The aim of this page is to explain the rules underlying the department's course release policy, and to provide examples to help you figure out your entitlement.
The fundamental principle is that each quarter of leave entitles a faculty member to 1.33 courses of teaching relief. This figure arrives simply: four courses of teaching owed divided by a three-quarter academic year.1
The Calculation: Rounding and Carry-Forward
Because faculty teach whole courses, we must account for the remainder of that division through a system of rounding and balance carry-forward, with the intention being to ensure consistency and fairness over the long term.
For any given leave, your course relief is calculated by taking your total leave credit (1.33 times the number of quarters, plus any existing balance) and rounding to the nearest whole number. The remainder, which can be a positive credit or a negative debit, is then carried forward and applied to your next leave period.
This system ensures that, over time, the rate of four courses of relief per three quarters of leave is respected.
Example Scenarios
Here is an example of three subsequent sabbatical leaves for an example faculty member.
First Leave: One Quarter
- Starting Balance: 0 credits.
- Calculation: 1.33 course releases.
- Courses Off: This rounds down to one course off.
- Balance Carried Forward: +.33 course credit.
Second Leave: One Quarter
- Starting Balance: +.33 credit from the previous leave.
- Calculation: 1.33 (for the new leave) + 0.33 (banked credit) = 1.66 courses.
- Courses Off: This rounds up to two courses off.
- Balance Carried Forward: -.33 course debit (since 1.66 was rounded up to 2).2
Third Leave: Two Quarters
- Starting Balance: -.33 debit from the previous leave.
- Calculation for new leave: 2 quarters * 1.33 = 2.66 courses.
- Total Entitlement: 2.66 (new leave) - 0.33 (banked debit) = 2.33 courses.
- Courses Off: This rounds down to two courses off.
- Balance Carried Forward: +.33 course credit.
How Different Statuses Affect Your Balance
It is important to note how different types of leave interact with this course relief policy. As might have been suggested on the Sabbaticals and Leaves page, leaves are not all equal when it comes to course relief.
Leaves which Use Your Course Relief Balance
The course relief rule described above applies to standard Sabbaticals and Leave Without Salary (LWOS). Taking course relief for these leaves will reduce your calculated course relief balance as described above.
Statuses with Separate Relief Entitlements
The following statuses provide course relief, but do not affect your banked course relief balance. In most cases, the department receives funding from Academic Affairs to cover the hire of a lecturer.
- Parental Leave: Faculty on parental leave are relieved of the courses they were scheduled to teach for that period. This does not change your course relief balance.
- Active Service-Modified Duties (ASMD): Faculty on ASMD receive one course off. This does not change your course relief balance. On a technical note we'll add that ASMD is not leave per se, but it's releasing you from teaching all the same.
Sabbaticals in Residence
Faculty taking a sabbatical in residence operate under a different arrangement. You are required to teach one course during the sabbatical (and in turn expend less credit to be on sabbatical). In recognition of your continued service, a +0.33 credit will be applied to your course relief balance for future leaves for each quarter you are on an in-residence sabbatical. This is on this basis that if you are on an in-residence sabbatical for a whole academic year, you will have taught three courses, with a remainder of one whole course for which you are due to be relieved – a course we divide by three.
How is All This Tracked?
Course relief balance is tracked by the department. You are always welcome (and encouraged) to check in with Will if you have any questions about your leave balance, course release credit, or wish simply to audit the departmental record.