Purpose

The purpose of sabbatical leave at Northland College is to strengthen the institution in the areas of scholarship, leadership, and instruction by contributing to the continued academic and intellectual growth of faculty members. To achieve these complementary objectives, faculty members are provided release time from instructional and administrative duties for stated periods of time, if the budget allows, and sometimes a supplemental award for expenses. Faculty members granted sabbatical leave must use this time to advance their professional effectiveness either through intensive exploration in their disciplines or through developing their teaching techniques.

Eligibility

Faculty members must have at least seven years of full-­time teaching experience at Northland College, including previous teaching experience applied to tenure (if noted in their initial contract), and an established record of excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service at Northland. In the event sabbatical funding is available, the dean of the faculty sends the application procedure and deadlines to all eligible faculty by the seventh of September. Faculty members are encouraged to apply for sabbatical leaves as soon as they are eligible. However, it may be impossible for the College to grant as many sabbaticals as there are applicants. Deadlines for sabbatical leave application are for the seventh of October (forwarded to the department chair) and the fifteenth of October (forwarded to the dean of the faculty). Awarding of a sabbatical leave is determined by the Development and Promotion Committee. The dean of the faculty notifies the applicants of the sabbatical leave decision by the fifteenth of November.

When the dean of the faculty has additional funds, he or she may at his or her discretion, extend eligibility to faculty members with fewer than seven years of full-­time teaching experience at the College.

Types of Sabbatical Leaves Available

• Full academic-­year leave at one-­half of base pay.
• Fall semester leave at full pay.
• Winter semester leave at full pay.
• Winter semester and May leave at full pay for winter semester and one-­half pay for May.
• Release time equivalent to one to three courses over a full academic year at full pay.

For all sabbatical leaves, fringe benefits are continuous and retirement benefits are calculated on the faculty member’s base salary.

Supplemental Awards

Contingent on the availability of funds designated for sabbaticals, individual faculty members may receive supplemental awards to support expenses such as research supplies and travel.

Evaluation Criteria for Sabbatical Leave Proposals

Sabbatical leave proposals are competitive and will be judged and approved dependent on how effectively the proposal demonstrates the following:

1. relevance to the faculty member’s teaching and/or scholarly agenda;
2. potential for meaningful contributions to the faculty member’s professional growth as a teacher and scholar;
3. consistency with the College’s mission.

Guidelines for Proposals

Proposals should be professional in presentation and should describe:

• the type of sabbatical leave requested;
• the proposed sabbatical project(s) and activities;
• the relevance of the project and activities to the applicant’s teaching and/or scholarly agenda;
• how the project will contribute to the applicant’s professional growth;
• ways in which the project is consistent with the College’s mission;
• expected, measurable outcomes of the project and how they will be assessed;
• plans for dissemination of the project’s outcomes;
• the courses and professional responsibilities (e.g. advising, committee appointments, etc.) that will need to be covered during the applicant’s leave;
• all requests for a supplemental award, if applicable.

Application Process and Timeline

1. By October 7 of the academic year prior to the year in which the leave would be granted applicants submit proposals to their department chair for approval;
2. By October 15, department chairs submit approved proposals to Office of Academic Affairs who will forward them to the Faculty Development and Promotion Committee for review.
3. By November 1, the Faculty Development and Promotion Committee submits a written recommendation about the proposals to the dean of the faculty. These recommendations will include the Committee’s ranking of all applicants on the basis of the criteria described above. In instances when the Committee determines that the criteria have not been met by a proposal, they may recommend that a sabbatical leave not be granted to the applicant, even if funds are available.
4. By November 15, the dean of the faculty notifies applicants about the status of their proposal and announces publicly the sabbatical leaves that will be granted for the following academic year.

In the event that the dean of the faculty departs from the recommendations of the Faculty Development and Promotion Committee in awarding sabbaticals, the dean shall inform the committee in writing of the rationales for this departure.

Expectations and Obligations for Sabbatical Leave Recipients

• Recipients may not engage in full-­time, paid employment during the period of a sabbatical leave, but supplemental fellowships, grants, and assistantships are permissible.
• Upon completion of a sabbatical leave, faculty members are expected to submit a written report detailing the activities and outcomes of the sabbatical to dean.
• In the semester following a faculty member’s sabbatical leave, he or she is expected make a presentation to the campus or to disseminate results of the sabbatical in another appropriate form.
• Recipients are obligated to provide at least one year of full-­time service to the College after completing a sabbatical leave, unless the individual is excused from this obligation by the president of the College.

2025–2026

Emily Macgillivray, Assistant Professor of Native American Studies
Fall Term; Emily plans to pursue her professional interests focused on researching treaties in the United States and Canada, as well as the history of place on Whitefish Lake, Ontario. Emily plans on publishing the outcomes of her research in both academic and non-academic venues.

Brian Tochterman, Associate Professor of Sustainable Community Development
Winter and May Term; Brian plans to focus on his book project tentatively titled “Planned Obsolescence: The Many Remakings of Minneapolis’ Industry Square.”

2024–2025

Tim Ziegenhagen, Professor of English
Fall Term; Tim will pursue his professional interests to complete his stories and market them as a short collection to publishers and magazines.

2023–2024

Kevin Zak, Associate Professor of Teacher Education
Winter Term 2023–24; to research and develop two projects: the international student teaching program development at the University of Glasgow – Dumfries, in addition to international student teaching opportunities in New Zealand and a student teaching program development at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, Minnesota.

Elizabeth Andre, Associate Professor of Outdoor Education
Reduction in courses for fall and spring 2023–2024; to complete a video and audio-based course project with The Great Courses to be produced in collaboration with the company Audible. The proposed course content is based on the content Elizabeth covers in her OED 472: Accident Theory & Risk Management.

Sarah Johnson, Associate Professor of Natural Resources
Winter 2023–2024; to convert existing work into publications, begin new work in Isle Royale National Park and the Apostle Islands.

2021–2022

Erik Olson, Associate Professor of Natural Resources
Winter Term 2021 [Deferred from winter 2020]; to synthesize the results of eight years of field research, write manuscripts, write grant applications, and gain professional expertise.

2020–2021

Cynthia Belmont, Professor of English
Winter Term 2020; to complete chapbook of poetry, make progress on a book of environmental micro-essays/prose poems, and attend the Associated Writing Programs conference.

Kevin Schanning, Professor of Sociology
Fall Term 2020 and May Term 2021 [Deferred from fall 2019 and May 2020]; to research minority and first-generation college student and the barriers to their success.

Angela Stroud, Associate Professor of Sociology and Social Justice
Winter Term 2020 [Deferred from winter 2019]; to complete a journal-length article on justifiable homicides and gun violence in Wisconsin. Work on a future book-length project: a qualitative study of disaster preparedness.

2019–2020

Scott Grinnell, Professor of Physics
Full academic year 2019–20; to serve as the director of sustainability

Tim Doyle, Associate Professor of Philosophy
Fall Term 2019; to finish the manuscript for his book on science denialism.

Brian Tochterman, Associate Professor of Sustainable Community Development
Winter and May Term 2020; to commence work on a second research monograph related to design and planning around professional sport in the 1960s and 1970s.

2018–2019

Paula Spaeth Anich, Associate Professor of Biology and Natural Resources
Fall Term 2018; to (1) synthesize the results of seven years of fieldwork on small mammals of northern Wisconsin; (2) complete a manuscript for publication with Northland students as co-authors; and (3) familiarize herself with the current research techniques in the fields of mammalogy, wildlife biology, and ecology, to inform her teaching in these subjects.

Paul Schue, Professor of History
Winter Term 2019; to continue working on his manuscript, tentatively titled, The Ego and The Envelope: A History of the Mind-Body Split from Plato to Robocop, toward submission to publishers at the end of the sabbatical.

Jason Terry, Professor of Art
Winter and May Term 2019; to extend studio time and research with the plan to exhibit the results of his sabbatical in Dexter Library and other exhibition opportunities.

2017–2018

Michele Small, Professor of English and Modern Languages
Winter and May Term 2018; to create an anthology of short stories on the theme of “Nature and Gender in the Latin American and Caribbean Short Story.”

Nicholas Robertson, Associate Professor of Chemistry
Total of three course reductions during fall and winter terms; to continue research and work centered on sustainable plastics, through a project grant from the National Science Foundation, or to submit additional grant proposals to fund new directions of student-faculty collaborative research at Northland.

2016–2017

Elizabeth Andre, Assistant Professor of Outdoor Education
Full academic year 2016–17; to develop expertise in adaptive recreation, gain advanced certification in technical skills, and gain more experiences as a professional field instructor.

Erica Hannickel, Associate Professor of Environmental History
Fall and May Term 2016–17; to focus on researching sources and writing chapters for new her book.

2015–2016

Cynthia Belmont, Associate Professor of English
Fall Term 2015–16; to complete and submit three scholarly papers of ecofeminist criticism.

Derek Ogle, Professor of Mathematical Sciences and Natural Resources
Fall Term 2015–16 (Ogle was granted an extension because he was unable to take his 2014–15 sabbatical in entirety, due to difficulties finding a replacement for his fall course.); to complete his book titled, Introductory Fisheries Analysis in R, along with an R package and website to support the book.

2014–2015

Derek Ogle, Professor of Mathematical Sciences and Natural Resources
Full academic year 2014–15 (Ogle was unable to take his sabbatical in entirety due to difficulties finding a replacement for his fall course. He was granted an extension in 2015–2016.); to complete his book titled, Introductory Fisheries Analysis in R, along with an R package and website to support the book.

Timothy Ziegenhagen, Associate Professor of English and Writing
Fall term 2014–15; to develop two conference papers titled “Mary Shelley, Celebrity, and the Monster,” and “John Clare’s Polyculture” into full-length scholarly articles, and submit those essays to The Wordsworth Circle and the John Clare Society Journal.

2013–2014

Susan (Annette) Nelson, Associate Professor of Teacher Education
Fall Term 2013–14; to attend and acquire the training necessary to meet the legislative requirements for our pre-service teachers.

Cindy Dillenschneider, Professor of Outdoor Education
Full academic year 2013–14; to take classes to improve knowledge, credentials, and teaching in the areas of universal design, assistive technology, and adaptive design, in order to re-work curricula and experiential learning opportunities for Northland students.

2012–2013

Joseph Damrell, Professor of Sociology & Social Justice, Native American Studies, and Writing
Fall Term 2012; to further develop and complete three works of fiction

Andy Goyke, Professor of Biology & Natural Resources
Winter Term 2013; to update taxonomical keys focused on aquatic animals of the North Central States

Young Kim, Professor of Mathematics & Computer Sciences
Winter Term 2013 [deferred from fall 2011]; to develop a new course focused on computational biology

2011–2012

Anthony Kern, Associate Professor of Biology
Full academic year 2011–12; to pursue genetics research focused on wild rice and hazelnuts

Young Kim, Professor of Mathematics and Computer Sciences
Fall Term 2011 [Deferred to winter 2012–13 because of staffing needs]; to develop a new course focused on computational biology

Kevin Schanning, Professor Sociology and Social Justice
Full academic year 2011–12; to prepare papers focused on culturally specific sexual education and on social carrying capacity

2010–2011

Scott Grinnell, Associate Professor of Physics
Full academic year 2010–11; to write a textbook to support the course, Energy & Design for a Sustainable Future

Paul Schue, Associate Professor of History
Fall Term 2010; to research and compose chapters for a book focused on French intellectuals’ responses to the Spanish Civil War between 1936–1939

Jason Terry, Associate Professor of Art
Fall Term 2010; to prepare a manual of processes used in printmaking classes at Northland, to prepare a health and safety document for printmaking classes, and to focus on personal creative works

2009–2010

Cynthia Belmont, Associate Professor of English
Fall Term 2009

Derek Ogle, Associate Professor of Mathematics
Full academic year 2009–10

James Paruk, Associate Professor of Biology
Fall Term 2009

2008–2009

Leslie Alldritt, Professor of Religion and Philosophy
Winter and spring term 2009

Wendy Gorman, Professor of Biology
Winter Term 2009

Jim Meeker
Winter and spring term 2009

2007–2008

Clayton Russell, Associate Professor of Outdoor Education
Winter and spring term 2008; to redesign OED248 Wilderness Writers and Philosophers

Joseph Damrell, Professor of Sociology
Winter Term 2008; to complete a research project on cultural dexterity

Tim Ziegenhagen, Associate Professor of English
Full academic year 2007–08; to undertake a comprehensive revision of a full-length draft of a novel and begin the process of submitting it to publishers

2006–2007

Gus Smith, Associate Professor of Biology and Natural Resources
Fall Term 2006; to complete data entry and analysis and begin writing a manuscript from a study of meadow vole population dynamics conducted during 1993 and 1994 when he was a doctoral student

Kevin Schanning, Associate Professor of Sociology
Winter Term 2007; to work on two papers stemming from his work on the State of the Wolf Project and develop a spring travel course in Costa Rica

Tom Fitz, Associate Professor of Geoscience
Winter and spring term 2007; to develop skills and curricula for incorporating GIS into geoscience courses and complete a textbook on minerals and rocks

2005–2006

Cynthia Belmont, Associate Professor of English
Fall Term 2005; to continue working on book of poetry and seek its publication

Cindy Dillenschneider, Professor of Outdoor Education
Full academic year 2005–06; to design and develop adaptive paddling equipment

Tony Kern, Assistant Professor of Biology
Winter Term 2006; to design and develop a new course using the “cutting-edge tools of molecular biology to answer questions related to the conservation of endangered or threatened species”

Dorothy Lagerroos, Professor of Environmental Studies and Government
Winter and spring term 2006; to work with EcoLeague faculty to develop educational objectives for the consortium

2004–2005

Derek Ogle, Associate Professor of Mathematics
Full academic year 2004–05; to re-enroll in the School of Statistics at the University of Minnesota to complete his masters of science degree in statistics.

Andy Goyke, Professor of Biology
Winter Term 2005 (did not take during winter 2004 due to staff shortage); to focus on curriculum development and course improvement. Primarily to organize the content of the aquatics portion of the biology curriculum to form a comprehensive series of experiences designed to allow students to gain the ability to function as competent aquatic science professionals.

2003–2004

Bob Wilson, Professor of Physics and Meteorology
Spring term 2004 (requested three consecutive spring terms); to construct a unique web page for the meteorology program integrating high quality graphics and unusual approaches to page design and to development an internet delivered course in PHY 104 Introduction to Astronomy.

Andy Goyke, Professor of Biology
Winter Term 2004; to focus on curriculum development and course improvement. Primarily to organize the content of the aquatics portion of the biology curriculum to form a comprehensive series of experiences designed to allow students to gain the ability to function as competent aquatic science professionals.

2002–2003

Joseph Damrell, Professor of Sociology & Native American Studies
Fall Term 2002; to complete the writing phase of a project that represents the culmination of his Native American research and his career as an ethnographer

Jim Meeker, Associate Professor of Natural Resources & Biology
Full academic year 2002–03; to summarize Northland College’s conservation and restoration projects for the purpose of showing these success stories to agencies and organizations and to increase his understanding of natural area conservation and ecology both in and out of this region for the purpose of enhancing his teaching and scholarship.

2001–2002

J. Paul O’Keefe, Professor of History
Fall Term 2001; to continue research and writing on “American Perceptions of the Papacy in the Nineteenth Century”

Patricia Clow, Professor of Education
2/7 release time for Fall Term 2001; to investigate web-based courses at Northland College and other institutions and design a web-based EDU 480 Supervision of Student Teachers.

Dorothy Lagerroos, Professor of Government
1/7 release time for spring term 2002; to complete the book about sustainability and developing a curriculum guide for teaching sustainability.

Young Kim, Professor of Mathematics & Computer Science
Fall Term 2001; to continue to pursue graduate study leading to the doctor of philosophy degree at Columbia University.

2000–2001

Grant Herman, Coordinator of Environmental Programs & Associate Professor of Outdoor Education
Full academic year 2000–01;  to produce a text and compact disc for possible publication regarding the North American Fur Trade and its relevance to understanding place as a function of economic, cultural and bio-regional natural history

Paul Hubinsky, Professor of Art
Fall Term 2000; to complete approximately twenty paintings of medium/large size conveying Millennium views of select American wilderness scenes executed in a “Luminist” mode. Supplementary activities are included, culminating in a one-man show held throughout the month of May 2001 at Northland College.

Joseph David Damrell, Professor Sociology & Native American Studies
Fall Term 2000; to complete a book which he was currently working on by the end of the proposed leave period. His book is a sociological ethnography emphasizing two aspects of Native America that are seldom investigated simultaneously: Native American religion and the social organization and structure of reservation life.

1999–2000

Richard Verch, Professor of Biology
Fall Term 1999; to rewrite several chapters of a book he authored a number of years ago call Chequamegon Bay Birds.

Dorothy Lagerroos, Professor of Government
Full academic year 1999–00; to write a book about sustainability and develop a curriculum guide for teaching sustainability.

Cindy Dillenschneider, Associate Professor of Outdoor Education
Fall Term 1999; to spend the time renewing and expanding her knowledge of the profession of outdoor education.

1998–1999

Michael Piechowski, Professor of Psychology and Education
Release time for 1998–99 to write a book on emotional development with special emphasis on gifted and creative children and adults.

Les Alldritt, Associate Professor of Religion and Philosophy
Winter Term 1999; to focus on the burakumin of Japan and the role religion has played in fomenting the oppression that has historically and contemporaneously been imposed upon these peoples and the possible role religion may play in their greater liberation. This project will significantly contribute to my professional goal of increasing the quality and quantity of my publications.

Bruce Goetz, Professor of Geoscience
Fall Term 1998; to pursue course work in geographic information systems with the possible addition of course work in watershed hydrology

Kent Shifferd, Professor of History
Fall Term 1998; to research and begin writing a book tentatively titled The History of Peace.

The Application for Course Reduction (ACR) is intended to provide faculty a temporary reduction in teaching responsibilities to pursue scholarship, creative work, curricular development, or innovative service beyond the normal scope of the faculty member’s expected workload.

Completion of this application is not required for course releases that are outlined in the Faculty Handbook for service as department chair or faculty council president, nor is it required for course releases awarded for sabbaticals, granted through professorships, or requested for family or medical leave.

Course reductions are not guaranteed and are at the discretion of the dean of the faculty, following consultation with the appropriate department chair.

Objectives of the ACR Process

• To provide a transparent mechanism for faculty members to request reductions in their teaching loads that will allow them to pursue scholarship, creative work, curricular development, or innovative service beyond the normal scope of their expected workload.
• To ensure that course releases are granted in accordance with established criteria for such reductions in teaching responsibilities.
• To collect data to identify departments or programs that lack resources to provide opportunities for course releases.

Criteria for Assessing ACRs

When evaluating an ACR, the program coordinator(s) should consider the following:

• Does the application provide a clear rationale for the requested reduction?
• Does the proposed course reduction impact the course delivery needs of the program?

When evaluating an ACR, the department chair and the dean of the faculty should consider the following:

• Does the application provide a clear rationale for the requested course reduction?
• Does the proposed scholarship, creative work, curriculum development, or service merit a reduction in teaching responsibilities; i.e., is it beyond the normal scope of the faculty members existing workload?
• Does the application seem reasonable given the curricular needs of the program and general education program, as well as the needs of the Institution and the goals of the applicant?
• Are resources sufficient to support the proposal?
• How recently or how often has the applicant been granted an ACR? (Individuals are welcome to submit an ACR annually but, other things being equal, preference will be given to faculty members who have not previously or recently received a course release.)

Process for Requesting a Course Reduction

1. Faculty members planning to submit an ACR (Application for Course Reduction) should first consult with their program coordinator(s) to discuss the implications of the potential course release for program course delivery to majors, minors, and the general education program. Faculty who teach across programs must involve all program coordinators whose course staffing would be affected by the proposed course reductions.
2. Fill out the Application for Course Reduction form
3. Submit the ACR to the program coordinator(s).
4. The program coordinator(s) review(s) the ACR to assess how the proposed course reduction would impact the course delivery needs of the program(s). The program coordinator(s) submit(s) the application and their assessment to the department chair.
5. The reviewing department chair considers the application against the assessment criteria listed above. After evaluation, they submit the application and their recommendation to the dean.
6. The dean calls a meeting with the reviewing department chair to discuss all submitted departmental ACRs and to evaluate them against the assessment criteria.
7. The dean will decide whether to accept, deny, or conditionally accept each plan. The decision must include a written rationale from the dean.
8. The ACR and the corresponding written decision of the dean will be held in academic affairs, and a copy will be sent to the faculty member and their department chair.

Due Date for Submitting ACRs

All ACRs should be submitted to program coordinators by September 24. Program coordinators should submit all ACRs to department chairs by October 1. Department chairs should submit all ACRs to the dean of the faculty by October 10. The dean will notify faculty of their decision by November 1. Applications can be considered up to two years in advance of their being applied to give the dean time to secure resources that might be needed to cover awarded course releases.

Decisions on ACRs

Department chairs should advocate for resources in support of faculty flexibility and should ensure that reductions are available in an equitable manner for department members. The dean of the faculty is expected to make fair and judicious decisions regarding each applicant’s ACR. Information on awarded ACRs must be circulated to the faculty by academic affairs by December 1 of the year the ACR was submitted.

Review of the ACR Program

The academic dean is responsible for collecting data and regularly evaluating whether course releases are being distributed equitably across and within Programs. When distribution of course releases is determined not to be equitable, the dean will meet with department chairs and program faculty of identified programs, as well as the Faculty Welfare Committee, to determine potential barriers to the equitable use of this policy. If viable solutions for addressing the inequities are identified, and resources allow, the dean will be responsible for implementing and administering the solution(s).

2024-2025

Erik Olson, Associate Professor of Natural Resources
Erik will help organize and host the Great Lakes Wolf Symposium in October 2024, where he also plans to present his research. Additionally, he will be co-editing a book on wolves of the Great Lakes region.

Jason Terry, Professor of Art
Jason plans to revise his courses to closely align with the learning outcomes for the redesigned art major. Additionally, he will spend his time organizing art supplies, designing and producing the dedication for the etching press, redesigning the faculty honor plaque, and building both squeegee holders and a mobile t-shirt printing press.

2023-2024

Cynthia Belmont, Professor of English
Cynthia plans to accomplish a monograph and seek publishing as a major contribution to ecofeminism/critical animal studies.

Erica Hannickel, Professor of Environmental History
Erica will start designing her next book project and will entail the subject of orchids as a site for studying social justice and the environment or shift to carnivorous plants.

Meghan Salmon-Tumas, Assistant Professor of Climate Science
Meghan will complete the stages of writing and producing an updated Climate Action Plan (CAP) for Northland College that includes intricate data gathering, analysis, and documentation.

Angela Stroud, Associate Professor of Sociology and Social Justice
Angela plans to develop conference papers and publishable academic article manuscripts, as well as continuing to collect new data to further her research.

2021-2022

Cynthia Belmont, Professor of English, Humanities
May term 2022; Complete article on trans ecology and begin one on queer dystopic optimism in the climate change disaster novel Black Wave

2020-2021

Cynthia Belmont, Professor of English, Humanities
May term 2021; Begin article on trans ecology in the novel, Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl

Jennifer Kuklenski, Assistant Professor of Business, Social Responsibility
Fall term 2020; Complete manuscript titled Diversity and Organizational Development: Impacts and Opportunities.

Derek Ogle, Professor of Mathematics and Environmental Sciences, Environmental Sciences
Fall term 2020; Chair AFS, complete a version 1.0.0 of the RFishBC Software, provide script for DNR for analyzing Lakes MI and Superior creel survey

2019-2020

Cynthia Belmont, Professor of English, Humanities
May term 2020; Complete paper on representations of nature in transgender road films

Erica Hannickel, Professor of Environmental History, Nature and Culture
May term 2020; Continue with research and writing book titled America Botanica

Angela Stroud, Professor of Sociology, Social Responsibility
May term 2020, Continue with manuscript co-authoring with Belmont, begin data collection on next major project

2018-2019

Cynthia Belmont, Professor of English, Humanities
May term 2019; Revise and resubmit paper about environmental pornography

Erica Hannickel, Professor of Environmental History, Nature and Culture
May term 2019; Continue research and writing book titled America Botanica

Angela Stroud, Associate Professor of Sociology, Social Responsibility
May term 2019; Work on manuscript co-authoring with Belmont

Tim Ziegenhagen, Professor of English, Humanities
Fall term 2018; Work on final edits and submit completed collection of short fiction, Hello, Arsenic