Grinnell College regards sabbatical leaves as a privilege granted upon the submission of an appropriate justification for the leave, not as an automatic entitlement. Such justification should take the form of (typically) a one-and-a-half to two-page letter addressed to the Dean of the College. Sabbatical leave proposals will be reviewed by the Committee for Support of Faculty Scholarship (CSFS) upon receipt, but should be submitted by 5:00 pm on the 2nd Friday in November of the year prior to the anticipated leave. In the letter, the applicant should (a) indicate whether a one-semester (3 course) is preferred; (b) explain the nature of the work to be undertaken during the leave; (c) specify the location of residence during the proposed leave; and (d) state the scholarly product(s) and/or enhancements to teaching which are expected to result from the proposed leave. A current vita must accompany the letter of application. Longer statements of proposed scholarly work may be attached to the application (but are not required); however, the application letter must summarize the proposed project in succinct, non-technical, jargon-free language, not simply refer to a longer, technical description attached.

Sabbatical applications will be reviewed by the Committee for Support of Faculty Scholarship, which will advise the Dean of the College whether it deems the application appropriate for approval. The committee may ask the Dean of the College to return for revision applications which do not meet these guidelines.


Last Revised November 2003