Sabbatical Leave Policy

Faculty are eligible for Sabbatical leave(s) to engage in scholarly activity that will benefit both the faculty member and the University. The activity must be activity for which the faculty member is adequately prepared and must lead to a scholarly publication.

Qualifications

Full-time assistant-, associate- or professor-level faculty who have completed six years of fulltime employment as a faculty member at AHU, and who are already engaged in scholarly activities which will be continued or completed during the sabbatical leave are eligible. Faculty will be eligible for a Sabbatical every seven years.

Length of Sabbatical

One trimester of full-time sabbatical, or two trimesters of half-time sabbatical with half-time campus assignments.

Pay/Benefits for Sabbatical

Full-time pay and benefits will continue during the sabbatical. Funds for the leave must be included in the approved departmental budget for the year in which the sabbatical is taken.

Limits

The number of faculty who may be approved for a sabbatical will be determined by administration on an annual basis. Approval by an academic leader will be based upon the ability of the department to find adequate departmental/teaching coverage.

Return and Length of Stay

The faculty member must agree in writing to return to AHU following the sabbatical leave. The faculty member must be fully employed at AHU for one academic year following the completion of the sabbatical leave or must fully repay the cost of the leave to the University. The cost of leave is equivalent to the total salary and benefits paid for the length of sabbatical leave.

Repayment of Leave Costs

The cost of the sabbatical leave must be repaid if the following conditions occur:

• The faculty member fails to complete the sabbatical leave requirements
• The faculty member does not complete a full year of full-time employment at AHU after the Sabbatical
• The faculty member is terminated by the University for disciplinary reasons. (See Faculty Handbook Sec. 23.1)

Service Record

Time spent on sabbatical leave will count as full-time service to the institution. It will have no negative impact on promotion or retirement vesting.