What Counts as a Sabbatical? Common Sabbatical Activities Explained
When you ask colleagues what they did on sabbatical, you’ll quickly notice no two answers are alike. One person might have traveled across the world to collect data; another stayed home to write a book; another spent time retraining in a new method. Sabbatical activities are designed to give faculty the time and space to step away from regular duties, but many academics wonder: what counts as a sabbatical activity?
The short answer: it depends on your institution’s faculty sabbatical policies. Still, there are some common sabbatical activities that tend to show up across the board.
Common Types of Sabbatical Activities
While no two sabbaticals look exactly alike, most modern academic sabbaticals include some combination of research, creative work, professional growth, or collaboration. The categories below are the most common ways faculty structure their sabbatical time — but remember, your plan should reflect your goals, priorities, and institution’s expectations.
Research and Writing
This is the core of most academic sabbaticals, but it can take many forms. Some faculty use the time to finish lingering projects — revising articles, submitting (or resubmitting) manuscripts, or drafting book chapters. Others embark on big new projects that require deep focus, such as collecting data in the field, developing a book proposal, or simply carving out quiet space to write without interruption.
Creative or Practice-Based Projects
For colleagues in the arts, design, or performance, sabbaticals often focus on creative output. That might mean staging a performance or developing a design portfolio. These projects are just as valid as research-heavy ones and often count directly toward professional trajectory and institutional expectations.
Professional Development
Sabbaticals can also be about sharpening your skills. Maybe you want to learn a new method, retrain in an emerging field, or spend time with colleagues whose expertise will broaden your own. Professional development might include experimenting with statistical software or new teaching technologies, or even training on AI tools. Sometimes professional development also overlaps with teaching renewal — for example, redesigning a curriculum or developing innovative classroom approaches.
Collaborations
Stepping away from regular duties often creates space for collaborations that otherwise wouldn’t be possible. Sabbatical time can allow you to spend several weeks working with a colleague at another institution or co-develop a project that benefits from in-person interaction. Travel may or may not be part of this, but many collaborative sabbaticals (especially visiting scholar positions) involve periods of residency elsewhere.
Other Key Considerations for Sabbatical Activities
While planning the specific activities for your sabbatical is important, there are a few additional considerations that can make your leave more productive and meaningful. These go beyond research or creative output and touch on aspects like travel, personal renewal, and understanding what doesn’t count toward your sabbatical. Paying attention to these elements can help you make the most of your time away from regular duties.
Renewal, Reflection, and Grounding
No matter what your sabbatical activities are, renewal should be part of the plan. The most effective sabbaticals aren’t filled with scholarly output; they create room for rest, reflection, and intellectual reset. This is especially important if you’re navigating academic burnout, which can commonly creep up mid-career in academia.
One aspect I emphasize in my coaching is taking a moment at the start to consider: Who are you now as a scholar, and what do you most need from this time? That grounding – understanding your current identity and priorities – helps you decide what truly counts for you and shapes the rest of your sabbatical plan.
Travel (Sometimes, but Not Always)
Travel often gets bundled into sabbatical plans, but it’s not a required part of sabbatical. For some, it’s essential: fieldwork, archives, or working alongside collaborators in a specific location. For others, it’s about creating space and inspiration to write. Academic sabbatical travel is a valid part of the academic sabbatical, but it should be purposeful – connected to your scholarship, teaching, and/or professional or personal growth.
What Usually Doesn’t Count as Sabbatical Activities
Academic sabbatical is not the same as vacation. Time away may feel restorative, and you of course can (and I’d argue, should) take some vacations during your sabbatical! But an academic sabbatical isn’t six months of pure leisure.
Similarly, sabbaticals generally don’t include heavy service or administrative duties elsewhere. The point is to step back from your usual workload, not swap it for a different one. That said, if your sabbatical proposal is explicitly framed around something like redesigning a program or developing a new initiative, that can count — but it should be the primary, approved purpose of your leave.
Final Thoughts: What Counts as Sabbatical?
Planning a successful sabbatical starts with understanding your institution’s expectations and thinking broadly about what activities will advance your professional trajectory. Whether your focus is research, creative projects, professional development, or collaboration, it’s important to align your plans with both your goals and your institution’s guidelines.
Finally, don’t forget to build in space for renewal and reflection — the best sabbaticals allow you to step back, recharge, and return with renewed energy. Start with grounding: take a moment to consider your current identity as a scholar and what you most need from this time. That clarity will help you decide what activities truly count and set the stage for a productive and meaningful sabbatical.
If you’re in the early stages of sabbatical planning and want support with designing your sabbatical proposal, grab my free sabbatical proposal guide, below.
