Sabbatical Guidelines 2014-2016

Background

            The purpose of the UW System Faculty Sabbatical Program is to provide in-depth study opportunities for faculty members.  Sabbaticals offer opportunities for faculty in all disciplines to acquire and/or develop new knowledge in their fields and incorporate them into their classroom activities.  In December of each year, a formal announcement of those faculty members receiving sabbatical opportunities is made by UW System institutions to the Board of Regents. 

            Every few years the Education Committee of the Board of Regents reviews guidelines for the UW System Sabbatical Program.  The purpose of the guidelines is to enable the Board to recommend priorities for institutional sabbatical decisions without continually revising the sabbatical policy contained in Academic Planning Statement #3.3 (ACPS 3.3), The Faculty Sabbatical Program. 

At its December 6, 2012, meeting, the Education Committee decided to maintain the recommendations from the 2012-14 guidelines.  Prior to the review of the guidelines, the UW System Office of Academic and Student Affairs engaged Provosts and Faculty Reps in discussion of what areas of emphasis are appropriate in the context of UW System and institutional strategic initiatives.  Some suggestions were received.

Sabbatical Guidelines

For the biennium covering 2014-16, the Board of Regents recommends the following to UW institutions as they determine their annual sabbatical assignments:

• UW institutions should continue to give consideration to projects that support the mission of the institution, in recognition of the fact that sabbatical leaves are supported by the institution and are to serve institutional purposes.
  
  
• The following areas of emphasis are encouraged to faculty as they develop sabbatical proposals:  Inclusive Excellence, Interdisciplinary Activities; Scholarship of Teaching and Learning; Collaborative Program Activities; International Education; and Application of Technology to Instruction and Distance Education.
  
  
• Sabbatical proposals are encouraged that take up the teaching and learning of any of the five UW System Shared Learning Goals, including the development of curricula and assessable objectives for student achievement:
  
  
• • Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Natural World includingbreadth of knowledge and the ability to think beyond one’s discipline, major, or area of concentration.
    
    
  • Critical and Creative Thinking Skills including inquiry, problem solving, and higher order qualitative and quantitative reasoning.
    
    
  • Effective Communication Skills including listening, speaking, reading, writing, and information literacy.
    
    
  • Intercultural knowledge and competence including the ability to interact and work with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures; to lead or contribute support to those who lead; and to empathize with and understand those who are different than they are.
    
    
  • Individual, Social and Environmental Responsibility including civic knowledge and engagement (both local and global), ethical reasoning, and action.
    
    
• The Provost at each institution should take responsibility for ensuring that the guidelines are observed as part of the institutional approval process, while also supporting the efforts of faculty members to pursue and develop their individual areas of research and teaching expertise.

Related Regent Policies