ARTICLE 22

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM AND SABBATICALS

22.1  Professional Development Leave.

(a)   Policy.  Professional development leave shall be made available to employees who meet the requirements set forth below.  Such leaves are granted to increase an employee's value to the university through enhanced opportunities for professional renewal, educational travel, study, formal education, research, writ­ing, or other experience of professional value, not as a reward for service.

 

(b)     Types of Professional Development Leave.  Each year, the university or its representatives will make available at least one (1) professional development leave at full-pay for one (1) semester or its equivalent (for example, leave at half-pay for two (2) semesters), for each twenty (20) eligible employees, subject to the conditions set forth below.

 

       (c)        Eligibility for Professional Development Leave.  Full-time employees with three (3) or more years of service shall be eligible for professional development leaves, except those employees who are serving in tenure-earning or tenured positions, or FGCU employees who are serving in multi-year appointments as assistant professor, associate professor or professor.   An employee who is compensated through a contract or grant may receive a professional development leave only if the contract or grant allows for such leaves and the employee meets all other eligibility requirements. Eligible employees shall be notified annually regarding eligibility requirements and application deadlines.

 

(d)     Application and Selection.

(1)     Application for professional development leave shall contain an appropriate outline of the project or work to be accomplished during the leave.

(2)     The university or its representative shall select applicants when the university believes that completion of the project or work would improve the productivity of the department or function of which the employee is a part.  Criteria for selec­tion of professional development leave applicants shall be speci­fied by the university and made available to eligible employees.

(3)     No more than one (1) employee in each department/unit need be granted leave at the same time.

 

(e)     Terms of Professional Development Leave.

(1)     The employee must return to university employment for at least one (1) academic year following the conclusion of such leave.  Agreements to the contrary must be reduced to writing prior to participation.  Return to the university of salary received during the program may be required in those instances where neither of the above is satisfied.

(2)     An employee who fails to spend the time as stated in the application shall reimburse the university for the salary received during such leave.

(3)     Employees shall not normally be eligible for a second professional development leave until three (3) years of contin­uous service are completed following the previous leave.

(4)     The employee must provide a brief written report of the employee's accomplishments during the professional development leave to the President or representative upon return to the university.

(5)     Contributions normally made by the Board to retire­ment and Social Security programs shall be continued on a basis proportional to the salary received.  Board contributions normally made to employee insurance programs and any other employee benefit programs shall be continued during the professional development leave.

(6)     Eligible employees shall continue to accrue annual and sick leave on a full-time basis during the professional development leave.

(7)     While on leave, an employee shall be permitted to receive funds for

travel and living expenses, and other professional development leave-related expenses, from sources other than the university such as fellowships, grants-in-aid, and contracts and grants, to assist in accomplishing the purposes of the professional development leave.  Receipt of funds for such purposes shall not result in reduction of the employee's university salary.  Grants for such financial assistance from other sources may, but need not, be administered through the university.  If financial assistance is received in the form of salary, the university salary shall normally be reduced by the amount necessary to bring the total income of the professional development leave period to a level comparable to the employee's current year salary rate.  Employment unrelated to the purpose of the professional development leave is governed by the provisions of Article 19, Conflict of Interest And Outside Activity.

 

22.2  Other Study Leave.

(a)     Job-Required.  An employee required to take academic course work as part of assigned duties shall not be required to charge time spent attending classes during the work day to accrued leave.

 

(b)     Job-Related.  An employee may, at the discretion of the supervisor, be permitted to attend up to six (6) credits of course work per semester during work, provided that:

(1)     The course work is directly related to the employee's professional responsibilities;

(2)     The supervisor determines that the absence will not interfere with the proper operation of the work unit;

(3)     The supervisor believes that completion of the course work would improve the productivity of the department or function of which the employee is a part; and

(4)     The employee's work schedule can be adjusted to accommodate such job-related study without reduction in the total number of work hours required per pay period.

 

(c)     Employees may, in accordance with this Article, use accrued annual leave for job-related study.

 

22.3  Sabbaticals.

(a)     Policy.  Sabbaticals for professional development are to be made available to employees who meet the requirements set forth below.  Such sabbaticals are granted to increase an employee's value to the university through enhanced opportunities for profes­sional renewal, planned travel, study, formal education, research, writing, or other experience of professional value, not as a reward for service.

 

(b)     Types of Sabbaticals.

(1)     The university will make available to each employee whose application has been reviewed by the university, a sabbatical for two (2) semesters (i.e., one (1) academic year) at half-pay, subject to the conditions set forth below.  Each university may, with the approval of the local UFF Chapter, provide sabbaticals that are equivalent to the two (2) semester half-pay sabbaticals.

(2)     Each year, the university will make available at least one (1) sabbatical at full-pay for one (1) semester for each forty (40) eligible employees, subject to the conditions set forth below.  Each university may, with the approval of the local UFF Chapter, provide sabbaticals that are equivalent to the one (1) semester, full-pay, sabbaticals provided to that university.

 

(c)     Eligibility for Sabbaticals.  Full-time tenured employees or full-time FGCU

employees who are serving in multi-year appointments as assistant professor, associate professor or professor with at least six (6) years of full-time service within the State University System shall be eligible for sabbaticals.  An employee who is compensated through a contract or grant may receive a sabbatical only if the contract or grant allows a sabbatical and the employee meets all other eligibility requirements.

 

(d)     Application and Selection.

(1)     Applications for sabbaticals shall be submitted in accordance with university procedures established through the consultation process (Article 2).  Each application shall include a statement describing the program and activities to be followed while on sabbati­cal, the expected increase in value of the employee to the univer­sity and the employee's academic discipline, specific results anticipated from the leave, any anticipated supplementary income, and a statement that the applicant agrees to comply with the conditions of the sabbati­cal program as described in 22.3(e).

          (2)     Sabbaticals at half-pay shall be granted unless the university has determined that the conditions set forth in this Section have not been met or that departmental/unit staffing considerations preclude such sabbatical from being granted.  In this latter instance, the employee shall be provided the sabbatical the following year, or at a later time as agreed to by the employee and the university.  The period of postponement shall be credited for eligibility for a subsequent sabbatical.  

(3)     If there are more applicants for one (1) semester sabbaticals at full-pay than available sabbaticals, a committee shall rank the applicants.  The committee shall be elected by and from the employees eligible for sabbatical leave as specified in Section 22.3(c).  The committee chairperson shall be selected by the President or representative.  The committee, in ranking the applicants, shall consider the benefits of the proposed program to the employee, the university and the profession; an equitable distribution of sabbaticals among colleges, divisions, schools, departments, and disciplines within the university; the length of time since the employee was relieved of teaching duties for the purpose of research and other scholarly activities; and length of service since previous sabbatical or initial appointment.  The committee shall submit a ranked list of recommended employees to the President or representative.  The President or representative shall make appointments from the list and consult with the committee prior to an appointment that does not follow the committee's ranking.

(4)     No more than one (1) employee in a department/unit need be awarded a sabbatical at the same time.

 

(e)     Terms of Sabbatical Program.

(1)     While on sabbatical, the employee's salary shall be one half-pay for two (2) semesters (one (1) academic year), or full-pay for one semester.

(2)     The employee must return to the university for at least one (1) academic year following participation in the program.  Agreements to the contrary must be reduced to writing prior to participation.  Return to the university of salary received during the program may be required in those instances where neither of the above is satisfied.

(3)     The employee must, within thirty (30) days upon returning from the sabbatical, provide a concise written report of the employee's accomplishments during the sabbatical to the President or representative.  This report shall include information regarding the activities undertaken during the sabbatical, the results accomplished during the sabbatical as they affect the employee and the university, and research or other scholarly work produced or expected to be produced as a result of the sabbatical.

(4)     Employees shall not normally be eligible for a second sabbatical until six (6) years of continuous service are com­pleted following the first.

(5)     Contributions normally made by the Board to retire­ment and Social Security programs shall be continued on a basis proportional to the salary received.  Board contributions normally made to employee insurance programs and any other employee benefit programs shall be continued during the sabbatical.

(6)     Eligible employees shall continue to accrue annual and sick leave on a full-time basis during the sabbatical.

(7)     While on leave, an employee shall be permitted to receive funds for travel and living expenses, and other sabbatical-related expenses, from sources other than the university such as fellowships, grants-in-aid, and contracts and grants, to assist in accomplishing the purposes of the sabbatical. Receipt of funds for such purposes shall not result in reduction of the employee's university salary.  Grants for such financial assistance from other sources may, but need not, be administered through the university.  If financial assistance is received in the form of salary, the university salary shall normally be reduced by the amount necessary to bring the total income of the sabbatical period to a level comparable to the employee's current year salary rate. Employment unrelated to the purpose of the sabbatical leave is governed by the provisions of Article 19, Conflict of Interest And Outside Activity.

 

22.4  Retraining.  A university may, at its discretion, provide opportunities for retraining of employees when it is in the university's best interests.  Such opportunities may be provided to employees who are laid off, to those who are reassigned, or in other appropriate circumstances.  These retraining opportunities may include enrollment in tuition-free courses under the provi­sions of Section 24.7, and Sabbaticals or Professional Development Leaves under this Article.

 

22.5  DRS Sabbaticals.

(a)     Policy.  Sabbaticals for professional development are to be made available to employees who meet the requirements set forth below.  Such sabbaticals are granted to increase an employee's value to the DRS through enhanced opportunities for profes­sional renewal, planned travel, study, formal education, research, writing, or other experience of professional value, not as a reward for service.

 

(b)     Type of Sabbatical.  Once every two (2) years, the DRS will make available at least one (1) sabbatical at half-pay for one (1) DRS academic year for eligible employees, subject to the conditions set forth below.  Each DRS  may provide sabbaticals that are equivalent to the one (1) year, half-pay sabbatical upon consultation with the UFF Chapter representative.

 

(c)     Eligibility for Sabbatical.  Full-time permanent status employees with at least six (6) years of full-time service at the DRS shall be eligible for sabbaticals.  Eligible employees shall be notified annually regarding eligibility requirements and application deadlines.

 

(d)     Application and Selection.

(1)     Applications for sabbaticals shall be submitted in accordance with procedures established through the DRS consultation process (Article 2).  At a minimum, each application shall include a statement describing the program and activities to be followed while on sabbati­cal, the expected increase in value of the employee to the DRS and his/her academic discipline, specific results anticipated from the leave, any anticipated supplementary income, and a statement that the applicant agrees to comply with the conditions of the sabbati­cal program as described in 22.5(e).

(2)     A three-member committee shall rank the applicants for the purpose of making a recommendation to the DRS Director regarding the awarding of the sabbatical.  The committee shall be comprised of permanent status employees chosen by the DRS Director in consultation with UFF.  The committee chairperson shall be selected by majority vote of the committee.  The commit­tee, in ranking the applicants, shall consider the benefits of the proposed program to the employee, the DRS, and the profes­sion; the needs of the DRS; and the length of time since the employee was last provided an opportunity for professional renewal.  The committee shall submit a ranked list of recom­mended employees to the DRS Director or representative who shall make the final decision regarding the awarding of the sabbatical. 


 

(e)     Terms of Sabbatical Program.

(1)     The employee must return to the DRS for at least one (1) academic year immediately following the sabbatical.  Agreements to the contrary must be reduced to writing prior to participation.  Return to the DRS of salary received during the

program may be required in those instances where neither of the above is satisfied.

(2)     The employee must, within thirty (30) days of returning from the sabbatical, provide a concise written report of the employee's accomplishments during the sabbatical to the DRS Director or representative.  This report shall include information regarding the activities undertaken during the sabbatical, the results accomplished during the sabbatical as they affect the employee and the DRS, and research or other scholarly work produced or expected to be produced as a result of the sabbatical.

(3)     Employees shall not normally be eligible for a second sabbatical until six (6) years of continuous service are com­pleted following the first.

(4)     Contributions normally made by the Board to retire­ment and Social Security programs shall be continued on a basis proportional to the salary received.  Board contributions normally made to employee insurance programs and any other employee benefit programs shall be continued during the sabbatical.

(5)     Employees shall continue to accrue sick leave on a full-time basis during the sabbatical.

(6)     While on leave, an employee shall be permitted to receive funds for travel and living expenses and other sabbatical related expenses from sources other than the university, such as fellowships, grants-in-aid, and contracts and grants, to assist in accomplishing the purposes of the sabbatical.  Receipt of funds for such purposes shall not result in reduction of the employee's university salary.  If financial assistance is received in the form of salary, the university salary shall normally be reduced by the amount necessary to bring the total income of the sabbatical period to a level comparable to the employee's current year salary rate. Employment unrelated to the purpose of the professional development leave is governed by the provisions of Article 19, Conflict of Interest And Outside Activity.