Sabbatical leave

The purpose of this Policy is to establish the means by which eligible, full-time faculty may be granted sabbatical leave.

Qualified faculty members may request a paid/unpaid sabbatical for up to a period of one semester for various professional purposes related to the mission of Lynn University. Such purposes may include the following: honorary guest lectureships (Fulbright), sponsored research, academic program development, writing a book, or special assignment by the President or Vice President for Academic Affairs.

To be eligible for sabbatical leave, the following minimum qualifications must be met:

1. Terminal degree; and
2. Professor with ten years’ experience at Lynn University; or
3. Associate Professor with fifteen years’ experience at Lynn University.

It is the policy of Lynn University that a Sabbatical is considered to be a privilege and not a right. As such, participants must be pre-approved, funds must be available, and participants must sign a Sabbatical Contract. Normally, the participant must agree to either (a) continue in the service of Lynn University for a minimum of one year for each year (or equivalent thereof) of benefits utilized; or (b) reimburse Lynn University for the costs incurred. These terms will be specified in the contract.

Sabbatical Leave—a paid leave intended to provide an opportunity for eligible full-time faculty to engage in research, scholarly, and creative activity, instructional improvement, or faculty retraining.

Faculty members considering requesting a sabbatical must submit an application, in writing, to the applicable Academic Dean at least six (6) months prior to the requested time for the sabbatical for processing. Upon recommendation of the Dean the application is submitted to the Vice President for Academic Affairs who then makes a recommendation on the application to the President.

Each application must include the following information:

1. How the request is in keeping with the mission of Lynn University;
2. Description of lecturing responsibilities/professional development purpose and outcome expected;
3. Accompanying letters of documentation;
4. Dates and costs of travel and source of payment.

Approval of the application by the President and Vice President for Academic Affairs is mandatory and is subject to their sole discretion.

Applicants are requested to assist the administration in securing replacement faculty.

Faculty exchanges are encouraged as a potential source of replacement faculty, assuming all their required credentials are in order.

To learn more about this policy or the supporting procedures, please contact Academic Affairs.