They provide opportunities for enhancing the quality of teaching, research, and service within the university by allowing faculty members to expand or enhance their skills, abilities, and experiences. Faculty members use the leaves for diverse purposes, such as to develop new research skills and initiatives, to conduct off-site research, to prepare new courses or course material, and to develop new teaching techniques.
Sabbaticals also enhance faculty morale and promote retention of experienced faculty.
As important components of faculty development, sabbaticals serve to promote the mission of the university by renewing and expanding the faculty's array of skills. The sabbatical program promotes the overall scholarly reputation of the university and ultimately enhances the quality and variety of its educational offerings. As a general principle, the university seeks to support sabbaticals for all eligible faculty members who submit acceptable proposals, without taking funds from instructional budgets such as those used for ad hoc instructors or graduate teaching assistants. At the beginning of the academic year or at some other appropriate time, the campus administration will advise departments through the schools and colleges which faculty members are eligible for sabbatical leaves. The material will also contain information about deadlines for application, appropriate form of the proposal, any budgetary restrictions, and so on.