b. Sabbatical Leave
A sabbatical leave with compensation is defined as a leave for the purpose of engaging in scholarship or other activities that will advance the faculty member’s scholarly achievement or that will enhance the reputation of the University, or otherwise benefit the institution. A sabbatical leave will not be granted for the purpose of taking regular academic, consulting, or other employment of financial advantage elsewhere.
Sabbatical leave is an acknowledgment of esteem and rewards exemplary service and scholarship. It can serve as a means to broaden one's field of inquiry, collaborate with scholars outside the University, and achieve scholarly objectives while free from the normal responsibilities and activities of the faculty. Sabbatical leave allows for professional development, networking, and the potential for enhanced service.
Sabbaticals are only granted to full-time faculty currently holding the rank of associate professor or professor, and only after six years of service as a full-time ranked member of the faculty. A person classified as an academic administrator that holds a faculty appointment at the level of associate professor or professor is also eligible for a sabbatical leave under the same conditions as the faculty.
Sabbatical leaves are granted no more than once every seven years. Sabbatical leaves may be for one-half year with full pay and benefits or for one year at one-half salary and benefits. The faculty member granted a sabbatical leave is committed to at least one year of subsequent service to the Mass General Brigham University of Health Professions, immediately following the end of the sabbatical. Failure to return after a paid sabbatical leave will require the faculty member to refund the salary received during the sabbatical leave. A comprehensive report of sabbatical activities must be submitted to the relevant academic unit leader (e.g., department chair, director), dean, and provost upon the faculty member’s return. The report should describe the activities undertaken, new knowledge and skills acquired, scholarship produced or disseminated, and the evaluation of the sabbatical leave.
All sabbatical leaves must be approved by the faculty member’s academic unit leader (e.g., director, department chair, associate dean), the dean, the provost, and the board of trustees.
The University, through a faculty member’s academic unit, provides funding to support the faculty member’s salary during the sabbatical leave. Funding is provided in proportion to the academic unit’s financial responsibility for the faculty member. For example, a faculty member who receives a portion of their salary through clinical services provided through a hospital-based appointment will ordinarily not be eligible for salary support for effort related to those clinical services. Faculty members who earn supplemental income, beyond their base faculty salary, for administrative service will generally not receive support for such supplemental income during a sabbatical leave.
During a sabbatical leave, a faculty member who continues to engage in work on an extramurally funded sponsored research project (contingent upon such work being permitted and approved by the sponsor) may use sponsored research funding to supplement the University’s salary commitment. Such extramural funding can be used to extend the length of the sabbatical leave, provided that the amount charged to the sponsor is commensurate with the effort worked on the project. For example, a faculty member with 50% full-time effort funded on extramurally sponsored projects may take a full academic year of sabbatical leave at full base salary pay, if the research funding covers the half of the salary that would otherwise not be supported by the University. Adequate extramural funding must be maintained during the entirety of the sabbatical leave.