The College supports the academic growth of its faculty as teachers and scholars through a program for faculty development. Support opportunities include programs for the assessment and improvement of teaching, a sabbatical leave program, travel funds, institutional cost-sharing for sponsored projects, Dana professorships and scholarships, and a variety of internal grant programs for awards in support of research, instructional development, and interdisciplinary learning. These programs are described on the Provost's website (https://www.ithaca.edu/provost/).
The College has committed certain resources to assist faculty in applying for and administering grants from external agencies. Funds are available to allow the College to share costs with these agencies to support research and development of academic programs. College personnel are available to assist faculty at various steps of the grant process. The College offers these resources as part of its commitment to research and to faculty and curricular development.
4.5.1 Sabbatical Leaves (see also section 4.8.1)
As approved by the Ithaca College Board of Trustees 2/20/2014 and amended 5/17/2015.
Sabbatical leave is a paid period of release time designed to reinvigorate and restore one’s academic energies and to provide a base for future intellectual development and achievement. Sabbatical projects are understood to be professionally relevant endeavors aimed at specific outcomes, such as the eventual dissemination of peer-reviewed or externally affirmed projects (as described in 4.12.7.2), and/or the design and eventual implementation of innovative courses. Activities that fall under the purview of routine expectations for a faculty member—alterations of existing syllabi, revisions of curricula, and maintaining broad awareness of one’s field—are endeavors that would not fall under the rubric of appropriate sabbatical pursuits. Sabbatical proposals will be reviewed and approved based on the significance of the project, its likelihood of being completed, relevance to teaching/scholarship, past sabbatical productivity and availability of funding and staffing resources.
A sabbatical consists of a leave of absence from all instructional and service responsibilities for one semester at full compensation or one year at half compensation. Any faculty member who, at the time of application, is tenured and is completing or has completed a minimum of six years of continuing full-time service at the College (which may be interrupted by leaves of absence) is eligible during the sixth or any subsequent year to apply for a sabbatical leave for the year following the application. Note: Since faculty being evaluated for tenure in year six are not tenured until the beginning of the seventh year, they may apply for a sabbatical leave no sooner than year seven, the leave to be effective the following year. Eligibility for a second or later sabbatical will depend upon completion of six (6) additional year of full-time service at the College since the end of the last sabbatical leave and upon having fulfilled the requirements of the last sabbatical proposal. In the event that a sabbatical is delayed at the request of the institution, the year(s) delayed will count toward the eligibility for the subsequent sabbatical. In the event a faculty member does not apply for a sabbatical when eligible, the period between the initial eligibility and the actual leave taken normally does not accrue toward the next sabbatical.
Any faculty member who meets the criteria for eligibility may submit an application for sabbatical leave. Such application must be submitted to and reviewed by the faculty member's chair and dean in the fall term of the year preceding the leave and must follow the application format and deadlines stipulated on the Provost's website (https://www.ithaca.edu/provost/). If the applicable dean, provost & vice president for academic affairs, or president has concerns about the application, the planning unit or chair will be given the opportunity to make a recommendation to the dean, provost & vice president for academic affairs, or president regarding the application. The individual will be notified of the provost's decision on or before February 15 of the academic year preceding the leave. If a sabbatical is denied or deferred, a written explanation will be provided to the applicant.
A faculty member continues to be covered for benefits while on sabbatical leave and receives College contributions to benefits based on full base salary while retirement contributions are calculated on actual base earnings. A faculty member who will be away for the full academic year or who has any questions about the status of coverage should contact the Office of Human Resources.
Upon completion of the sabbatical, the faculty member will provide a written report of accomplishments to the dean and provost & vice president for academic affairs. The report will be submitted by the end of the semester in which the faculty member returns to full-time employment. Finally, by accepting the sabbatical, the faculty member agrees to return to full-time service at the College for two consecutive academic semesters, unless they are approved for a family or medical leave, in accordance with the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) policy in Section 3.9.15.2.1. It is expected that after any combination of leaves, the faculty will return to teach for two consecutive semesters. Teaching in the summer does not constitute an academic semester for purposes of this provision. In the event the faculty member chooses not to return, the faculty member will be responsible for refunding to the College the full amount of compensation collected during the sabbatical leave.
4.5.2 Policies Regarding External Activities
4.5.2.1 Community Activity
As approved by the Ithaca College Board of Trustees 2/20/2014.
Community activity increases goodwill for the College and, at the same time, provides faculty with non-academic opportunities to put their expertise to practice. It is the faculty member's responsibility to make it clear that in such activities, the faculty member speaks and acts as a private citizen, not as a representative of the institution. Community activity must not prevent a faculty member from effectively discharging the faculty member's regular duties. Further explanation of community service appears in Section 4.12.2.3.4.
4.5.2.2 Outside Employment
When a faculty member contracts with the College to serve on a full-time basis, it is assumed that the faculty member's professional commitment is first and foremost to the College. Outside employment must not constitute a conflict of interest or prevent faculty members from effectively discharging their regular duties.
Outside employment that is significant or performed on a regular basis by full-time faculty must be reported in writing to the applicable dean by the beginning of each semester or at the time the employment commences. Activities such as occasional lectures or performances need not be reported.
4.5.2.3 Conflict of Interest Policy
The College's Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment Policy (available at https://www.ithaca.edu/policy-manual/volume-ii-campus-community/244-con…) applies to faculty members. Faculty should be mindful of this policy when engaging in external acivities.
Updated: May 25, 2021