Section 1. Purpose

Fundamentally the purpose is the same as for sabbatical leaves. (See Article XII, Section 1.) In addition, the College wishes to assist young scholars to keep alive their own scholarship during the demanding first years of teaching, especially if their teaching and their interest in undergraduate instruction are promising.

Section 2. Eligibility

A. Assistant Professors with tenure track appointments and who have not yet had a tenure decision may apply during their third or later year of continuous full time service at Wellesley College provided they will have held the Ph.D. degree for at least three years prior to going on leave. Early leaves are for one semester or for a full academic or calendar year. Members granted leave are normally expected to return to Wellesley for at least one year. Ordinarily, early leaves are not granted for the last year in the rank of Assistant Professor. For purposes of reappointment, promotion, and tenure, a full year spent on early leave will be excluded from the years in rank at the written request of the individual. Such request must be made in writing to the Dean of the College within sixty days after receipt of notification of initial approval of the leave request by the Committee on Faculty Appointments.

In addition, Assistant Professors on regular part time appointments may apply during their third or later year of service at Wellesley College provided they will have held the Ph.D. degree at least three years prior to going on leave.

The opportunity to take an early leave cannot be guaranteed by the College; consideration has to be given to the immediate needs of the department involved, the finances of the College, and whether the plan for the leave is likely to advance the long range scholarly interests of the individual and the College.

Associate Professors are not eligible for early leave.

B. The award of an early leave carries no implications concerning an individual's prospects for reappointment, promotion, or tenure.

Section 3. Stipend

The College will provide half salary for the period of the leave (e.g., one half of annual salary for a year's leave, one quarter salary for a semester's leave). Faculty members are expected to seek research awards from other sources to supplement their income while on leave. Faculty members who have strenuously sought support for leave projects from outside sources may also apply to the Committee on Faculty Appointments for an addition to the half salary normally granted. This addition will be an amount which will ensure that total income for the leave year from the College and from salary supplements included in any research awards received from outside sources will be equal to the income which that individual would ordinarily have received for the same period at the College.

Stipends for regular part time faculty members will be prorated according to salary.

Section 4. Application and Report

A. A faculty member shall normally indicate an intention to apply for a leave by March 1 of the second academic year preceding the proposed leave, whether that proposed leave be for one semester or a full year, or for half or full salary. For example, intention to apply for a leave for 2006-07 would normally have been given by March 1, 2005. Such notification shall indicate (1) a tentative intention to apply for a semester or a year, (2) the general area in which research will be undertaken. Notification shall be given to (1) the Chair of the Department, (2) the Committee on Faculty Appointments, (3) the Office of Sponsored Research.

B. A member of the faculty who intends to seek support from outside sources (see above, Section 3) shall file a draft of a proposal for grant support with the Office of Sponsored Research thirty days before the due date of the first grant application.

C. It is understood that departments do not approve or disapprove applications for leaves, but the Chair of a Department shall indicate to the Committee on Faculty Appointments whether the Department envisions any difficulties in teaching the curriculum of the Department if leave is granted.

D. A final application for early leave shall normally be submitted to the Committee on Faculty Appointments by October 1 of the year preceding the proposed leave.

E. All faculty members granted an early leave are expected to report fully to the Committee on Faculty Appointments by the end of their first month of teaching following the leave.