ResearchFormal Study

TravelProfessional Development

Field Study

Creative Project

Plan for a Successful Sabbatical or Fellowship

Which Type of Support Do You Need?

• Sabbatical Leave– Paid one-semester leave to pursue professional

development relevant to your SMC responsibilities– Applications due in Fall semester for sabbaticals in

the following academic year– Academic Senate has approved a second round of

proposals in Spring 2014 for Spring 2015 sabbaticals– District funds at least 8 sabbaticals per year

• Fellowship– $1500 to support a relevant one-semester

professional development project– Proposals due in Spring 2014 for next academic

year– District funds up to 7 fellowships per year

Apply for a Sabbatical if

• You are a full time Faculty Member• You have at least 6 years of full time

service prior to submitting your application• You wish to pursue a relevant project that

will constitute one semester’s worth of work• Your project involves any of the following:

– Professional Development– Formal Study– Independent Research/Creative Project /Field

Study– Professionally Beneficial Travel

Sabbatical Leaves Typology

• Professional Development:– Study or experience designed to improve teaching

effectiveness--not possible through normal workload assignment.

• Formal Study:– A course of study leading to increased mastery in subject field;

development of an additional area of specialization.

• Independent Research, Creative Project, or Field Study:– To carry project of a scope or nature not permitted by a normal

workload assignment.

• Professionally Beneficial Travel:– To enable acquisition of knowledge, skills, expertise, or an area

of specialization within a discipline.

Components of the Sabbatical Application

• Description of the project• Objectives of the project• Relationship of the project to SMCs

Mission, Vision and Goals• Specific Activities or Procedures to

be performed• Timeline for Completing Sabbatical

Activities• Specific Outcomes, Skills or

Competencies Achieved• Documentation of Outcomes

Quality of Project Design

Proposal constitutes a full semester’s work load 15

Proposed Goals and Outcomes are feasible 15

Proposal is clear, organized and specific 5

Proposed activities and procedures support project’s objectives

5

Methods of documentation are appropriate to the proposed project

5

Applicant establishes a realistic timeline for accomplishing activities and objectives

5

Benefits of Sabbatical

Proposed project contributes to professional development/increased competence of sabbatical recipient

20

Proposed project contributes to student success 15

Proposal aligns with current College goals, program SLO’s and/or ILO’s

10

Proposed project contributes to colleagues, department, and/or college at-large

5

Supplemental Categories

Innovative 5

College service 3

Potential first-time recipient 2

Criteria for Evaluating Sabbatical Proposals

What the Sabbatical is not!

Examples1) A vacation2) Travel unrelated to student learning

and/or your professional development3) Updating your syllabus or course packet4) Time to do work that is part of your

regular assignment5) Time to engage in curriculum

development that is part of your regular assignment

Key Points to Consider

• Developing a successful sabbatical proposal necessitates:– Careful planning– Writing

• Is your plan sufficiently comprehensive yet achievable?

• Does your plan include contingencies for unanticipated events? What will you do if things don’t go as planned?

Application Process:PLANNING

• Reflect upon your personal motivation for proposing a project.

• Define what you intend to accomplish.• How does your “project” relate to sabbatical leaves and to

college goals, strategic initiatives and learning outcomes?

• Note how your sabbatical will benefit: you, colleagues, department, college, students.

• Outline a realistic plan for achieving your goals.

• Identify specific objectives and activities you will undertake, and the timeline you will follow.

• Identify your anticipated results.• Ask yourself and others if your plan is realistic.

Application Process:WRITING

• Above all, adhere to sabbatical instructions and address all question thoughtfully, yet concisely.

• Write your proposal after you have thought out all details of your sabbatical.

– Consider reviewing the Sabbatical Proposal Evaluation Matrix to get an idea of how your proposal will be evaluated.

• Introduce yourself and your discipline.• Describe the main focus of your sabbatical

with sufficient detail so that readers will understand the importance of pursuing the project.

Application Process:WRITING

• Describe how you will document your activities (examples):– Curriculum Outline/Syllabus– Diaries– Slides, films, and other multimedia tools– Travel receipts– Manuscript– Production of creative work

• What methods will you use to disseminate your results?– A Sabbatical Report is required, but you may also develop/produce:

• Web Pages• Presentations and workshops• Papers

The methods for documenting and disseminating results will be different for every proposal depending on the type of sabbatical activity—choose the most appropriate format for your project.

General Tips

• Figure out what “worked” in the past– Review past proposals, both successful and

unsuccessful• Abstracts of some successful sabbaticals are available on

our website.

– Meet with past sabbatical recipients– Ask your colleagues to critique your application– Your project should NOT rely heavily on others to

conduct key aspects of your sabbatical work.– The sabbatical project should constitute one

semester’s work.

General Tips

• Be “reader friendly”– Write for the tired, impatient reader who is reading your

application last:• Ensure that your proposal stands out from the rest of the

applications• Be professional, but personal• Don’t make the reader hunt for or guess at the answer to a

question• Use headers, bullets, bold/italics, and “white space” to help

guide the reader through the various sections• Use 12-point, easy to read font• Don’t use jargon specific to your discipline that readers may

not understand• Don’t forget to proof read and use spell check

Timeline—Spring 2015 Sabbaticals

March 10 Application available

March 18 Sabbatical and Fellowship Workshops

April 28 Application deadline

Early May Recipients are selected

May 20 Senate Executive Committee reviews recommendations

May 27 Academic Senate consideration for approval

Early June Board of Trustees consideration for approval

Sabbatical Examples

• Diana Engelmann, English, for a Spring 2015 Sabbatical proposes “to complete, edit, and submit for publication a manuscript of my selected poetry from 1998 to the present” and“to review most recent works on eco-critical approach to literature, with particular emphasis on poetry.”

• Oriana Kim-Rajab, Life Sciences, for a Fall 2014 Sabbatical proposes“to increase my understanding of Authentic Learning practices in the sciences and to develop new laboratory exercises that follow the Authentic Learning model. Authentic Learning is a pedagogical approach that describes learning by applying knowledge in real-life contexts.”

Sabbatical Examples

• Makoto Nishikawa, Modern Languages and Cultures, for a Fall 2014 Sabbatical proposes “to gather authentic and up-to-date materials in Japan through audio/video recordings and digital photos which are related to the teaching topics of our Japanese program as well as related to the students’ interests in contemporary and traditional Japanese culture. I plan to create my own teaching materials based on the real-life recordings I collect in Japan.”

• Lisette Rabinow-Palley, Counseling, for a Spring 2015 Sabbatical proposes “to explore other college, university, and transition programs for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) around the state and create updated training materials on best practices for serving ASD students that will be shared with SMC faculty.”

Apply for a Fellowship if

• You are a full time or adjunct Faculty Member

• You wish to pursue a relevant project that can be accomplished in one semester

• Your project is related to– New Course Development– Course Materials Development– Research related to teaching or student

services within your area of discipline expertise

• $1500 in funding will be helpful for accomplishing the project

Components of the Fellowship Application

The proposal will describe

• the project, with proposed objectives and activities

• how the outcomes of the project will benefit students and the college

• how the benefits of the project will be shared with the SMC community

• how the outcomes of the project will be documented

Timeline—2014-2015 Fellowships

March 10 Application available

March 18 Sabbatical and Fellowship Workshops

April 30 Application deadline

Early May Recipients are selected

May 20 Senate Executive Committee reviews recommendations

May 27 Academic Senate consideration for approval

Early June Approved Fellowships forwarded to Vice President of Academic Affairs

Fellowship Examples

• Garen Baghdasarian, Life Sciences, for Spring 2014 proposes: “to study the mechanism of recovery of corals from bleaching events and consider genetic selection of Symbiodinium species during this recovery. This study would address unknown variable that currently cannot be considered in prediction models that look at the effect of global warming in tropical regions.” The study is to be conducted at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology.”

• Simon P. Balm, Earth Science, for Fall 2013 proposes: “to completely update the web site for the Planetarium and tansfer the pages onto the new web server.” He will train an individual in the use of the new CMS so that the new site can be kept updated.

Fellowship Examples

• Lisa Farwell, Psychology, for Fall 2013 proposes: “to obtain advanced training on the issue of workplace incivility and counterproductive work behaviors (CWB) by attending a 3-day intensive professional training program provided at the Workplace Bullying Institute in Washington State, to provide presentations and a resource band for students and faculty at SMC and to share this information with students and faculty.”

• Thomas Folland, Art, for Fall 2013 proposes: “to use the fellowship to perform research at the Robert Rauschenberg archives in New York in preparation for completing his book manuscript on Rauschenberg’s 1950’s Combines.” The applicant previously had been unable to gain access to these archives but has recently been invited to view them.

Fellowship Examples

• Yuria Hashimoto, Modern Languages and Cultures, for Spring 2014 proposes: “to develop computer-/web-based learning materials for the students of Japanese 1 and 2, also to assess the effectiveness of these (computer, web-based tools) for student learning. Assessments will be given both during and at the end of semester(s) through the analys of exam results and student surveys.”

• Catherine Haradon, Earth Science/Anthropology, for Spring 2014 proposes: “to create a reference catalog of photographic images that show examples of how animal bones are damaged by stone tools, by carnivores and by natural processes. These images will be used for an electronic reference catalog that will be shared with other anthropology professors.”

Fellowship Examples

• Carlson Hatton, Art, for Fall 2013 proposes: “as a participant in the Da Wang’s Art residency program in Shenzhen China to produce a series of works on paper and learn about techniques and materials that are distinct to that region.” The applicant has been invited to work in a studio setting with access to materials and studio technicians.

For More Information

• Visit the Committee Website for submission dates and guidelines– http://www.smc.edu/ACG/

AcademicSenate/AScommittees/Pages/Sabbaticals.aspx

• Contact– Mary Colavito, Chair– Mona Martin, Co-Chair– Sherri Lee-Lewis, Human Resources, also a

Committee Member