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8.1 PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, CONFERENCES, TRAVEL, AND RESEARCH

8.1.1 PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Membership in professional societies and attendance at professional conferences are encouraged as a part of career development. Departments may include in their budgets the membership dues for a primary professional society for full-time faculty who have completed two years of instruction with a satisfactory second year evaluation, with the limitation that only one membership per faculty member will be paid for with university funds. Otherwise, faculty members are expected to pay for their own memberships. Where memberships are required by administrative duties or other special assignments which serve the interests of the university more than those of the department or the faculty person's particular discipline, arrangements for the payment of such fees by the university may be made with the dean of faculty.

8.1.2 FACULTY TRAVEL
The university funds a travel allowance in order to support faculty travel costs connected to attendance at professional meetings or other professional growth opportunities. The university seeks to provide funds so that each faculty member may attend a professional meeting every two years. The administration establishes guidelines for the amounts which can be made available for faculty travel in a given fiscal year. If a faculty member is delivering a scholarly paper or participating actively in a scholarly activity, travel may be funded more frequently. All travel requests are submitted on the appropriate form, prior to the planned travel and as early as possible in the academic year, to the dean of faculty who evaluates them in terms of their potential benefit to the faculty member and/or the university. Approval is based on the appropriateness of the requested travel and the availability of funds which are budgeted for this purpose. This budget is managed by the dean of faculty.

8.1.3 FACULTY RESEARCH
The university provides funds for the independent research of faculty members and actively seeks additional sources of support for such activities. Applications for allotments for faculty research must be submitted to the Faculty Research and Development Committee, which evaluates such requests and makes recommendations to the administration for the disbursement of research funds (see Section 2.2.4.4).

8.2 FACULTY DEVELOPMENT ON CAMPUS
The responsibility for faculty development on campus is shared by the dean of faculty and the Faculty Research and Development Committee (see Section 2.2.4.4). Conferences for professional growth, institutional maintenance, and faculty planning are arranged each year. A fall retreat and one professional day (faculty development day) each semester occur each year, and faculty are expected to participate in these conferences. The Faculty Executive is responsible for the planning and implementation of the faculty retreat at the beginning of the fall term (2.2.3). The Faculty Research and Development Committee plans and conducts the faculty development days, for which the dean of faculty provides budgeted funds. Initiatives of faculty to provide for other faculty development events may be directed to the faculty research and development committee. The dean of faculty undertakes to find sources of funding for faculty development, beyond the university budget, through grants and external fund-raising.

8.3 SABBATICAL LEAVES
8.3.1 PURPOSE
Whitworth believes that the continued scholarship and intellectual renewal of its faculty are necessary and desirable. Therefore, the university provides the means for faculty to engage in research, study, creative activities, cross-cultural studies and contacts with scholars outside the Whitworth University community. It is important to model lifelong learning. It is likewise important that assurance of highest quality instruction be provided for both the university and the individual. Sabbatical leaves provide opportunities for individuals and corporate growth through these activities.

8.3.2 SABBATICAL ELIGIBILITY
All regular, tenured faculty will be eligible for sabbatical leaves each seventh year of
their teaching careers at Whitworth. It is expected that leaves will be taken at least every
seven to twelve years. In the case of faculty who have joined the Whitworth faculty from
other institutions, a maximum of two teaching years may be applied to a seven-year period as
reflected in the faculty member’s first Whitworth University contract.

If a faculty member is obligated to postpone an approved sabbatical leave because of
university-imposed restrictions, or if a faculty member is entitled to a sabbatical and applies
but it is not authorized because of the established quota, he or she may start counting at year
seven toward the next six years service, and will not lose priority. Faculty in this situation would count year seven as the first year towards their next six years service and would not
count the year of the delayed sabbatical as part of the next six year set.

If a faculty member is forced to postpone an approved sabbatical due to a significant
health issue (either the faculty member’s health or involving his or her immediate family),
then the faculty member will be allowed to take the sabbatical at the earliest opportunity
within three years. The dean of faculty and Faculty Research and Development Committee
will work together to enable the sabbatical as soon as possible. Faculty in this situation
would begin the count toward their next sabbatical in the year immediately following
completion of the sabbatical.

Faculty who themselves choose to postpone leaves beyond the seventh year will start
counting their next six years after returning to Whitworth.

Faculty may make application for sabbaticals either in the year of their tenure review or the year prior to their tenure review. The awarding of the sabbatical is then contingent
upon receiving tenure.

Faculty temporarily serving in the administration may count up to three years in that role towards their seven-year eligibility for a sabbatical. Sabbaticals for full time administrators or administrative faculty are beyond the scope of this Handbook.

8.3.3 APPLICATION PROCEDURE
A candidate for sabbatical leave must submit a plan of study to his or her department chairperson, who then will transmit the request with his or her comments and recommendation to the Faculty Research and Development Committee through the dean of faculty. Applications should be submitted by October 15 of the second year preceding the academic year during which the leave is to occur.

8.3.4 APPROVAL PROCEDURE
The Faculty Research and Development Committee reviews all sabbatical proposals and evaluates their appropriateness, scholarly merit, and potential contribution to the professional development of the applicant. The committee may propose refinements or improvements in a sabbatical proposal, which may be negotiated with the applicant. The committee submits a recommendation for approval or rejection to the dean of faculty, who makes the final determination. The dean of faculty's evaluation includes a review of the staffing and curricular needs of the department and the budgetary implications of the granting of the sabbatical. The dean of faculty then informs applicants in writing of the results of the application and review process.

8.3.5 DURATION AND COMPENSATION
A sabbatical leave shall be either a half year including January Term at full salary, or a full year at half salary. Faculty will be required to return to Whitworth University and teach for one year immediately following the leave, or reimburse the university for salary received during the sabbatical leave. Applicants are encouraged to identify outside sources for support of sabbatical leave expenses; the dean of faculty provides support in seeking and applying for such funding.

8.3.6 REPORTING
Upon completion of a sabbatical leave the faculty member will make a formal written report to the dean of faculty within the first sixty days of the next semester. Furthermore, faculty members may be requested to share the results of their leave activities with the community or professional groups, trustees, faculty, or students.

8.3.7 IMPLEMENTATION

8.3.7.1 PLANNING
The committee and dean of faculty plan sabbaticals in such a way that, as far as is feasible, approximately the same number of faculty are on leave each semester.

8.3.7.2 COVERAGE
Departments guarantee coverage of their curricular commitments during each
semester of a sabbatical leave by evaluating the course rotations and adjusting the teaching
schedule as warranted. Regular faculty members are not expected to teach more than their
normal load of courses during a colleague’s sabbatical. Visiting professors and/or adjunct
faculty are used to cover the department’s courses in accord with the following guidelines:

• In departments with five or more full-time faculty, all courses normally taught by
the individual will be dropped or picked up by other department members.
• In departments with four full-time faculty, one course normally taught by the
individual on leave will be taught by a part-time replacement, and the other three
courses will be either dropped or picked up by other department members.
• In departments with three full-time faculty, two courses normally taught by the
individual on leave will be taught by part-time replacements, and the other two
courses will be either dropped or picked up by other department members.
• In departments with one or two full-time faculty, a full-time replacement will be
hired for the long semester only. The January term course will be dropped.

8.3.7.3 SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
Particular department circumstances, such as core course commitments, may require
other modifications. Any requirement that may incur additional expenditures must be truly
exceptional. The appointment of full-time replacements for full-year sabbatical leaves will be
authorized if funds are available.

8.3.7.4 ALLOWABLE PERCENTAGE OF FACULTY ON SABBATICAL
A maximum of nine percent of the full-time faculty may take leave in any single academic year. The dean of faculty determines, at the beginning of the annual approval process, what the appropriate number of faculty leaves two years hence will be.

8.4 MINI-SABBATICALS
Mini-sabbatical awards are intended to encourage and support scholarship at Whitworth University. They are competitive, merit-based awards open to all faculty who have at least a 90% contract and who carry a 50% teaching load or who hold a full-time professional librarian appointment. Mini-sabbaticals will be spread throughout the academic year. They will consist of a three-credit release, subject to negotiation with the Department Chair and Academic Affairs. The specific credits from which the approved faculty member is released will be determined by the Department Chair and Academic Affairs. Whether a minisabbatical is granted will depend on approval by the Faculty Research and Development Committee and one department and university needs. The number of mini-sabbaticals awarded each year will be established by Academic Affairs. Once approved by FRD, the Department Chair will record the mini-sabbatical on the department load sheet submitted to Academic Affairs. Department colleagues are encouraged to collaborate in scheduling minisabbaticals to maximize effectiveness.

Eligibility

• Full-time Track I, Track II, or Track III faculty with at least a 90% contract and 50% teaching load or who hold a full-time professional librarian appointment are eligible.
• Faculty are eligible for their first min-sabbatical in their third year.
• Faculty with a course release(s) dedicated to scholarly production (grants, endowed chairs, etc.) are not eligible for a mini-sabbatical in that same academic year.
• Faculty are eligible for no more than one mini-sabbatical in the time period between sabbaticals.

Application Process

• Complete application form with the signature of the department chair.
• Apply to Academic Affairs by December 1.
• Faculty Research and Development Committee will rank all applications using the faculty approved application and rubric by December 15.
• Applicants and department chairs will be notified regarding the status of applications by February 15. Applicants will list their preference for the term the mini-sabbatical will occur, but final placement will be determined by Academic Affairs.

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