A. General Policy

A sabbatical leave is a privilege accorded to qualified academic appointees to enable them to engage in intensive programs of research and/or study and thus enhance their subsequent service to the University by increasing their effectiveness as teachers and scholars. An individual on regular sabbatical leave is expected to devote full time to research, writing, or equivalent activity.

B. Types of Sabbatical Leave
  1. Regular sabbatical leave provides salary at varying percentages depending on the amount of accrued sabbatical credit. An individual on such regular sabbatical leave is excused from all regular duties to enable him or her to devote full time to research and/or study.
  2. Sabbatical leave in residence may be granted to a faculty member who is eligible for regular sabbatical and who, in addition to a program of research and/or study, will teach at the home campus or at another UC campus.  The faculty member will teach at the University one class that meets regularly at least three hours each week during the sabbatical period; or will perform an equivalent amount of instructional service in a course or in a clinical setting. Directed study, such as 199’s or 299’s, or other similar courses are not considered to be equivalent to such a regularly scheduled course, unless they would be so normally under the department’s regular teaching workload policy. An individual on sabbatical leave in residence shall be free from all other teaching obligations and from all committee and administrative work.
C. Accrual of Credit of Apply for Sabbatical
  1. Academic Year Appointees – Credit to apply for sabbatical is earned by nine-month appointees at the rate of one credit for each full quarter of half-time or more service in eligible titles for a maximum of three credits a year.
  2. Fiscal Year Appointees – Credit to apply for sabbatical is earned by eleven-month appointees at the rate of one credit for each full quarter of half-time or more service in eligible titles for a maximum of four credits a year.
  3. Academic administrators who are paid on an 11-month basis, including those paid on a 9/11 split salary with a summer differential, accrue credit to apply for sabbatical on a fiscal year basis (APM Policies 740-11-c and 740-11-i(3)). When an administrator returns to his/her/their academic year appointment, he/she/they may keep any credits accrued beyond the academic year maximum (30), but within the 11-month maximum.
  4. Academic appointees serving on 11-month appointments through the Education Abroad Program accrue credit to apply for sabbatical on a fiscal year basis.
D. Restrictions

Please reference APM 740-16.

  1. The maximum number of credits which may be accrued prior to any sabbatical leave is 30 quarter credits for an academic year appointee and 40 quarter credits for a fiscal year appointee. Accrued credits in excess of the amount required for the current sabbatical leave may only be carried forward with the Vice Provost’s approval for deferral beyond the above stated limits. Such approval will be granted only under extremely unusual justifying circumstances.
  2. Sabbatical leave may never exceed one full year, regardless of the credit accrued.
  3. A sabbatical leave shall be granted only with the understanding that the recipient, immediately following the sabbatical leave, will return to University service for a period at least equal to the period of the leave. As an exception, the Vice Provost may approve a leave without pay following sabbatical, which would delay the return. Failure to return to University service for the required period shall create an obligation on the part of the appointee to repay the University the amount of the salary received during the sabbatical leave.
  4. A sabbatical will not normally be approved for a faculty member who has been recommended for nonreappointment. A sabbatical may not be approved to a faculty member who has been given notice of nonreappointment or termination of appointment.
  5. An academic appointee does not accrue sabbatical leave credit during a child bearing leave with pay for one quarter or semester or more, or during a childbearing or parental leave without pay.  During a period of active service modified duties, an appointee accrues credit toward sabbatical leave in accordance with standard accrual provisions (APM-760-35-d).

NOTE: Vacation accrued during sabbatical must be used during the sabbatical or it will be lost.

E. Compensation

Sabbatical leave salary is based on the employee’s regular salary at a percentage appropriate to the terms of the leave. If the sabbatical is less than full time, the recipient may receive additional salary from non-state funds, but in no case is it to exceed the full salary rate. Sabbatical leave shall not be used as a means of augmenting personal income; a recipient may not accept gainful employment during a sabbatical leave, including employment normally permitted, such as substituted teaching, significant service, or employment by University Extension. This restriction applies also to outside employment normally permitted, including consulting. This restriction does not apply to the following:

  1. For an academic year appointee, the period after spring quarter and before fall quarter.
  2. For a fiscal year appointee, the vacation period accrued during the sabbatical (but such work may not be for the University).
  3. A fellowship or personal grant awarded to an individual which is not compensation for services.
  4. Acceptance of nominal honoraria.
F. Leave Request

The request for sabbatical leave is made on the Sabbatical Leave of Absence form (UCI-AP-75) and should be accompanied by a statement providing detailed information regarding the history of the project and the significance of the project as a contribution to knowledge or as a contribution to the applicant’s increased effectiveness as a teacher and a scholar.

G. Report of Result

Within 90 calendar days following return from leave, the recipient of a sabbatical leave is to submit to the dean a concise report of the results of the leave which includes an account of activities during the leave, a statement of progress made on the project, and a statement of future plans for the project, especially plans for completion and publication of the results. The sabbatical report may be included in a future academic review file when the period of review includes the period of the sabbatical leave.

H. Approval of Authority
  1. Review and approval of sabbatical leaves have been delegated to the Deans. With the redelegation, dean’s offices were assigned responsibility for the following:
    1. Maintaining records concerning sabbaticals of faculty in the units (requests and records of approval and denial) and collecting, reviewing, and acknowledging sabbatical leave reports from faculty. Sabbatical credits may be verified with records in Academic Personnel upon request.
    2. Monitoring online entry of the approved actions and forwarding to Academic Personnel for post audit. This must be done before the earliest pay date affected by the sabbatical.
    3. Submit Sabbatical Leave of Absence form to Academic Personnel once it has been approved by the Dean.
  2. In those units which are organized without formal departments, or where the dean is acting as department chair, sabbaticals continue to require review and approval by Academic Personnel. All exceptions to sabbatical policy require approval by Academic Personnel.
  3. Sabbaticals for deans require approval by Academic Personnel. While it is appropriate for the dean to suggest a replacement, usually one of the associate deans, it is the Chancellor and the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor who select the acting dean, and where necessary, recommend his or her appointment to the President.

Sabbatical Credit Usage for Academic Year (9-month) Appointees
(Maximum Accrual: 30 Quarter Credits)

 Quarters of Leave
Sabbatical Type1 Quarter2 Quarters3 Quarters
Sabbatical at Full Salary (100% Salary)9 credits18 credits27 credits
Sabbatical at Partial Salary:   
     67%6 credits12 credits18 credits
     78%21 credits
     83%15 credits
     89%24 credits
Sabbatical in Residence (100% Salary)6 credits12 credits18 credits

Sabbatical Credit Usage for Fiscal Year (11-month) Appointees
(Maximum Accrual: 40 Quarter Credits)

 Quarters of Leave
Sabbatical Type1 Quarter2 Quarters3 Quarters4 Quarters
Sabbatical at Full Salary (100% Salary)9 credits18 credits27 credits36 credits
Sabbatical at Partial Salary:    
     67%6 credits12 credits18 credits24 credits
     75%27 credits
     78%21 credits
     83%15 credits30 credits
     89%24 credits
     92%33 credits
Sabbatical in Residence (100% Salary)6 credits12 credits18 credits24 credits

Sabbatical Credit Usage for Academic Year Appointees in the School of Law (Semester System)
(Maximum Accrual: 20 Semester Credits)

 Semesters of Leave
Sabbatical Type1 Semester2 Semesters
Sabbatical at Full Salary (100% Salary)9 credits18 credits
Sabbatical at Partial Salary:  
     44%4 credits8 credits
     50%9 credits
     56%5 credits10 credits
     61%11 credits
     67%6 credits12 credits
     78%7 credits14 credits
     89%8 credits16 credits