Sabbatical Timing
For the first sabbatical: faculty who have served six years at IU can apply to take a sabbatical in their seventh year if they have been approved for tenure. (Tenure does not formally take effect until after the seventh year, even when approved at the end of the sixth year.)
The candidate must have six full years of IU service. If tenure is conferred earlier than the sixth year, they must wait until they have six years of IU service. If tenured, the candidate can apply in their sixth year to take the sabbatical in their seventh year (but cannot have any unpaid leave at any time when applying).
IU does not offer any years of credit towards a sabbatical to new hires. They may negotiate for a semester without course assignments, which is a school decision.
If someone applies for a sabbatical for the year after their tenure review, and do not receive tenure, then they are ineligible for the sabbatical. Sabbaticals require faculty to return full-time to IU for at least one year afterwards.
For subsequent sabbaticals:
- If a faculty member has had any unpaid leaves, this affects their eligibility.
- An appointment at 75% or above counts as "full time service" for purpose of sabbatical eligibility: that is, service for 5 years at 75% counts as 5 years, not as 4 years.
A faculty member is eligible IF:
- It will be at least four years since the last sabbatical.
- They have at least 13 years of total service since the second-last sabbatical.
- They will not retire or leave the institution the year after the sabbatical.
This is a change made at IU Indianapolis in 2020 based on the revised IU policy BOT-17. For questions, contact the associate vice provost at ude[dot]ui[at]rhdaca.
Reviewed and revised: 10/2025.