Criteria for Selection
Prior to the Sabbatical Committee meeting, the committee chair will check with Business Services to assure availability of funds needed to cover the costs of Sabbatical leave. If funds are available, the Sabbatical Review Committee will evaluate all applications and forward its recommendations to the Chancellor who will make the final selections. Selections will be based on the potential benefit of the proposed leave to Austin Community College, the potential benefit to the applicant’s professional growth, and the applicant’s satisfactory evaluations at the College in the preceding three (3) years.
Conditions Under Which Sabbatical Leave is Granted
- Sabbatical Leave may be granted to staffing table employees who have worked full-time for ACC for at least six (6) consecutive years.
- The applicant shall agree in writing to serve Austin Community College for a period of time equal to the length of the leave, once the leave has been completed. If this agreement is not fulfilled, the applicant shall be required to repay the College all money paid the applicant while on leave.
- This obligation shall be cancelled if death, serious accident, or permanent disability prevents the applicant from fulfilling the terms of the written leave contract, upon the recommendation of the College Chancellor.
- The amount of compensation to be paid the applicant under the term of the leave agreement shall not be interrupted in the event of serious accident or permanent disability, pending notification of the College Chancellor.
- Approval of a sabbatical leave for full-time faculty members shall be contingent upon finding satisfactory replacement faculty (adjunct, full-time or temporary full-time). If it is in the best interest of Austin Community College, the Chancellor may require the sabbatical leave to be restricted to a specific semester.
Pay for Sabbatical Leave
- Sabbatical pay is set by Board Policy DEB.
- Payments shall be made on a monthly basis, per College payroll procedures. Exceptions to this manner of compensation may be made by the College Chancellor.
- Employees on sabbatical leave shall be permitted to continue to receive full benefits to the extent allowed by law.
- Business-related and travel expenses are not paid during sabbatical leave.
- The sabbatical leave shall be considered as time in service to the College for salary schedule purposes. It shall be credited for retirement purposes as governed by the appropriate retirement policies of the employee. Retirement deductions will be made in proportion to the salary received.
- Faculty who take a one-year sabbatical will receive 10.5 months’ base pay or other base pay as per their contract. For all employees, pay will be prorated for sabbaticals of less than one year; sabbaticals may be taken for one semester or for a number of days.
Assignment Following Sabbatical Leave
Upon returning from sabbatical leave, the employee shall normally, unless otherwise agreed upon, be reinstated in the position held at the time the sabbatical leave started. If this is impossible due to reduction in force, reorganization, or other similar extraordinary circumstance, the employee will be placed in a position equal in base pay to the position held at the start of the sabbatical.
Canceled Sabbatical Leave
A sabbatical leave may be canceled by the Chancellor if circumstances warrant. If this occurs, the administration and the employee will recommend a course of action to the Chancellor for the remainder of the sabbatical leave.
Sabbatical Leave Candidate’s Relationship to the College While on Leave
Employees granted leave from Austin Community College would not officially represent the College while on leave.
Unapproved Sabbatical Leaves
Applicants whose sabbaticals are not approved may confer with the Chair of the Sabbatical Review Committee to discuss the reasons for the decision.
Notification by Employee
Sixty days prior to the end of the leave, the leave recipient must notify the appropriate supervisor in writing of intent to return to ACC. Recipients who take less than one-year leave will notify the appropriate supervisor 30 days prior to the end of the leave.
Sabbatical Leave Report and Presentation
The leave recipient shall submit a written Sabbatical Leave Report to the Professional Development office, to the first level supervisor, to the next level supervisor, and to the highest level supervisor within 90 days from the date of return to regular duties by the employee. The report shall summarize the sabbatical experience, including acquisition of skills or completion of research or a community service project; shall outline the activities engaged in during the sabbatical leave; and shall explain how this experience will be useful to Austin Community College.
In addition, upon request, the employee will make a presentation to his or her peers and other employees concerning the sabbatical experience, the benefit gained, and other appropriate related topics.
If the conditions of the leave report and presentation are not fulfilled in a timely manner, the recipient may be subject to repayment to the College of the money the applicant received during the Sabbatical Leave.
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