The main purpose of sabbatical leaves with pay is to free full-time research track faculty members from their normal University duties and to make it possible for them to pursue their scholarly interests full-time. Thus, sabbaticals are expected to enable faculty members to acquire additional knowledge and competency in their respective fields, and thereby enhance their value to the University. It should be noted that sabbatical leave is not automatic, and the implementation of the policy in a specific case may be limited by the responsibilities of the participants to meet their obligations.

Sabbatical leaves cannot generally be combined with other types of leaves. Ultimately, sabbatical leaves require the approval of the Dean, the VPAA and the President.