Sabbaticals & Other Leaves of Absence

Faculty members are expected to teach their normal assignments unless they (1) are on sabbatical or other approved leave; (2) are granted administrative course release by the Dean; or (3) buy out of courses in order to increase the amount of effort devoted to sponsored research.

Sabbatical leave is not a reward for past service or accomplishment. Sabbatical leave is granted for the purpose of investing in a faculty member’s ability to engage in scholarly research or other activities leading to professional growth and an increased capacity for service to the University. After each period of at least twelve full semesters of full-time service at Boston University, members of the faculty with standard professorial titles (regardless of tenure status) may be considered for a sabbatical leave consisting of one semester at full salary or one academic year at half salary. A semester that includes a Childbirth Leave, a Primary Caregiver Workload Reduction (full- or half-modified status), a medical leave, or any other form of leave of absence does not count towards the twelve semesters that are required for sabbatical eligibility. A faculty member on leave with compensation retains all employee benefits during the leave period. Those taking sabbatical leaves must agree to return to full-time service for at least one year following the conclusion of the paid sabbatical leave.

In order to make sabbatical leave possible, responsibilities within the department will be adjusted to take account of the faculty member’s absence. If, in the opinion of the Chair and/or the Dean, such adjustment is not possible, the sabbatical will denied for that year. In the event that sabbatical is thereafter granted, the year or years of denial on the basis of departmental needs will be credited toward eligibility for the subsequent sabbatical. The dean shall report this decision to the candidate. Denial on this basis may not occur for more than two consecutive years.

The faculty member shall submit his/her application to the department Chair who shall review its merits, consult with the appropriate departmental faculty, and inform the faculty member of his/her recommendation. The application, along with the recommendation of the department Chair, is due in the CAS Office of Faculty Actions in early December each year for the subsequent academic year (the Associate Chair or equivalent should review/approve any leave or sabbatical request submitted by the Chair). Departments should set appropriate departmental due dates to allow adequate time for review and submission to the College.

If a faculty member is seeking a one-year sabbatical at 50% of academic-year salary, the application requires a statement of proposed support for the remaining 50% of the professor’s salary. This can be in the form of grant applications, letters from other institutions committing funds, etc. Applicants are expected to inform the dean of any external funding subsequently received. External funding to support salary should be paid through Boston University where practicable, and should in no case exceed the recipient’s regular salary during the sabbatical period. If the source of financial support does not materialize, the candidate must notify the department Chair and the Office of Faculty Actions. When faculty members receive prestigious fellowships, the College, at the discretion of the dean, may fund up to the difference between the amount of the fellowship and the recipient’s salary and fringe benefits during the leave period (see full policy here).

The applicant must provide a detailed plan for the scholarly or professional development activity to be undertaken during the sabbatical, with an indication of why the leave is necessary to accomplish the stated goals. The quality and appropriateness of the plan is the major criterion for judging whether the sabbatical will be awarded.

Faculty must submit a brief (approximately one page) report following the conclusion of their sabbatical leave. The report should outline research activities during the leave period, as well as any publications, grants, or other research outcomes stemming from the sabbatical leave, and should be submitted via e-mail to Gareth McFeely within one month of the end of the sabbatical period.

Faculty should also refer to the section of the Boston University Faculty Handbook on sabbaticals and leaves, which governs College policy.

Spacing of Leaves of Absence

The distribution of faculty lines in the College of Arts and Sciences assumes that faculty are fulfilling their full-time duties for the vast majority of their contract time. Although many excellent professional opportunities might lead faculty to seek leaves of absence or course buy-outs, situations in which faculty seek to reduce their teaching and service obligations too often or for too long stretch the capacity of departments and the College to fulfill our obligations to our students. It places burdens on the colleagues who are left to fill service, advising, and other institutional maintenance functions that faculty do, and it diminishes our capacity to be a vibrant academic community.

Thus, the Dean will generally not approve more than two semesters of consecutive leave of absence/sabbaticals (fall to spring or spring to fall) except under unusual and compelling circumstances. The Dean will not approve more than four semesters of leave or sabbatical in any six-year period except under unusual and compelling circumstances. This amounts to a requirement that members of the CAS faculty fulfill their full set of obligations as faculty at least 2/3rds of their contract time on an ongoing basis. Department Chairs are responsible for keeping track of the status of faculty leaves and sabbaticals and should take these policies into account when considering whether to sign off on leave or sabbatical requests.

Voluntary Deferral of Sabbatical Leaves

The dean will normally allow voluntary sabbatical leave deferrals for up to 4 semesters with the deferred semesters to be counted towards the next sabbatical when the department Chair certifies that such deferral would contribute substantially to the professional development of the faculty member and that the department can otherwise meet its teaching and/or service needs. Certification will include a brief explanation of the reasons for the deferral.

Leaves of Absence and the Tenure Clock

In the College of Arts and Sciences, leaves of absence for purposes that resemble the normal duties of the faculty member or that are likely to promote the ability of the faculty member to establish a tenurable record are normally not approved by the dean for exclusion from the years of service counted in computing the date for mandatory tenure review. Leaves of absence for purposes that are substantially different from the normal duties of the faculty member or that are likely inhibit the ability of the faculty member to establish a tenurable record are normally approved by the Dean for exclusion from the years of service counted in computing the date for mandatory tenure review.

Thus, leaves of absence for the purpose of conducting research or for the purpose of teaching at another institution would normally not be excluded from the tenure clock. Examples of leaves of absence that are normally excluded from the tenure clock include but are not limited to medical, childbirth, and adoption leaves, and leaves devoted primarily to working in a public service capacity (such as in a government agency in a non-research capacity) or pursuing a major program of training (such as gaining proficiency in a new language).

University policies and leaves of absence for academic and non-academic reasons such as parental leave are available in the BU Faculty Handbook. Forms are available at the Forms Library on the Provost’s website.

Updated May 15, 2013