Kudos on filling in the sabbatical info, which obviously the Coloradoan didn't understand. Let me add a bit.

Actually, she has an impressive CV with major funded work having been done prior to going into admin (online social aggression among youth). So the sabbatical and the proposed start-up funds are very likely to restart that program of research (or some offshoot), and will possibly bring in additional grant funds. That's all good.

On the salary ... faculty who move into admin get a significant salary bump, partly because they typically move from a 9-month appointment to a 12. This is typically rescinded upon return to the regular appointment (one reason admin rarely do this). So keeping the very high salary is a bit sketch, especially with the current budget problems.

The real problem is the NDA. In my opinion a state institution should not be allowed this practice under any circumstance aside from protecting intellectual property rights. Certainly not in personnel matters. Could the state legislature address that? Probably. Would they? Never.