Leaves

Sabbatical or Difference-In-Pay Leave

Faculty members who wish to apply for a Sabbatical Leave or a Difference-in-Pay Leave may use the relevant forms listed below. Please check with your college dean's office regarding leave eligibility.

Leave Types

Sabbatical A - one (1) semester at full salary
Sabbatical B - two (2) semesters at one-half of full salary
Difference-in-Pay (see CBA Article 28.3 regarding salary)

Sabbatical B / DIP recipients are urged to work with SDSU Research Foundation staff and their Dean's Office to ensure that a clear joint understanding is in place around additional employment and pay, including grants and contracts.

Eligibility

“Serve full-time for six (6) years at the campus in the preceding seven (7) year period prior to the leave and at least six (6) years after any prior sabbatical leave or difference in pay leave.” (CBA 27.2)  “A faculty unit employee will be eligible for a subsequent difference-in-pay after s/he has served full-time for three (3) years after the last sabbatical or difference-in-pay leave and has satisfied the obligation in 28.16.” (CBA 28.4)  A year of service for academic year faculty is defined as two (2) consecutive semesters within an academic year. (CBA 13.6)  Eligibility is calculated on the academic year, not calendar year.

Factors Impacting Sabbatical Eligibility

  • Professional Leave Without Pay - One (1) academic year in which professional leave without pay is taken at any percentage shall count towards eligibility in any given qualifying period.  Subsequent years in which professional leave without pay is taken at any percentage shall not count towards eligibility.
  • Personal Leave Without Pay - Any academic year in which one (1) or more semesters of personal LWOP is taken at any percentage shall not count towards sabbatical eligibility. 
  • Paid Parental Leave - Paid parental leaves as provided for in CBA 23.4 shall have no impact on eligibility unless an extension of the probationary clock is granted. 
  • Extending Probationary Period/“Stopping the Clock” - Any probationary period year in which the “clock is stopped” for any reason specified in CBA 13.7 – 13.8 shall not count towards sabbatical eligibility.

If your sabbatical “Type A” is not awarded, you may also wish to consult with your dean for more information on the possibility of changing your leave application to a “Type B” (two semesters at one-half of full salary) or a difference-in-pay leave. If you do wish to change your leave type, to allow for class schedule adjustments, please initiate this request as soon as possible no later than March 15 via your department chair/school director and dean to the Office of Faculty Advancement and Student Success for approval.

Supervising students and working on grants during your sabbatical:   Under the SDSU Senate Policy File, "9.2. A faculty employee on sabbatical leave shall not accept additional or outside employment without prior approval of the President."  Approval responsibilities have historically been delegated to Faculty Advancement, and approval is routinely granted.  

To request approval in advance, please mark the indicated box on the sabbatical application form (see below): 

sabbatical app screenshot

If you marked these boxes on your application and received a sabbatical award, you may continue to supervise students and work on grants; if you did not, you may contact [email protected] to request approval.  

Personal and Professional Leaves

Leave of Absence Without Pay 

Leave of Absence Without Pay Request Form

Faculty members who wish to take a personal or professional leave-without-pay shall complete the request form. These types of leaves must be approved by your department chair/school director and dean before submission to Faculty Advancement.

Parental Leave

Parental Leave Application

Parental leave is a paid leave associated with the birth of an employee's own child or the placement of a child with the employee in connection with adoption or foster care. This type of absence is not charged against the employee's leave credits, and the amount of paid days received is based on employee category. Paid Parental Leave may run concurrently with any other related leaves for which the employee is eligible.  Faculty who are parents are entitled to:

  • Up to 30 work days of paid parental leave, to begin within the “pregnancy disability period” that spans from 60 days before the anticipated birth to 75 days after or reduced workload, with Dean’s approval.
  • Up to 15 paid workdays of accrued sick leave within the so-called “pregnancy disability period.”
  • Up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave (job-protected) within a 12 month period (FMLA). 
  • Leave sharing with a spouse / partner who is also employed by the CSU.
  • With approval, intermittent (non-consecutive workday) leave and workload reduction in lieu of 30 day parental leave. (Work assignments are determined in conjunction with the department/school and/or college.)
  • Extension of the probationary faculty time period for up to one academic year. If you choose to utilize an awarded extension of your probationary period, your sabbatical eligibility shall be delayed by one year.

Additional Leaves Information

Leaves Presentation Slides 2023