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Description

Pre-tenure sabbatical leaves provide full-semester leaves to untenured faculty holding tenure-line positions. The fellowships are to be used by pre-tenure faculty to enhance their abilities as teachers through further scholarship.

Supported by a grant and several endowed funds, these fellowships recognize the central role played by the faculty in developing the excellence of the university. The primary donor of one of the endowed funds, named in honor of long-time faculty member Martin Nelson, was especially desirous of supporting the scholarly activity of faculty at an early stage in their careers when they are defining the balance between their roles as teachers and as scholars, thereby contributing directly to excellence in undergraduate teaching which produces people of genuine understanding. Subsequently, additional donors have added funds to support these same goals.

The fellowships are to be used by pre-tenure faculty to enhance their abilities as teachers through further scholarship. Applicants, therefore, should have demonstrated unusual skill and enthusiasm as teachers of undergraduates, should show that the proposed projects will strengthen their specific teaching abilities and should indicate clearly the project's long-term impact on their respective departments and the university.

The University Enrichment Committee (UEC) will review all applications and select fellowship recipients. Because this committee will include persons from diverse disciplines, non-technical language should be employed by applicants in describing the project and by referees in assessing the project's significance to the discipline and to the university's educational program.

Faculty engaged in sabbatical projects that involve travel outside the United States will need to register their travel at least four weeks prior to departure. Information on how to register travel and request approval for travel to high-risk areas is available on the University’s Travel Advisory site. University funding for projects that involve international travel will not be released until the travel is registered.

Eligibility

To be eligible for consideration, you must be a full-time untenured tenure-line faculty member with at least two years of service at the University of Puget Sound as of September 1 in the academic year of application, be recognized for a strong commitment to undergraduate teaching and show promise of productive scholarly research. If you receive a pre-tenure sabbatical you are ineligible to apply for a Lantz Fellowship for six years.

Application

Application for a pre-tenure sabbatical leave is completed via an online form and shall include:

  1. A description of the project, including anticipated outcomes. The summary of your proposal may be used in publicizing sabbatical projects.
  2. A written statement of professional goals (maximum five single-spaced pages), which should include the following:
    1. A clear explanation of the direct relationship between the sabbatical project and your developing role as a teacher and to your service to the department and the university. If you plan to be at another university or research institution as a part of the sabbatical, a letter of agreement regarding the assignment must be included.
    2. A description of how the sabbatical project will further your professional goals for the next three to five years and the contribution the sabbatical project will make to your teaching, professional growth, and university service.
    3. Evidence of teaching excellence.
  3. Chair Support Form. Please ask your chair or program director to submit their Support Form assessing the value of the proposed activity to you, the department, and the university.
  4. Colleague Support Forms. Please have two colleagues comment on your accomplishments as a teacher and scholar, on your service to and impact upon the university, and on the strength of the proposed project. Please note that one of these two colleagues can be your chair or program director. A Colleague Support Form from a chair or program director would be in addition to, rather than instead of, the Chair Support Form listed above.
  5. For research that involves the use of human participants or animals, please be aware that appropriate approval must be obtained before beginning research. Please consult IRB or IACUC approval processes information on the university’s website for details.

Materials other than those listed above will not be considered.

The selection committee evaluates the applications as submitted in terms of the criteria articulated above: strength of the proposed project, evidence of teaching effectiveness, and promise of the proposed project to strengthen teaching abilities and to enhance the candidate’s contribution to department and university. The committee, in making this assessment, takes into consideration both the written material prepared by the candidate and the supporting evaluations provided by the department chair and colleagues.

Deadline

Applications must be submitted by 11:59 pm on September 10 of the year preceding that in which the sabbatical leave is to be taken. If the application due date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the application is due by 11:59 pm the Monday immediately following the due date. Decisions will be communicated on or before December 8.

Reporting

Upon completion of the sabbatical, please submit a written report that outlines in detail what was accomplished during the year in terms of achieving the goals and objectives outlined in the original application. The report should be submitted to the department chair to provide the chair an opportunity to view the report before forwarding it. The chair will forward the report to the Provost. Reports are due by August 31st of the sabbatical year.

Special Conditions

If you receive a pre-tenure sabbatical, you agree to return to the university for a period of at least one year following the conclusion of the fellowship, or to repay the university all funds received during the period of the fellowship. Compensation received from another institution is subject to the same rules under sabbatical leaves.

A professional leave funded in whole or in part by the university is designed to provide the time necessary for the individual faculty member to pursue intellectual growth and development within their field. Consequently, such a leave is not to be used for other employment.