FAQ – Sabbaticals & Other Benefits

Sabbaticals

Q – Am I eligible for a sabbatical?
A – Yes, Unit Members are eligible for sabbaticals after they have completed six years of continuous service, but they rarely have the opportunity. The reason is that the employer may be reluctant to find the necessary to cover a units position in their absence. Under Limitation, the contract states in 9.01 I: “Sabbatical leave is not an inherent right of the unit member and there is no obligation on the part of the Employer to approve any and all sabbatical leave requests made by unit members. No more than six (6) percent of the full-time unit members at a given College shall be granted sabbatical leave in any academic year unless otherwise approved by the Employer.”

Q – What are the criteria for Sabbatical Leave?
A – The criteria for leave are that the leave would “contribute to the professional growth of the unit member” and that the returning member would contribute to “the institutional needs and institutional purposes.” Other criteria are that the unit member will meet the goals set forth based on his/her experience and educational background and that those goals are realistic in terms of cost and attainment. Lastly, it states that “there exists independent financial support from other funding sources concerned with the proposed plan or project where College Funding sources are otherwise unavailable.”

Q – If I do get Sabbatical Leave, what will be the duration ?
A – Unit members are allowed to take either a full year or a half year.

Snow Days

Q – Do I get paid if the College is closed for a snow day?
A – Full time Unit members are paid for snow days where the institution is officially closed. There may be instances when a Unit member is considered an essential employee, in which case they may be required to report to work, even if their campus is officially closed. (This depends upon the institution.)

Comp Time

Q – My supervisor asked me to stay two hours late to give an orientation to the new evening employee. Am I entitled to comp time?
A – Yes. You would earn compensatory time at the rate of one and one half hours (1½ hours) for every hour that you work over 8 hours in any day.