Sabbaticals and Leaves of Absence
Sabbaticals
The purposes for which sabbatical leaves may be granted include research directed toward publishable studies, the completion of doctoral studies, professional travel, professional writing and/or other activity, such as curriculum revision, reading in one’s field, or working in a less pressured environment, that will enable the faculty member to serve the University more effectively.
A sabbatical leave may be either one academic year at half the appropriate annual salary, or one semester at full salary, payable in regular semi-monthly installments. A sabbatical may also be granted for any other period equivalent to an academic year. Those seeking sabbatical leaves must apply to the Faculty Review Committee following the guidelines listed in Part Three, Section IV. A. 5.
Full-time teaching faculty members at or above the rank of assistant professor, who will have completed five consecutive full-time years of service at the University, are eligible to apply during their fifth year for a sabbatical leave to be taken during their sixth year. Recipients of a sabbatical leave, if they otherwise qualify, become eligible again for a sabbatical leave upon completion of another five consecutive full-time years of service at the University.
A sabbatical leave does count as time toward years of service at Greenville University for such purposes as placement on the salary schedule or promotion. However, a sabbatical leave does not count as time accrued toward meeting the years of service criterion for tenure or a subsequent sabbatical leave.
The number of sabbatical leaves granted in a fiscal year will be conditioned by factors related to the budget and satisfactory faculty replacement. Within those constraints, the University will fund all proposals for sabbaticals that have been judged to have merit. Priority for sabbaticals is given to tenured faculty; normally no more than one-third of the sabbaticals per year will be awarded to nontenured faculty for work toward an advanced degree. The recipient of a sabbatical leave is obligated to return to the University for a minimum of two full-time years of service. The University is obligated to reappoint the recipient to the faculty at the original academic rank or higher (or its equivalent). Should the recipient return to the University for less than two years or retire during the two-year period, the faculty member is obligated to reimburse the University, on a prorated basis, for the sabbatical leave compensation. If the recipient’s employment is terminated by the University, the faculty member will not be obligated to reimburse the institution.
Leaves of Absence (Faculty, Non Medical)
A leave of absence may be granted by the president in consultation with the chief academic officer, when arrangements can be made for interim appointment and when such a leave gives promise of both individual growth and institutional improvement. Leaves are considered, normally, when the following conditions exist:
o The primary purpose of the leave is improvement of teaching through formal study, independent research, or service in government.
o The faculty member has completed at least three years of service (under special circumstances, a lesser period may be approved).
o The faculty member accepts the obligation to return to the University for a reasonable period of teaching—in no case less than one year.
In unusual situations, the faculty member may be granted a leave of absence for health reasons. There is no payment of salary or benefits by the University to a faculty member on a leave of absence. Leaves of absence (official unpaid leave) do not count as years of service, but they are not considered interruptions of the “consecutive full-time years of service” criterion. Requests for leaves of absence should be discussed with the department chair and school dean chair and presented in writing to the chief academic officer as early as possible and in no case later than December 1st.
Grievance Procedure for Conflict Resolution Outside of the Review Process
Greenville University recognizes that any time people work together closely conflict may arise. In an effort to resolve conflicts in a timely manner, the University seeks to foster open communication. As such, the University recognizes an employee's right to express grievances and to seek a solution concerning disagreements arising from working relationships, working conditions, employment practices, or differences of interpretation of policy that might arise between the institution and its employees.
When a grievance arises, employees of the University should seek to follow a biblical approach to conflict resolution. As we have sought to live this out, we have adopted the following procedure:
1. If a grievance arises, seek resolution with the individual or department most directly concerned.
2. If no resolution results from Step 1, the employees may discuss the matter with supervisor(s) and should attempt to seek resolution at this level.
3. If no resolution results from Step 2, the employees may request a meeting with the Cabinet/SALT – Senior Administrative Leadership Team Member(s) over his or her respective area and/or Human Resources.
4. If no resolution results from Step 3, the employees may appeal the matter in writing to the President for final disposition.