the further objectives of improved teaching, excellence in research and scholarly and artistic or creative publications or activities, and more useful University service.

17:02    The University shall continue its sabbatical leave policy to provide faculty members with an opportunity for intellectual renewal, the maintenance and advancement of their academic and professional competence, for the furtherance of their research and scholarly and artistic or creative activities and as coincidental to the foregoing for the establishment and/or strengthening of personal contacts with the world wide community of scholars.

17:03    A sabbatical leave shall be for a period of: 

(a)    six (6) months commencing either on the 1st day of July or the 1st day of January, or

(b)    twelve (12) months commencing on the 1st day of July, or

(c)    such other period as may be mutually agreed upon.

    For a faculty member of an AAU that operates a cooperative education program involving teaching in the summer semester, a sabbatical leave shall commence on the 1st day of January or the 1st day of May, the 1st day of July or the 1st day of September.

    In the two academic years in which a member takes six (6) month sabbaticals, the total number of courses taught by the member in those two academic years shall not exceed the total number of courses the member would teach in a normal teaching year.

          Eligibility for Sabbatical Leave

17:04    Eligibility for sabbatical leave is subject to the following conditions precedent:
 
    (a)    The applicant shall have accumulated during continuing appointment by the first day the member plans to take sabbatical leave for a sabbatical of six (6) or twelve (12) months, a period of at least six (6) years of service.

    (b)    Tenured faculty members with at least three (3) years of continuous service may apply for a sabbatical leave of six (6) months.

    (c)    This clause applies mutatis mutandis to librarian members with permanence.

    (d)    Service shall not include the period of leave under clauses 18:05 (a) and 18:05 (b) and Article 20 of this Agreement, but may include the period of long term disability.  Prior service at this University or service at another University may be considered only if recognition of such service is stated in the letter of appointment.  A faculty member who has had a sabbatical leave is eligible for further sabbatical leave(s) following successive periods of service.

    (e)    The applicant shall have submitted with their application a detailed written statement of their plan of proposed study, research or other planned activity consistent with Article 17:01 during the period of the leave to the Dean and Head which shall:

(i)    specify the plan to be followed which is clearly within the applicant's demonstrated area of competence and which should have a clear focus and be attainable within the sabbatical period;

(ii)    outline clearly and distinctly what the applicant intends to achieve during the sabbatical period; 

(iii)    provide a timetable; 

(iv)    state the potential for sabbatical work including benefits that may accrue and anticipated significance; 

(v)    provide or indicate by written documentation that a sincere attempt has been made to obtain evidence that the applicant will be able to visit or work at any institution outside the University where the applicant proposes to visit or work. 

    (f)    The applicant shall demonstrate in accordance with the following criteria, which may be combined in a manner consistent with other evaluations of career progress such as promotion and tenure, and progress-through-the-ranks, a record of: 

(i)    scholarship and research achievement appropriate to the academic discipline within which the applicant worked during the period of qualifying service; 

(ii)    appropriate professional contribution or administrative achievement within the norms of that discipline during the period of qualifying service; 

(iii)    in appropriate cases, artistic production(s), exhibition(s) or performance(s) or creative activity in a form that has/have been subject to critical review during the period of qualifying service; 

(iv)    achievement(s) during and/or resulting from previous sabbatical leave(s) taken by the applicant. 

    (g)    For the granting of sabbatical leave for the final year of a doctoral program the applicant should submit a detailed written statement which should:

(i)    specify the stage to which the doctoral work has advanced, with confirmation from the University where the applicant is studying;

(ii)    provide a timetable for completion of the doctoral work within the twelve (12) month period with a notation by the chief advisor that the work can be completed within that period. 

    (h)    Sabbaticals granted for courses of study leading to the development of new areas of teaching should involve areas approved by the appropriate Senate committee as worthy of development and would be subject to agreement by the Dean, after consultation with the Head that there are potential openings for the teaching of such courses.

    Application for Sabbatical Leave

17:05    Application for sabbatical leave shall be carried out as follows:

    (a)    A faculty member who is eligible for sabbatical leave shall make written application and provide a detailed written statement as required under clause 17:04 (e) to the Dean and Head on or before the 1st day of September of the academic year preceding the year for which the leave is requested.

    (b)    The Dean and the Head (in the case of librarian members, the University Librarian or Law Librarian as appropriate and the Associate University Librarian) shall provide a letter(s) of appraisal of the Plan required in clause 17:04 (e).

    (c)    A member whose application for sabbatical leave has not been recommended for approval by the Sabbatical Review Committee upon initial consideration shall be given an opportunity to appear before said Committee in order to have the member’s application reviewed in accordance with the requirements of this Article 17.  The Faculty Association shall be provided with the names of all members who are given an opportunity to appear before the said Committee.  The Faculty Association shall treat the list of names as confidential.  The Sabbatical Review Committee shall be comprised of the Deans, the University Librarian and the Provost who shall serve as its Chair.

    (d)    The Provost shall give at least fourteen (14) days written notice of the date and time at which the Sabbatical Review Committee intends to review the application and shall refer to the specific clause and shall state in full the reason(s) for the necessity of said review.

    (e)    The Faculty Association shall have the right to represent any member who opts to appear before the Sabbatical Review Committee under clause 17:05 (c).

    (f)    In the case of those members who do not appear before the Sabbatical Review Committee, the Provost shall inform said members of the decision on or before December 1st of the academic year preceding the year for which the leave has been requested; in the case of members who do appear before the Sabbatical Review Committee, and whose application(s) for sabbatical leave is/are denied by the Board of Governors, the Provost shall inform said members of the decision with reasons therefor in accordance with the provisions of Article 27 no later than thirty (30) calendar days after the herein above specified December 1st.

    (g)    If an application for sabbatical leave has been denied, it shall be the responsibility of the applicant to renew the application.

17:06    The granting of sabbatical leave shall be at the discretion of the Board of Governors on the recommendation of the President.  Sabbatical leave may only be denied for failure to satisfy the requirements of either clauses 17:04 or 17:05 (a) or both.  In the event the University denies a member's application for sabbatical leave, the University will inform the member and the President of the Faculty Association in writing, within fifteen (15) working days of communicating such denial to the member, of the requirement(s) of either clauses 17:04 or 17:05 (a) or both which the member has failed to satisfy.  In the event of denial of sabbatical leave the member may have recourse to the grievance and arbitration procedures of this Agreement commencing at Step Three.  For the arbitration proceedings arising under this clause 17:06, the parties agree to appoint, as sole arbitrator Morton Mitchnick, or in the event he is not available, Bill Kaplan.

17:07    A successful applicant for sabbatical leave shall undertake in writing to:

    (a)    carry out their approved sabbatical plan,

    (b)    submit a written application to and obtain written approval from the Dean, who shall consult with the Head, for any substantial change(s) in the proposed activity set out in the statement submitted in accordance with clause 17:04 (e),

    (c)    submit to the Provost, with copies to the Dean and Head, within ninety (90) days of the expiry date of the faculty member's sabbatical leave a written report of their study, research or other such activity carried out during the period of the leave.

    (d)    If after embarking on their proposed study, research or other planned activity the completion of same is frustrated or non-feasible the faculty member shall submit a written application to and obtain written approval from the Dean, who shall consult with the Head for their alternate plan(s) for the remainder of their sabbatical leave.

17:08    The sabbatical salary allowance, fringe benefits, pension contributions, research grants and other forms of 
    remuneration during a sabbatical leave shall be as follows:

(a)    Where an applicant has accumulated between three (3) years and five (5) years, a sabbatical leave for six (6) months shall be at eighty percent (80%) of the member’s Nominal Salary and shall include one-half (½) of the annual vacation.

 (b)    Where an applicant has accumulated six (6) or more years either 

(i)    a sabbatical leave for six (6) months shall be at full Nominal Salary and shall include one-half (½) of the annual vacation; or

(ii)    a sabbatical leave for twelve (12) months shall be at eighty percent (80%) of the member’s Nominal Salary and shall include the annual one (1) month vacation; or

(iii)    a sabbatical leave for twelve (12) months shall be at ninety percent (90%) of the member’s Nominal Salary when it is a member’s first sabbatical leave at any university or post-secondary institution, and provided the member is in the first ten (10) years of the member’s academic career, and shall include the annual one (1) month vacation. 

(c)    During the member’s sabbatical leave, a sabbaticant shall be deemed to continue to be in the employ of the University and shall continue to be entitled to all benefits provided to other members during their absence.  Time spent on sabbatical leave shall be included and credited as periods of University service in all matters including questions pertaining to promotion, retirement and seniority.  Premiums for all benefits, as provided by this Collective Agreement and all other fringe benefits plans shall continue during sabbatical leave(s) without interruption and on the same basis as during normal employment. Payments into the University Retirement Plan shall be calculated on the basis of the sabbaticant's Nominal Salary or their sabbatical salary allowance at the option of the sabbaticant.  It is clearly understood that any rights to levels of participation or participation in the Plans outlined in this Article are conditional upon the Plans so permitting. 

(d)    A part of the sabbatical salary allowance of a member may be recognized by the University as a research grant upon the request of the member who shall submit to the Dean and Head a detailed written statement of their request for such recognition;  the portion of the sabbatical salary allowance to be paid as a research grant shall be determined by the member, and the terms and conditions of payment of any such grant shall be determined by the University in consultation with the member, but the said terms and conditions shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of clause 17:08 (c). 

(e)    A member may accept scholarships or travel funds from granting agencies, and may with the prior written approval of the Dean, after consultation with the Head accept a salaried position or be engaged in other outside activity for the purpose of increasing the member’s income provided such salaried position or other outside activity does not unduly interfere with completion of the approved sabbatical plan. 

17:09    A faculty member should return to service with the University for a period equivalent to the member's sabbatical (unless causes beyond the member’s control prevent this), except if the University waives such obligation.

17:10    A librarian member shall be entitled to apply for sabbatical leave in accordance with the provisions of this Article 17 which shall apply mutatis mutandis except that,

(a)    in determining total years of service for the purpose of qualifying for sabbatical leave, total years of service shall be reduced by one (1) year for each eight (8) weeks of study leave previously granted to the applicant since their last sabbatical leave, and

(b)    payment of sabbatical salary allowance under clauses 17:08 (a) and (b) shall be based on the determination of total service for qualification for sabbatical leave as provided in clause 17:10 (a) of this Agreement. 

17:11    A successful applicant, who qualifies under clause 17:08 (b) (ii) whose sabbatical leave is postponed for one (1) year by the University where it is impracticable to ensure the quality and continuance of the program(s) in which they are involved may elect either to have their salary allowance increased by five percent (5%) of their Nominal Salary, or to have the year of postponement used as entitlement towards their next sabbatical leave.

17:12    (a)    A member may elect to postpone an approved sabbatical provided the member informs the Dean and the Head of such postponement at least one (1) week prior to the deadline for assignment of teaching duties.  The year of postponement will not count as a year of service toward a future sabbatical leave.

    (b)    In exceptional circumstances arising before the commencement of sabbatical leave, which directly affect the fulfillment of the approved sabbatical Plan and which are beyond the member’s control, provided that the sabbatical leave has not commenced a member may request to postpone their sabbatical leave for one (1) year. Application for postponement shall be made in writing, detailing such circumstances to the Dean and Head. Approval of a postponement by the Dean in consultation with the Head shall not be withheld unreasonably. If the postponement of the sabbatical leave occurs after the deadline for the assignment of teaching duties, the Dean in consultation with the Head shall assign an appropriate workload, including course/section teaching assignments to the member.  The year of postponement will count as a year of service.

17:13    In the event that a member makes application for and receives benefits under Article 18 (Political Leave), Article 19 (Court Leave), Article 21 (Pregnancy/Parental/Adoption Leave), or Article 24 (Compassionate Leave) while on sabbatical, the member is entitled to interrupt the sabbatical leave for a period of up to three months in accordance with the Leave provisions of the Article under which the Leave is granted.  Sabbatical leave shall then resume as though there had been no interruption.  In the case of Article 21, the choice of months to interrupt sabbatical leave shall be at the option of the member and reasonable notice shall be given by the member in writing to the Dean.

17:14    A member on sabbatical leave is entitled to notice by registered mail of any pending decisions affecting workload and/or working conditions and/or the member’s status within the University.  Such notice shall be provided at least thirty (30) days prior to the date at which the decision is to be finalized in order that the sabbaticant may participate in and/or vote, where applicable, on such decisions.  In the event that Canada Post is not in operation, notice of recall shall be by receipted courier delivery.  The onus is on each member to notify the University regarding any change in address. 

17:15    Where a grievance process is initiated by a member on sabbatical or about to go on sabbatical, all stages of grievance procedures may be suspended at the request of the member until after completion of the sabbatical term.

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