Sabbatical Leave | APAA | SIUC

Sabbatical Leaves

Sabbatical leaves are intended to promote professional development by allowing an opportunity for extraordinary work: that is, something beyond work done during a regular academic year. 

Sabbatical Applications

Applications should clearly describe how a project fits into the applicant's career, including how it builds on past work and promotes significant growth. Applications should also provide a detailed plan showing what is to be undertaken, locations of the proposed activities, what resources (e.g., collections, field site) will be involved, and specific goals and anticipated outcomes of the leave, for example, book drafts, completed articles, performances, installations, and so forth.

Sabbatical applications require the ratification of the Board of Trustees. The Provost will issue a formal recommendation to the faculty member, school, and college after review; a fully executed copy of the application or a notice of non-approval will be issued once the Board has made their determination.

Sabbatical applications are accepted on an annual basis for the following fiscal year. Deadlines are announced shortly after the start of Fall semester. For FY26 deadlines, please see Annual Sabbatical Leave Information.

Changes to Sabbaticals

Changes to the dates, length, or pay status of sabbaticals must be submitted prior to the start of the sabbatical period, or as soon as possible after the sabbatical has begun, through the same administrative approvals as the original sabbatical proposal. Approvals to changes in the dates or length of sabbatical must include a letter of support from the school/college that the unit can accommodate the change in schedule. If a proposed change to the dates of an approved sabbatical would result in the sabbatical moving to the next sabbatical cycle (e.g., from Spring semester to the following Fall semester), then the original sabbatical application should be canceled, and the faculty member should submit a new application for the next sabbatical cycle.

Changes to the substance of the sabbatical project must be submitted prior to the start of the sabbatical period through the same administrative approvals as the original sabbatical proposal. This request should include a revised brief abstract, to be put before the Board of Trustees, and any revisions to the detailed summary of application as appropriate for the changes.

All changes to sabbaticals require Board of Trustees ratification.

Cancellations of Sabbaticals

Requests to cancel approved sabbaticals, initiated by the faculty member, must be submitted prior to the start of the sabbatical period through the same administrative approvals as the original sabbatical proposal. The cancellation request must include the original dates of the sabbatical request and the reason for the cancellation request. Cancellations of approved sabbaticals will not affect the future sabbatical eligibility of the faculty member.

All faculty must submit a written report on sabbatical activity upon return from Sabbatical Leave. Information on sabbatical report requirements can be found on the Sabbatical Reports page.