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Canadian Association of University Teachers
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Model Clause on Sabbatical Leaves and Remunerated Research Time
1Sabbatical Leaves
1.1
Sabbatical leaves are necessary to provide sufficient uninterrupted time for research and/or professional and creative activities.
1.2
Full-time academic staff shall earn one credit toward a sabbatical leave entitlement for each year of full-time employment or its equivalent, it being understood that such credit shall not accumulate during a sabbatical leave.
1.3
Continuing part-time academic staff shall earn credit toward a sabbatical leave entitlement on a pro-rated basis.
1.4
Full-time academic staff are eligible for either a six month sabbatical leave after acquiring three credits or a 12 month sabbatical leave after six credits.
1.5
Continuing part-time academic staff are similarly eligible for either a six month sabbatical leave when their accumulated workload reaches the equivalent of three credits or a twelve month sabbatical leave when it reaches the equivalent of six credits.
1.6
Unused sabbatical credits shall be retained to a maximum of nine.
1.7
Six months prior to the start of a sabbatical leave the member shall provide the administrative officer with information on:
a) the proposed start and completion dates for the sabbatical leave;
b) the number of credits toward sabbatical leave which will have accumulated at the commencement of the sabbatical leave; and
c) a brief outline of the activities to be pursued during the sabbatical leave.
1.8
Within 60 days following the return from a sabbatical leave the member shall provide the administrative officer with a short report of the member’s activities.
1.9
The member shall not be eligible for a sabbatical leave during the first year or its equivalent following a return from a sabbatical leave.
1.10
Where a department may be adversely affected by the number of members eligible for sabbatical leave in a given year, the employer may request that a member or members defer their leave by a period of no more than one year. Members shall not unreasonably refuse a request for deferral. Where a member’s sabbatical leave is deferred sabbatical credits shall continue to accumulate, notwithstanding the provisions of Article 1.6.
2
Remunerated Research Time for Contract Academic Staff Employed on a Per-Course Basis1
2.1
The employer recognizes the particular difficulties faced by part-time contract academic staff pursuing the research activities required of their position as scholars and members of the academic staff. Access to all aspects of an academic career requires, as outlined in Article 1, periods of uninterrupted research time for part-time contract academic staff. Such periods shall be in units equal to a single trimester three credit course or its equivalent.
2.2
Part-time contract academic staff earn one credit towards a research contract for each three credit course taught. Three such credits entitle an eligible member to one research contract. Remuneration for such contracts shall be at the same rate as a three credit course.
2.3
Credits toward research contracts may be accumulated to a maximum of 45 credits.
2.4
Each sabbatical credit earned under Article1.2 shall be deemed the equivalent of three research credits for purposes of this article.
2.5
Three months prior to the start of a research contract(s) the member shall provide the administrative officer with information on:
a) the number of research contracts being requested;
b) the proposed start and completion dates for the research contract(s);
c) number of credits towards research contracts which will have accumulated at the commencement of the research contract(s); and
d) a brief outline of the activities to be pursued during the research contract.
2.6
Part-time contract academic staff who receive a research contract(s) shall continue to have full and equitable access to research funds available to members.
2.7
Within 60 days following the end of any research contract(s) the member shall provide the administrative officer with a short report of the member’s activities.
Approved by the CAUT Council, April 2006.
Endnote1. It is CAUT policy that compensation for contract academic staff should be pro-rated to that for a full-time position having similar responsibilities and qualifications (Policy Statement on Fairness for Contract Academic Staff), and Article 1 provides model contract language for situations where this applies. Nevertheless, since the majority of contract academic staff appointments at Canadian post-secondary institutions are currently on a per-course basis, Article 2 is intended to provide guidelines to ensure the provision of comparable research time to such academic staff.
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