Instructions for Sabbatical and Sabbatical-Like Leave
Sabbatical and sabbatical-like leaves provide eligible faculty members with dedicated time to pursue scholarly, creative, professional, teaching, or service-related activities that enhance their professional contributions to Indiana University South Bend.
The purpose and eligibility requirements differ according to faculty appointment:
Sabbatical Leave is intended for eligible tenure-track and tenured faculty and supports scholarly research, creative activity, professional development, and related activities that enhance the faculty member's capacity to contribute to the University.
Sabbatical-Like Leave is intended for eligible non-tenure-track faculty at senior ranks and supports professional learning and collaboration related primarily to teaching and service responsibilities.
Both forms of leave represent an investment by the University in faculty development and follow the same annual application timeline.
2026–2027 Application Deadline: Complete Sabbatical and Sabbatical-Like Leave application packets are due to college deans by November 17, 2026.
Preparing the Proposal
Applicants for either type of leave should prepare a statement describing the proposed use of the leave. The statement should be no more than five pages of single-spaced text in 12-point type, exclusive of the curriculum vitae, bibliography, and other necessary appendices.
Proposals should be written so that they can be understood by reviewers outside the applicant's discipline.
Please address the following:
Provide the title of the proposed project.
Clearly explain the purpose and rationale for the project and the activities or methods that will be used to accomplish its objectives. Provide sufficient detail regarding procedures, timeline, and resources to demonstrate that the project has been thoroughly planned and is feasible.
Explain how you intend to allocate your time during the leave. If the larger project will not be completed during the leave period, identify the specific work that will be accomplished during the leave.
Sabbatical Leave: Describe the research, scholarly, creative, or other professional activity to be undertaken.
Sabbatical-Like Leave: Describe the professional learning, collaboration, teaching- or service-related research, professional development, or other teaching-related activity to be undertaken. The proposed work should relate to the faculty member's teaching and/or service responsibilities and support campus or program objectives.
Describe previous scholarly, creative, professional, teaching, service, or professional-development work relevant to the proposed activity.
Explain how your previous work or experience provides a foundation for the proposed project. A bibliography or other evidence of relevant accomplishments may be included as appropriate.
Identify the principal location of the project. Describe anticipated travel and arrangements for the use of libraries, archives, laboratories, other institutions, or collaboration with colleagues.
If permission or access to another institution or resource is required, indicate whether those arrangements have been secured.
Detail the benefits that the work undertaken during the period of sabbatical leave promises to deliver, such as publications, improvement in professional ability, improvement in teaching effectiveness, and overall contribution to the institution.
Identify the source and amount of any grant, fellowship, expense allowance, payment for services, or other funding you expect to receive during the leave. Fully describe any arrangement involving payment for services.
If a Faculty Research Grant is being requested in support of a Sabbatical Leave, attach a copy of the request and indicate whether the proposed leave is dependent upon receipt of the grant.
If you have previously received a Sabbatical or Sabbatical-Like Leave, include a copy of the applicable Activity Report from your most recent leave.
If significant developments related to that work have occurred since the Activity Report was submitted, you may provide an additional statement describing those developments.
Include, as applicable:
Bibliography
Other necessary appendices
Current curriculum vitae
Complete the application form appropriate to your appointment and submit the full application packet according to your department and school or college review process.
Sabbatical Leave applicants should complete the Sabbatical Application Form and include the proposal and supporting materials described above.
Sabbatical-Like Leave applicants should complete the Sabbatical-Like Leave Application Form. The complete packet must also include the department chair's endorsement and faculty replacement plan, the proposal and supporting materials described above, and, if applicable, the applicant's previous Sabbatical-Like Leave Activity Report.
Sabbatical-Like Leave applications follow the same annual timeline for review and approval as Sabbatical Leave applications.
Faculty are expected to carry out the approved plan and submit an activity report documenting the work completed during the leave.
The applicable activity report is due no later than three months after returning to campus:
Sabbatical Leave: Submit the Sabbatical Activity Report.
Sabbatical-Like Leave: Submit the Sabbatical-Like Leave Activity Report.
Activity reports provide a record of the work and outcomes of the leave and may be considered when reviewing future applications.
