Faculty Sabbatical Program
Guidelines for Evaluation of Sabbatical Proposals
Timeline
March - First Week
The Provost announces a formal call for sabbatical proposals for the academic year 18 months hence.
April - First Week
The University Committee appoints the Sabbatical Proposal Review Committee (SPRC). The SPRC will consist of the six faculty members of the Committee on Research and Creative Activity and the four faculty members of the Committee on Teaching and Learning. Faculty members whose proposals will be under review will not participate in the review process. The committee meets to review relevant Board of Regents, UW-System, and UW-Parkside policies, procedures and guidelines.
April - Fourth Week
The SPRC conducts a workshop for faculty who plan to submit proposals in the fall.
June-July
Faculty who plan to submit proposals meet with the Director of Research Administration to discuss potential funding sources.
September - Second Week
Faculty submit proposals to department chairs for review by departmental executive committees.
October - First Week
Department chairs forward proposals to the appropriate deans. Material submitted to the deans will include:
The departmental executive committee's recommendation to support the proposal or not.
A summary of the departmental executive committee's assessment of the quality of the proposal.
A statement regarding the programmatic implications of the sabbatical including its effect on the pattern of course offerings and options for covering the absent faculty member's courses.
If more than on proposal is submitted by a department they must be ranked by the departmental executive committee.
October - Second Week
Deans review the proposals and forward ranked proposals to the SPRC. Material submitted to the committee should include:
Summaries from the departmental executive committees.
A summary of the dean's assessment of each proposal and an explanation of the ranking.
October - Third Week
The SPRC reviews the proposals and forwards ranked proposals to the provost. Materials submitted to the provost will include:
Summaries from the departmental executive committees and deans.
A summary of the committee's assessment of each proposal and an explanation of the ranking.
October - Fourth Week
The provost will consider the advice of the deans and of the SPRC and make recommendations to the chancellor, who will make final determinations regarding sabbatical awards, subject to approval by the Board of Regents.
After forwarding recommendations to the chancellor, the provost should offer to meet with each faculty member who submitted a proposal and discuss with them the findings of the dean, the SPRC, and the reasons for the provost's own recommendations.
Sabbatical awards will be announced to the faculty following their final approval at the December meeting of the Board of Regents.
Criteria for Review by the
Sabbatical Proposal Review Committee
The following criteria will be used during the SPRC review process. Criterion #1 will be the most important. Criteria #2-5 will be weighted equally.
- Overall quality. How well-conceived is the proposal? Considerations should include clarity, thoroughness, and organization. Are the goals clearly stated and are they understandable by a general audience? Is this a substantial project meriting the release time requested? Is the methodology clear, precise and well-planned? Does the author make explicit connections to appropriate scholarship? Is there consistency between the project focus, goals, methodology and scholarship?
- Relationship of the proposed activity to the plans and/or goals of the departments, the university, and the system. Does the proposal make explicit, relevant and demonstrable connections to the plans and goals of the department, the university, the UW-system administration and the Board of Regents?
- Significance. How significant are the potential contributions of the project to the candidate's discipline, in terms of (a) the development of teaching and student learning; (b) contributions to scholarship; (c) contributions to service? The proposal should make explicit, relevant, and demonstrable connections to area (a). (Note: This criterion does not rule out proposals that focus on issues other than teaching. Proposals that address research in the applicant's area of expertise are encouraged, however, a connection between the applicant's research interests and teaching responsibilities must be established.)
- Potential of the project to enhance the applicant's overall effectiveness as a teacher/scholar. How well do the proposed activities mesh with the applicant's long-term professional plans and accomplishments? How well do the proposed activities mesh with the applicant's ongoing contributions to teaching and student learning?
- Feasibility. Does the applicant have the background and expertise necessary to carry out the proposed activity within the time lines indicated in the proposal? How do the final reports of any previous sabbatical leaves by the applicant match with the proposals for those sabbatical leaves?
Passed by the Faculty Senate on March 10, 2009, PSF 34/08-09.
Supersedes the document adopted at the October 4, 2005 meeting
of the Faculty Senate.
SPRC Membership amended by the Faculty Senate on March 6, 2012, PSF 33/11-12.
Sabbatical application (PDF)
