Important Update on Sabbatical Leaves

Dear colleagues,

With delegated authority from the Chancellor, I am writing to inform you of an important update regarding the accrual of sabbatical credits. Effective immediately, all faculty eligible to accrue sabbatical credits will be permitted to do so in excess of the maximum imposed by APM 740-16 (a).

What This Means for Faculty

• Sabbatical credit will now be calculated as the total number of credits earned since the initial appointment, minus any credits used when sabbatical leaves were taken.
• This change eliminates the accrual maximum previously applied under APM 740-16 (a), (i.e., 30 quarters or 20 semesters for academic-year appointees; and 40 quarters or 10 years for fiscal-year appointees).
• When deans or academic administrators (those paid on an 11-month basis or 9/11 split salary with a summer differential) returns to their academic year appointment, they may keep their total credits earned.
• All prior exception requests – whether previously approved, denied or pending – are considered resolved in line with this change, because exceptions are no longer necessary.
• UCPath does not display accurate sabbatical credit counts. Departments and schools remain responsible for maintaining and managing these records.

No Other Rules Have Changed

• Sabbatical continues to be subject to approval in line with university policy and procedures.
• Deans and faculty administrators (100% time) will continue to accrue sabbatical leave credit beyond the established limits during the duration of their appointment.
• Faculty may take a maximum of one year of sabbatical leave at a time.
• Faculty must return to university service for a period equal to or greater than the length of their sabbatical.
• The number of credits required for a given sabbatical remains unchanged.
• Proposals must still be submitted and approved prior to sabbatical leave, and post sabbatical reports must be submitted upon return.
• Sabbatical reports will continue to be included in the next personnel review action.
• Deans retain the authority to approve or deny sabbatical requests in alignment with the mission of the university and with consideration for the workload of the unit.
• Departments and schools must file all appropriate paperwork for sabbatical approvals and reports with Academic Personnel.

All other existing policies and practices remain in place.

Rationale for the Change

This practice has been developed with feedback from Academic Senate leadership and school deans. It is intended to provide greater flexibility for faculty, respond to longstanding requests for clarity and equity, and better support the research, teaching, and service missions of the university. In the past, exceptions to the accrual limits were often granted but not consistently requested, creating the potential for disparities. Blanket approval for accrual beyond APM 740-16 limits is considered the most equitable approach moving forward.

We hope this change provides you with additional flexibility as you plan your sabbatical leaves and continue your contributions to the university community.

More information can also be found on the Office of Academic Personnel website. Please direct any questions to acadpers@uci.edu.

Sincerely,

Hal Stern
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
Distinguished Professor, Department of Statistics