III. THE STANDING FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
G. FACULTY LEAVES OF ABSENCE
There are three general types of leaves of absence available to the faculty: scholarly leave, leave for employment elsewhere, and child care leave. All require the approval of the department Chair, the Dean, and the Provost. Combinations of these types of leave are possible; however, such arrangements are governed by the principle that no faculty member will be on leave for more than four terms during any six years that include the period of a requested leave without the explicit approval of the Provost, President and Trustees except where child care leave is involved.
- Scholarly Leave
A scholarly leave normally will be granted only to a faculty member whose appointment will continue with the University after the end of the leave and who, at the time of notification of approval for the leave, has not made a commitment inconsistent with return to the University.
A scholarly leave is granted only to a faculty member who has presented an appropriate program of study or research. It is recognized, however, that scholarly leaves for faculty members in the arts and professions can be based upon programs designed to increase professional competence even though these may not normally be interpreted as research programs.
Approval of a scholarly leave is contingent upon adequate fiscal and personnel resources being available to meet instructional assignments and other departmental responsibilities. Exigencies may make it necessary to postpone leaves.
Scholarly leaves may be with or without salary from the university.
(The following sections a. and b. are from the 2006 Handbook, Section II.E.2.)
- Research Leaves for Assistant Professors
(The following sections 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 are from the 2006 Handbook, Section II.E.2.)
- Introduction
The demands of teaching and departmental responsibilities often hinder young faculty members' efforts to find the periods of concentration required to bring their scholarship to distinguished levels. While fellowships and grants provide some junior faculty members with opportunities to focus their energies on their scholarship, these resources are not uniformly available in all disciplines. Moreover, they cannot be forecast with confidence in any discipline; few junior faculty members can plan on the availability of such resources to support their scholarship. We believe that it is essential that all of our promising junior faculty members be given an opportunity to focus attention on their scholarship at some time during their probationary period. Moreover, we are convinced that it is important that these faculty members know from the time they join the School of Arts and Sciences that this opportunity will be made available.
The program we have developed is intended to guarantee that each assistant professor will receive, during the first five years of his or her appointment here, the equivalent of complete relief from teaching responsibilities for one semester. We anticipate that many junior faculty members will not need to seek support from this program. The program will, however, assure all promising junior faculty members that they can expect a period of concentrated scholarship prior to the end of their probationary period.
- Description
The School of Arts and Sciences may provide support, in the form of relief from teaching responsibilities, to Assistant Professors who have been reappointed in that rank. This support will normally be one semester of relief (or equivalent) from teaching for any junior faculty member who has not previously been able to devote extensive time to his or her scholarship. Junior faculty members who have or have had support available from fellowships or grants may receive additional teaching relief for up to one semester (or equivalent). In no case, however, may a Research Leave be used to extend the total period a junior faculty member is free from teaching for more than one full year (or equivalent) during the first five years of his or her appointment. Research Leaves may be taken at any time between the beginning of the fourth year and the end of the fifth year of full-time service at the rank of Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania.
- Procedure
Assistant Professors who have been formally reappointed for a multi-year term after an initial appointment may apply to the School of Arts and Sciences for support for a Research Leave (SAS Form 99-23). An Assistant Professor who expects to request a Research Leave should discuss his or her plans with the department Chair well in advance of the formal application deadline. The application for support for a Research Leave for an Assistant Professor must be presented to the Chair no later than one full semester before the beginning of requested leave (by January 15 for leaves in the fall semester and by September 1 for leaves in the spring semester). The application should indicate the extent of the relief time requested and the specific work to be undertaken during the leave period. The endorsement of the Chair should indicate the extent of any previous teaching reliefs provided to the candidate and outline the department's plans to meet its teaching commitments during the period of requested leave.
- Leaves for Employment Elsewhere
A leave of absence may be granted to a faculty member who wishes to accept a temporary post at another university, in governmental service, or in a private institution, agency, industry or firm. Such leaves are granted only when clear benefits in terms of scholarly opportunity or professional development derive from the leave and support the activities of the University. They are granted only when the personnel resources of the University are adequate to maintain the programs with which the faculty member is concerned in his or her absence.
Normally a leave of absence for employment elsewhere will be for a period of one year. If there is sufficient justification, a second year of leave may be approved. A leave of absence for employment elsewhere will never be extended beyond two years with the single exception of leave to accept a Presidential appointment to a high-level position in the federal government. In this one case, leave may be extended for a period as long as four years. The appointment of a faculty member who does not return to his or her duties at the University at the end of leave for employment elsewhere will be terminated as of the end of the leave period.
Normally the University does not contribute toward the salary or benefits of a faculty member on leave for employment elsewhere. Frequently employers will provide their own benefits plan to the faculty member or will reimburse the University in order to maintain University benefits coverage for the individual in question. However, the University urges the faculty member to retain appropriate benefits coverage while on leave and to make any necessary arrangements with the Office of Human Resources prior to the leave period.
- Reduction in Duties (revised February 24, 2006)
Members of the standing faculty, the research faculty and Academic Clinicians may request a reduction in duties for a period not to exceed six years. Such a reduction is granted only for whole years and requires Trustee approval. It will be granted for good and sufficient reason such as serious illness or injury, child care, elder care or service to the community. [Faculty anticipating a move to emeritus status and seeking a reduction in duties should refer to Section II.E.9.] Typically, a reduction in duties does not exceed 50% of full duties. Reduction in duties is always accompanied by a proportional reduction in salary and in those benefits, such as life insurance and retirement contributions, that are salary-based.
For untenured members of the standing faculty on the tenure track, assistant professors on the clinician-educator track, and assistant professors on the research track, one year is removed from the appropriate probationary period for each two years granted with 50% reduced duties. For faculty with a normal seven-year (ten-year) probationary period, the total probationary period including time spent at reduced duties for child care cannot exceed ten years (thirteen years). Faculty members who wish to devote full time to child care should consider requesting personal leave as described under the heading "Other Leaves."
- Other Leaves
Occasions may arise when faculty members may wish, or be forced, to request leaves of absence for purposes other than child care, scholarly study or employment elsewhere. The University will endeavor to be as generous as possible in granting these requests when they are compatible with the best interests of the faculty members, the students, and the University. If such a leave is granted to a member of the Standing Faculty on a term appointment, this leave will be counted as part of the time accumulated toward tenure unless expressly provided otherwise in the formal action approving the leave. Additional information on leave is included in the University of Pennsylvania's Personnel Policy Manual.
- Application for Leave of Absence (SAS Form 99-22) (SAS Form 99-23 is used for research leaves for assistant professors--see Section 2.)
The Application for Leave of Absence form must be fully completed by the faculty member requesting the leave and approved by the department Chair. A letter from the faculty member requesting leave to the department Chair with justification for the leave must be attached. If a leave replacement is required, the department Chair should indicate the amount needed and the courses to be covered together with the number of students enrolled when the course was last offered.
The request for leave will be presented to the Provost's Staff Conference for action.
- Inactive Status
Special arrangements whereby faculty members are released from academic duties for periods of time shorter than a single semester are not called leaves. Such arrangements require the approval of the Dean only; they do not involve the University benefits pool
- Resignation While on Leave
If a faculty member while on leave accepts an appointment to another institution, it is the custom among institutions of higher learning for the new institution to reimburse the former institution for sums paid to the faculty member, or on his or her behalf, from University funds during the period of the leave. The University of Pennsylvania generally observes this practice in its own appointment procedures, and it expects that faculty members who resign from the University while on leave will cooperate in seeking such reimbursement for the University from their new institutions.
- Faculty Parental Policy: Active Service Modified Duties (from the 2006 Handbook, Section II.E.4. revised February 24, 2006)
The arrival of a new child into a family, either at the time of birth or adoption, typically requires that one parent devote substantial time to child care duties, often of such a nature that the duties cannot be delegated to another adult. The assumption of these substantial child care duties often is incompatible with the time required by a full time faculty member’s University obligations. In recognition of this, a member of the standing faculty who is the primary caregiver of a child newly arrived in his/her home is entitled, without reduction in pay, to a reduction in teaching duties amounting to a 50% reduction in a given academic year. Depending on how teaching duties are assigned in the faculty member’s school, this may or may not correspond to a semester without teaching duties. The period without teaching duties will commence within six months of the baby’s birth or the child’s arrival in the home. The date of the birth or adoption and the faculty member’s teaching schedule will determine the appropriate timing for the relief from teaching. The faculty member is expected to notify the department chair and/or Dean in writing of his/her preferred teaching schedule at an early date so that appropriate arrangements can be made to cover his/her teaching. This relief from teaching duties is not a leave of absence. Outside the period of incapacity due to childbirth or FMLA leave taken, and as compatible with the particular situation, the faculty member will be expected to meet his/her other normal departmental and University responsibilities, including research, committee membership, and advising. The preceding sentence does not authorize assignment of additional such duties to compensate for the reduction in teaching duties.
Where both parents are faculty members at the University, only one parent is entitled to the 50% reduction in teaching duties. If the parents wish to share the reduction in teaching duties, a pro-rated reduction is permitted where the parents’ home departments can accommodate such a request.
A faculty member who gives birth normally is entitled to eight weeks’ paid time off, or longer if her physician certifies a longer period, under the University’s sick leave / short term disability policies. Those seeking a longer period relieved from teaching or who wish relief from all other duties should consider whether they qualify under Section II.E.4 or should apply for a child care leave.
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School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania
Last Modified: Tuesday, 05-Aug-2008 15:47:17 EDT