The Faculty Benefits Committee sponsors three competitive award programs to support the professional development of tenured and tenure-track faculty: sabbaticals, summer fellowships, and project grants. The following questions are typically posed by applicants pursuing a sabbatical leave. Applicants are strongly urged to consult the Faculty Handbook (Section XII. A-D, pp. 70-81 and Section IV. A-D, p. 112) for a complete description of the purpose, eligibility, conditions of acceptance and application procedures of each program.
1. What activities are supported by a sabbatical leave?
2. When is the deadline for filing a sabbatical application and who receives copies of the proposal?
3. Where can I obtain an application form and related information about this award program?
4. What are the roles of the department chairperson and dean in the application process?
5. How often am I eligible for a sabbatical?
6. How long is a sabbatical leave?
7. What are the final reporting requirements and when is the report due?
8. Who receives copies of the final report?
10. Can I postpone a sabbatical leave after it has been approved by the Faculty Benefits Committee?
13. When will I know if my application is approved?
14. How much consulting activity or other paid activity can I do on sabbatical?
15. What happens if I terminate my employment at NKU and do not return after the sabbatical?
16. Where can I find an example of a successful application from a prior year?
1. What activities are supported by a sabbatical leave?
Answer: Sabbaticals support a variety of professional development activities of faculty. Examples include research, scholarly writing, advanced study or artistic performance. Sabbaticals cannot be used to prepare theses or dissertations or to meet degree requirements. Other fundable activities are discussed on p. 73 of the Handbook.
2. When is the deadline for filing a sabbatical application and who receives copies of the proposal?
Answer: The deadline for filing an application is the first Tuesday of October of each academic year. Submit copies electronically ( preferably PDF) to:
a). Faculty Senate Office, AC 105, c/o Grace M. Hiles (hilesg1@nku.edu);
b). the department chairperson;
c). the college dean.
3. Where can I obtain an application form and related information about this award program?
Answer: Application forms are on the web at the following address: Sabbaticals . The procedures, eligibility conditions, and reporting requirements are covered in the Faculty Handbook (Section XII. A-D, pp. 70-81 and Section IV. A-D, p. 112) . At the beginning of the fall semester, the Benefits Committee holds a workshop on the application process for all award programs. Attendance is voluntary. The date of the workshop is announced in August through e-mail, Midweek, and circulars distributed by the Professional and Organizational Development Center.
4. What are the roles of the department chairperson and the dean in the application process?
Answer: The chairperson is responsible for writing a letter of evaluation for the applicant. The letter will reflect the chair’s perception of the quality of the proposal, the ability of the applicant to carry out the project, the applicant’s stewardship of prior awards and eligibility. The dean is also responsible for writing a letter of evaluation for the applicant. The dean's letter will reflect the contributions of the project to the college, University or non-academic community.
Evaluation letters are due on the second Tuesday in October with electronic copies ( preferably PDF) of the letter to:
a). the Faculty Senate Office, AC 105, c/o Grace M. Hiles(hilesg1@nku.edu);
b). the dean (or chair) of the applicant’s college;
c). the applicant.
5. How often am I eligible for a sabbatical?
Answer: Tenured and tenure track faculty are eligible for a sabbatical after completing 12 semesters, excluding summer sessions, of employment at NKU. Tenure track faculty may submit an application during the fall semester of their sixth year of service but must be awarded tenure during their seventh year to be granted the leave.
6. How long is a sabbatical leave?
Answer: Applicants have a choice of requesting a leave either for one semester at full pay (either fall or spring semester) or for two semesters at 65% of the applicant’s salary. If the applicant opts for two-semester leave, some benefits may be reduced (e.g., TIAA contributions by the applicant and the university) while other benefits (health & dental care) are not affected. Contact the Benefits Manager in the Department of Human Resources for complete details.
7. What are the final reporting requirements and when is the report due?
Answer: A final report is due within two months of returning from sabbatical leave. The typical report takes the form of a letter addressed to the Provost which summarizes what the applicant accomplished on leave. Tangible products of the sabbatical (e.g., a scholarly manuscript, book or book chapters, etc.) do not have to be submitted with the report; however, the applicant should make them available to administrators upon request. Recipients must also communicate achievements of the sabbatical informally to fellow faculty within an academic year of completing the leave. The typical forum is a brown-bag luncheon.
8. Who receives copies of the final report?
Answer: Award recipients submit electronic copies of the final report to:
a). the Faculty Senate Office, AC 105, c/o Grace M. Hiles (hilesg1@nku.edu);
b). the department chair;
c). the dean of the applicant’s college;
d). the Provost.
9. Can I apply for a summer fellowship, a project grant, and a sabbatical leave during the same academic year?
Answer: Yes, but be aware that separate applications must be submitted for each award, that there are different eligibility requirements for sabbaticals and summer fellowships, and that there are different final report deadlines for the various awards. Check the Faculty Handbook for eligibility requirements for the different awards (Section XII.A.2, p. 70; XII.B.2, p. 76; XII.C. 2, p. 78) and for deadlines of final reports (XII.A.4, p. 75; XII.B.5, p. 77; XII.C.7, p. 79).
10. Can I postpone a sabbatical leave after it has been approved by the Faculty Benefits Committee?
Answer: Yes. Although most applicants take their leave at the time they originally requested it, applicants may voluntarily postpone an approved leave. The applicant should inform the department chairperson, college dean, and Provost in writing of his/her intention to defer the leave and specify when the sabbatical will be taken (if known).
11. Does postponing an approved sabbatical leave affect eligibility status for subsequent sabbaticals?
Answer: No. Postponing a leave does not affect eligibility for subsequent sabbaticals because eligibility is determined from the semester/year that the prior sabbatical leave was awarded, not by the semester/year in which the leave was actually taken.
12. Is a chairperson eligible for a sabbatical, and if so, who evaluates their application and verifies their eligibility?
Answer: Yes, department chairs are eligible. The chairperson submits copies of the application simultaneously to the Faculty Benefits Chairperson c/o Faculty Senate Office AC 105 and to the college dean who writes a letter evaluating the application and verifies the applicant’s eligibility.
13. When will I know if my application is approved?
Answer: The Provost informs applicants of the status of their application no later than December 24.
14. How much consulting activity or other paid activity can I do on sabbatical?
Answer: Consulting activity is limited to one day per week for a two-semester sabbatical leave (see the Handbook, Section IV, p. 112). Time spent on consulting must be in addition to, rather than part of, the normal full time effort expected of full-time faculty. Faculty awarded a two-semester sabbatical may accept pay for up to 35% of their academic year salary, or they may accept a part-time position.
15. What happens if I terminate my employment at NKU and do not return after the sabbatical?
Answer: Recipients of a sabbatical must agree to return to the University for a minimum of one academic year following the end of the leave or to repay the full amount of the stipend to the university.
16. Where can I find an example of a successful application from a prior year?
Answer: A binder of successful applications from the prior year is available at the Steely Library circulation desk.