Sabbaticals

A:A sabbatical leave is for the purpose of enhancing the University's educational environment and facilitating the professional development of faculty by affording opportunities for sustained focus on research, scholarly, and creative activity.

A: Applicants should be familiar with Article 27, Regular Sabbatical Leaves, or Article 28, Difference-In-Pay Leaves, of the Faculty Collective Bargaining Agreement and the CSUN Sabbatical Leave Policy in Section 672 of the Administrative Manual.

A: For an initial sabbatical leave or difference-in-pay leave, a full-time faculty member must meet these requirements:

1. They have completed 6 full academic years of full-time service at that campus in the preceding 7-year period before the leave.
2. It has been at least 6 years since any previous sabbatical or difference-in-pay leave.
3. Prior service credit from other institutions counts towards meeting the initial 6-year eligibility requirement.

For a subsequent sabbatical leave after an initial one, the faculty member must complete another 6 full academic years of full-time service after returning from the previous paid leave.

For a subsequent difference-in-pay leave after an initial one, the faculty member must complete 3 full academic years of full-time service after returning from the previous paid leave.

Sabbatical Eligibility:

We have created sabbatical eligibility tables to help determine when you may become eligible: 

Faculty Without Prior Sabbaticals: 

• Click here to view the Eligibility Table for Faculty Without Prior Sabbaticals.
• View the eligibility table for your first sabbatical leave from CSUN.

Faculty With Prior Sabbaticals:  

• Click here to view the Eligibility Table for Faculty With Prior Sabbaticals.
• View the eligibility table for subsequent sabbatical leaves.

Special Circumstances:

• Click here to view the Special Circumstances Document.
• Certain circumstances (FERP, DIP Leave, LWOP) may impact your eligibility.

A: Please follow the 3-Step Process Below:

Step 1

Fill out the Google Form to indicate intent to apply for a Sabbatical or Difference-In-Pay Leave (DIP Leave).

Click here for the Google Form Link.

This Google Form is due by Friday, September 11, 2026 or earlier.

What do I do now?

After you turn in the form, Faculty Affairs will “create a case” for you in Interfolio using your provided information.

Please wait for an email from Interfolio telling you that a “case has been created."

Then, you can start applying for your Sabbatical/DIP Leave.

Please contact kimberly.posin-mcconnell@csun.edu if you have not received an email from Interfolio by EOD 9/16/26.

In the meantime, you can proceed to Step 2, and gather materials for inclusion in Interfolio.

Step 2

Our Procedure Has Slightly Changed:

For convenience, you will no longer need to complete a separate "PDF Application" to apply for Sabbatical/DIP; that information will be collected within Interfolio.

You will still need to upload PDFs into Interfolio of your:
1-page CV and 3-page Sabbatical/DIP Proposal.

Please use standard font size and margins.

Step 3

Upload materials in Interfolio.

Click Here for a Step-By-Step guide with screenshots for uploading materials to Interfolio.

A: Please use standard font size and margins.

A: Please see below, or Click Here for a Step-By-Step guide with screenshots for uploading materials to Interfolio.

 

Interfolio Guide for Sabbatical/DIP Leave Applicants

Accessing Your Application:

1. Log into Interfolio.com and click “Sign in with Partner Institution.”
2. Search for: “Northridge” for “California State University Northridge,” and click Sign In.
3. Enter your CSUN portal credentials.
4. From your Institutional Account homepage, go to “Your Packets and Cases.”

Uploading Required Documents:

1. Click on the “Sabbatical Application” packet.
2. Check the “Required Files” section to see what needs to be uploaded.
3. Click “Add” next to each requirement.
4. Select the file from your computer and click “Add” to upload.

Required Documents:

• Proposal, max three pages
• Current Curriculum Vitae, max 1 page
• Employment Memo, if applicable

Tips:

• Accepted file types: PDF, DOC, PPT, images, video/audio
• Maximum file size: 100 MB
• Use the “Overview” button to review uploaded materials

IMPORTANT: Remember to Click “SUBMIT” when all requirements are fulfilled!

The submit button is the blue button that is back up at the TOP of the page!

Let us know if you need any assistance! If you have questions, contact the Faculty Affairs office at 818-677-3280 or kimberly.posin-mcconnell@csun.edu.

A: Please scroll down, or Click Here for a Step-By-Step guide with screenshots for Department Chairs, DPCs/CPCs, or Deans reviewing applications.

Guide for Sabbatical/DIP Leave Reviewers in Interfolio

Dept. Chairs; DPC; CPC; Deans

Accessing Cases for Review:

1. Log in to Interfolio.com.
2. Click “Log In” > “Sign in with Partner Institution.”
3. Search for: “Northridge” for “California State University Northridge,” and click Sign In to enter your CSUN portal credentials.
4. Select “Institutional Account (CSUN).”
5. From the left navigation, go to “Cases Under Review, Promotion & Tenure.” Sabbatical cases are found under this section.
6. Click on the candidate’s name to view their case materials/application packet.

Reviewing Case Materials:

1. The “Case Materials” tab opens by default, showing the candidate’s application packet.
2. Click “Read Case” to view the sabbatical/DIP leave materials.
3. You can use the annotation tool to make private notes as you review.

Annotation Tools:

Toggle annotations on/off with the “View” icon.
Click the “Note” icon to add an annotation.
Select annotation type: Sticky Note, Point, Area, or Text.

Locking/Unlocking Candidate’s Packet:

1. Click the lock icon for each section to lock/unlock.
2. Lock the packet by the review deadline to prevent candidate editing, keeping our process equitable.

Uploading Recommendation Letters & Rebuttals:

1. The recommendation letters are sent to the candidate via email. After emailing the recommendation letter, allow seven days for the candidate’s rebuttal.
2. Upload any candidate rebuttal letter to your reviewing agency section.
3. Go to the “Case Details” tab.
4. Under “Required Items,” click “Add” to upload the recommendation letter and rebuttal, if provided.

Entering Committee Recommendation:

1. Go to the “Case Details” tab.
2. Under “Required Items” click “Fill Out Form.”
3. Complete the recommendation form for your role:

Department Chair: Indicate if leave is advisable and explain.
Department Personnel Committee (DPC): Select a recommendation.
College Personnel Committee (CPC): Select a recommendation and enter sabbatical credit years if “meritorious.”
Dean: Indicate if leave is advisable and explain.

Advancing the Case:

1. IMPORTANT: Scroll to the top and click “Send Case.”
2. Select the next reviewing agency.
3. Enter a subject and message in the email template.
4. Click “Continue” to send the case forward!

Let us know if you need any assistance! If you have questions, contact the Faculty Affairs office at 818-677-3280 or kimberly.posin-mcconnell@csun.edu.

A: Please see below from Article 27 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement:

The salary of an academic year faculty employee or an academic year counselor faculty unit employee on a sabbatical leave shall be in accordance with the following: one (1) semester at full salary; two (2) semesters at one-half (1/2) of full salary; one (1) quarter at full salary; two (2) quarters at three-fourths (3/4) of full salary; three (3) quarters at one-half (1/2) of full salary.

The salary of a librarian, 12 month faculty employee, or 12-month counselor faculty unit employee on a sabbatical leave shall be in accordance with the following:                                                          

At semester campuses: four (4) months at full salary; eight (8) months at one-half (1/2) of full salary.  

The start date of a sabbatical for a 12-month faculty employee with instructional responsibilities shall coincide with the start date of the appropriate academic term.                

Faculty employees serving as department chairs (class codes 2481, 2482) shall be assigned to the equivalent 12-month or academic year instructional faculty classification (e.g. 2361, 2360) for the duration of the sabbatical, and will not receive the department chair stipend while on sabbatical leave.             

If a faculty unit employee occupies a split position with both academic year and 12-month components, the higher appointment time base will normally be used to establish whether the faculty unit employee is placed into an academic year position or a 12-month position for the duration of the sabbatical. Upon request of the faculty unit employee and approval of the appropriate administrator, a faculty unit employee whose majority appointment is on a 12month basis may be assigned to an academic year position for the duration of the sabbatical.         

A sabbatical of two (2) semesters or two (2) or three (3) quarters may be implemented within a two (2) consecutive year period, subject to the recommendations of the Professional Leave Committee and the appropriate administrator and the approval of the President.

A: Please see below from Article 27 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement:

A faculty unit employee on sabbatical leave shall be considered in work status and shall receive health, dental and appropriate fringe benefits provided by the CSU in the same manner as if they were not on sabbatical leave. A faculty unit employee on sabbatical leave shall be entitled to accrue sick leave, vacation, and service credit toward service salary increase eligibility, eligibility toward promotion, if applicable, and seniority.

A: How this is calculated:

• DIP - Normal Monthly Salary minus Minimum of Rank 2, Instructor, AY Salary (which is currently $5,507 as shown on the most recent salary schedule (2024)) equals Monthly Salary on DIP Leave.

A: Any work while on sabbatical requires approval. Faculty who want to work while on Sabbatical/DIP Leave must receive prior approval from the Provost. If you anticipate working while on sabbatical, please note it on the sabbatical application and include appropriate supporting documentation, including the time and compensation that will be received. The additional work must correspond to the sabbatical objective indicated in the application.

A: Any work while on sabbatical requires approval. Faculty who want to work while on Sabbatical/DIP Leave must receive prior approval from the Provost. After the application process, faculty can request approval by writing a memo to Faculty Affairs outlining the reason for the work and including supporting documents, including the time and compensation that will be received. The additional work must correspond to the sabbatical objective noted in the application.

A: Please see below for the Notification Process:

Sabbatical/DIP Leave Notification Process

Check back soon for a link to the 2026-27 AY Calendar of Personnel Procedures, which contains Sabbatical/DIP Leave and other deadlines.

A: Congratulations!A Promissory Note will be issued if a Sabbatical or Difference in Pay Leave is awarded. Please sign and return the Promissory Note as soon as possible to accept the Leave. Links to the Sabbatical Leave Promissory Note and the DIP Leave Promissory Note for leaves being taken in AY 2026-27 coming soon.

A: The Promissory Note is an agreement that you will return to your faculty position after your sabbatical leave for at least a time equivalent to the amount of salary paid during the leave. For example, someone taking a one-semester sabbatical in Fall 2025 would need to return to regular work at CSU through Spring 2026. The Promissory Note is standard procedure for all faculty members taking sabbatical leaves, as outlined in Article 27:

ARTICLE 27  SABBATICAL LEAVES

27.9 Final approval of a sabbatical leave shall not be granted until the applicant has filed with the President a suitable bond or an accepted statement of assets (not including PERS holdings) and/or a promissory note that is individually or collectively at least equal to the amount of salary paid during the leave.  The guarantee posted shall indemnify the State of California against loss in the event the employee fails to render the required service in the CSU following return of the employee from the sabbatical leave.  The guarantee posted shall immediately be canceled in full upon completion of required service or upon waiver of that service by mutual agreement of the faculty member and the CSU.

A: In exceptional circumstances, deferrals may be considered. A deferral is not guaranteed and, if approved, is unlikely to be approved for a second time. The sabbatical deferral application includes a justification for deferral along with recommendations from the chair and dean. Approvals are at the discretion of the Provost. 

Deferral requests for Fall Semester or Academic Year (AY) Leaves are due no later than April 1. 

Deferral requests for Spring Semester Leaves are due no later than October 1.

Deferrals may be considered by completing this form: Click here to access the Sabbatical/DIP Leave Deferral application.

A: Please see below for how to apply for a DIP Leave in this scenario:

• Please inform your dean of your interest and which semester (or AY).
• Ask the dean to reply with their decision in writing (either way) and copy Faculty Affairs (faculty.affairs@csun.edu).
• Faculty Affairs will then review the request, and will let you know the final decision.

As a reminder, this is how your salary would be calculated on a DIP Leave:

How this is calculated:

• DIP - Normal Monthly Salary minus Minimum of Rank 2, Instructor, AY Salary (which is currently $5,507 as shown on the most recent salary schedule (2024)) equals Monthly Salary on DIP Leave.

A: Welcome back! You will need to write and submit a Sabbatical Leave Report. Faculty members granted leaves with pay shall, within 90 days after return to service, submit a written report of their leave activities to the Department Chair and the Dean of the College for inclusion in their Personnel Action Files (PAF). Failure to submit a report may call into question future eligibility for a sabbatical. You do not need to send the report to Faculty Affairs, but please feel free to contact us with questions.

A: Please use regular font size/margins. As this is turned in to your Department Chair and the Dean of the College for inclusion in your Personnel Action File (PAF), please check with your department for specific questions.

A: Yes, per 672.4 Leave Report: Faculty members granted leaves with pay will, within 90 days after return to service, submit a written report of their leave activities to the Department Chair and the Dean of the College for inclusion in their Personnel Action Files. 

If you have questions regarding sabbatical/DIP leaves, click here to contact the Office of Faculty Affairs or call 818-677-3280 (x3280).

We hope you find your sabbatical leave to be fulfilling, enriching, and productive!