Academic Personnel Office

What To Do If You Are a Taking a Sabbatical Leave:

• Finding Out About The Sabbatical Provisions That Apply To You

  If you’re an academic appointee in a sabbatical-eligible position, you may apply for a sabbatical once you’ve accrued enough service credit. You’ll find a list of these positions in the Academic Personnel Manual (APM, 740-11).

  You accumulate credit toward sabbatical eligibility for each full quarter or semester in which you work at least half time. Generally, you must work at least four terms before you may apply for one term of sabbatical. Your service needs to be continuous; if you leave UC and later return, you’ll forfeit any sabbatical leave credit accrued before you left.

  Different salary levels apply depending on your length of service and the type of sabbatical you take. Look for details in APM 740, charts I-IV. Below are Charts I and II for AY and FY faculty.

  Chart I: Sabbatical Leave Credit AY (pdf)

  Chart II: Sabbatical Leave Credit FY (pdf)

  There are two types of sabbatical leave and one exception to the sabbatical leave policy:

  Regular Sabbatical Leave
  Regular sabbatical leave provides salary at varying percentages of regular salary, depending on the amount of accrued sabbatical leave credit and the option elected by the eligible appointee.  An individual on such regular sabbatical leave is excused from all regular duties to enable full-time effort to research and/or study.

  In-Residence Sabbatical Leave
  An individual on In-Residence Sabbatical is (1) in physical residence during the quarter(s) and (2) teaching a regularly scheduled class that meets at least three hours per week. A faculty member on sabbatical leave in residence who meets this teaching requirement shall be freed from all other teaching obligations and from all committee and administrative work.  In rare instances, a faculty member may apply for an exception from the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor (PEVC) to permit substitution of significant University service for some or the entire teaching/instructional requirement of the in residence sabbatical leave.

  Exception for Substitution of Significant University Service
  As with a regular in-residence sabbatical leave, the faculty member is in physical residence during the quarter(s) of the leave but has instead chosen to substitute significant University service for some or all of the teaching requirements. The substituted service must be essential in nature to the continued mission of the campus or University, as determined by the PEVC, and require a time commitment.  The “significant University service” requirement may also be met by a combination of essential service assignments. In no event may the applicant receive a stipend for their substituted service during the period of their sabbatical in residence.

  For faculty who are members of Health Sciences Compensation Plan (HSCP), refer to Section VII of the HSCP: http://medschool.ucr.edu/pdf/UCR_HSCP_implementing_procedures_2015.pdf.

• Develop A Sabbatical Plan

  You’ll need to write a brief description of the project you want to pursue while on sabbatical. See APM 740-94 (pdf) for the details of the plan. 

• Complete The Appropriate Leave Forms

  Along with the sabbatical plan, you will need to complete the Academic Leave Form, UPAY 573 (pdf).  You may also provide supporting documentation is it’s not already included on the UPAY 573 form.

• Request Approval

  Refer to the Delegation of Authority Chart for final approval authority.
  Sabbatical leaves are delegated to the Deans (or equivalent) for approval.  All such requests must be submitted to the Dean via the Department Chair.  A sabbatical leave for an academic-year appointee shall be timed so that it starts and ends on dates established in the academic calendar for the beginnings and endings of quarters or semesters. The beginning and ending of a sabbatical leave for a fiscal-year appointee shall be scheduled at times reasonable and convenient to the appointee’s department or unit.  Consult your Dean’s Office for sabbatical leave application due dates.

• Make Sure Your Benefits Are In Order

  During a sabbatical leave, most of your benefits continue as usual, unless you cancel them. Refer to the Sabbatical Leave fact sheet and the Paid Leave fact sheet for information about benefits during your leave period.  Contact the Benefits Office ( 2-2636 or benefits@ucr.edu) for information concerning the effect of leaves on health, retirement, vision, dental and other benefit plans.

• Arrange to Buy Back UCRP Service Credit For The Time You Were Away, If You Choose

  If you had a UCRP service credit buyback in place previously, it should start automatically if you’ve been on leave less than six months. If your sabbatical was longer, contact your Payroll representative.

• Review Your Direct Deposit Statement Carefully

  It’s your responsibility to let your benefits or payroll representative know about any mistakes.

• Provide the Dean with the Sabbatical Report

  The report should summarize the results of your sabbatical and be submitted within 90 days after your return. See APM 740-94 (pdf) for all the details of what’s expected. The report will be submitted in support of future promotions or merit increases.

• If Unforeseen Circumstances Should Prevent You From Returning To UC

  Remember that you may need to refund some or all of the salary received during your sabbatical.  See APM 740-16-d for return to service requirement for sabbatical leaves.  Contact your Department Chair or Dean’s Office if you have questions. 

• If You Decide To Retire

  Contact the Retirement Administration Service Center (RASC) at 1-800-888-8267

  You should do so before you elect to retire, since a leave of absence may affect your retirement benefits. It’s also a good idea to review the Retirement Handbook.