Sabbatical Leave Policies and Procedures
Faculty planning to apply for a sabbatical should review the Sabbatical Leave section in the New York University Faculty Handbook, which discusses NYU’s purpose and procedures governing sabbatical leaves.
A sabbatical leave is defined as a leave for the purpose of faculty members’ engagement in scholarly research or other activities that will increase their scholarly achievement or their capacity for service to the University. Eligibility for a sabbatical leave is limited to full-time members of the faculty who have achieved tenure and who have completed six years of full-time service as members of the faculty at NYU. In general, at least six years elapse between consecutive sabbaticals.
A sabbatical leave is considered a privilege rather than a right, and should cause minimal disruption to school and department programs. Sabbatical leave is not automatically granted according to years of service or tenure status.
All sabbatical leave arrangements approved by the University carry the restriction that the faculty member is not permitted to engage in any form of regular academic or other employment of pecuniary advantage elsewhere. Refer to the NYU Faculty Handbook for sponsored research exceptions.
Sabbatical Leave Deadlines
By November 6, 2024
Eligible faculty submit their NYU Application for Sabbatical Leave. The application window is now closed.
By November 18, 2024
Department Chair recommends to grant (or in rare cases, not to grant) sabbatical requests via DocuSign. The recommendation is automatically sent to Steinhardt Faculty Affairs for review.
Spring 2025
Steinhardt Faculty Affairs notifies faculty of sabbatical leave decision once received from the Provost’s Office.
Submitting the Sabbatical Leave Application
Prior to submitting an application, in conjunction with your Department Chair, discuss how your research, teaching, and service responsibilities will be covered during your sabbatical.
To submit an application for sabbatical, faculty:
Open the NYU Application for Sabbatical Leave.
On the first page, fill in your information and your department chair’s information.
Click Begin Signing.
Fill in all fields including information on your sabbatical plans, as below.
To submit, select Finish. You will be given the option to download your completed form. Your application will be automatically sent to your department chair.
Applications for sabbatical leave must provide a detailed statement of professional plans for the leave and a discussion of the timetable, and include a statement of goals against which sabbatical activities may be evaluated. In addition, the application should provide a justification for how the activities proposed for the sabbatical leave will have value for the applicant, as well as the school, the university, and your field.
Sabbatical Leave Review Process
In reviewing an application for sabbatical leave, the Chair, Dean’s Office, and University should consider: the strength of the sabbatical project and its impact on the scholar, school, university and field, as well as minimal disruption to the department and School.
Sabbatical Report and Assessment
After returning from sabbatical leave, Steinhardt Faculty Affairs will request a report from each faculty member on your sabbatical activities. This report is a simple Google Form that we will share with you via email, due within 30 days of returning from sabbatical leave. The sabbatical leave report will be shared with your department chair, the Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs, and the Dean, who will share select highlights with our Steinhardt and NYU communities.
Personal Leave of Absence
Available to Faculty
Office of Academic Appointments
Personal leave without pay may be granted at the discretion of the Dean for a variety of reasons. Faculty members may be granted one or more full semesters of leave without pay for compelling personal reasons, such as care of a seriously ill child, parent, spouse, or registered domestic partner. Leave by either parent for the purpose of taking care of a child or related activities, as distinguished from inability to work because of pregnancy or childbirth, is treated as personal leave.
Illness/Disability Leave and Maternity Leave
The salary of a full-time faculty member may be continued for up to six months at the discretion of the Dean, for absence caused by illness or disability, subject to approval by the Office of the Provost.
Legally, an absence caused by inability to work because of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions must be treated at least as favorably as an absence caused by illness or disability for all employment-related purposes. At the time a faculty member gives birth, they are entitled to an aggregate of six consecutive weeks of paid maternity leave preceding and/or following the date of birth.
A physician’s statement certifying that the faculty member is unable to work because of illness or disability and the date on which it is anticipated that they can return to work may be required. The University, in addition, may require that the faculty member be examined by a physician designated by the University at no cost to the faculty member. In cases of childbirth, no certification will be required unless the request for leave extends beyond six weeks.
A full-time faculty member who is totally disabled for more than six consecutive calendar months may claim benefits under New York University’s long-term disability insurance if a participant.
Benefits During Leave of Absence
During a leave of absence, benefits may be affected. The Benefits Office should be contacted for details regarding how to continue benefit coverages and the length of time for which benefits may be continued.
It is a faculty member's responsibility to contact the Benefits Office to arrange for continuation of benefits. More information is available at the Benefits Office.
Tenure Clock Stoppage
Office of Academic Appointments
Available to Faculty
Tenure Clock Stoppage will be automatically granted for up to two semesters for the parent primarily responsible for the care of a newborn child, newly adopted child, or new foster care or guardianship placement.
Tenure Clock Stoppage may also be granted for a cumulative maximum of two semesters during the probationary period for any one of, or combination of, the following personal reasons: primary caregiver of a child, parent, spouse/registered domestic partner in health crisis of extended duration; illness/disability leave; or personal leave.