In the context of increased expectations for accountability and growing controversy surrounding sabbatical leave programs, it is important to address seemingly simple questions of who is or should be awarded a sabbatical and what the rationale is for the award. The study attempted to offer some insight on these issues by examining the factors that related to faculty participation in sabbatical leave programs using the 1999 and 2004 NSOPF data sets. More specifically, the study examined how faculty members' selected demographic characteristics, their career position, and research productivity were related to the likelihood of their participation in sabbaticals. The results of this study seem to indicate that sabbaticals are employed more as a reward for past performance, service, and scholarly achievement rather than as a developmental strategy to help faculty improve. (Contains 3 tables.)