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Faculty Leave Policy

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Regular Leaves of Absence

Junior Leaves of Absence

Special Leaves of Absence

Introduction

Revised Fall 1984

The guidelines and procedures set forth below establish the Faculty Leave Policy that will govern all leaves of absence of the faculty of Emory College. Leaves of absence are defined as periods of not less than one semester and not more than one year during which the faculty member is relieved of teaching and service obligations to the University. Leaves of absence may be granted to regular Emory College faculty in order to enable them to devote their full-time efforts to professional development which usually, but not exclusively, results from the pursuit of research and scholarship. Leaves of absence are granted to the Emory College Faculty by the Dean of Emory College on the basis of an application submitted by the individual faculty member and supporting documents submitted by the individual's department. Faculty leaves should benefit Emory University, Emory College, and the individual faculty member. Therefore, the granting of faculty leaves shall depend both upon the needs of the faculty member and the merits of the leave from the point of view of the College and University.

The Faculty Leave Policy refers to three types of faculty leave:

1. Regular Leaves of Absence are leaves granted by the Dean of Emory College that involve compensation of the faculty member by Emory College.
2. Special Leaves of Absence are leaves granted by the Dean of Emory College that involve little or no compensation of the faculty member by Emory College either because the faculty member will receive compensation from non-Emory sources (from another university on visiting appointment or from a fellowship or grant) or because the faculty member chooses for reasons of his or her own to request a leave without pay.
3. Junior Leaves of Absence are leaves granted by the Dean of Emory College to assistant professors following their fourth-year review.
   

Policies regarding each type of leave and procedures for making application for each type of leave are provided below:

1. Regular Leaves of Absence. Faculty members are eligible to apply for Regular Leaves of Absence following each six full-year period of service to Emory College. If approved, Regular Leaves of Absence may be granted for one semester at full salary or for two semesters at one-half salary. Any faculty member who is granted a Regular Leave of Absence is obligated to return to Emory College for one year of service after the leave and to confirm that intention in writing.
   
   Requests for Regular Leaves of Absence should be submitted in writing to the Dean of the College usually by the end of Fall Semester preceding the year for which the leave will be requested. The request should include a statement of the purpose of the leave and should list the activities to be carried out over the period of the leave. The request should be accompanied by a letter of support from the department chair. The chair's letter should also indicate how the responsibilities of the individual on leave will be handled as well as specify any anticipated costs associated with the leave that cannot be absorbed by the department.
   
   It should be understood that applicants for Regular Leaves of Absence should attempt to obtain outside funding for their leaves. Furthermore, departments supporting a Regular Leave of Absence must make reasonable efforts to absorb the responsibilities of the individual on leave without added cost to Emory College. When necessary, however, the Dean of Emory College will attempt to provide financial support to departments for approved Regular Leaves of Absence, though such support cannot be guaranteed.
   
   
2. Junior Leaves of Absence. All assistant professors who are recommended for, and granted, reappointment after the fourth-year review are eligible for a one-semester leave of absence at full pay and, under normal circumstances, should be granted such a leave prior to the fall semester of their sixth-year. Faculty recommended for termination are not eligible for a Junior Leave of Absence.
   
   When an eligible faculty member does not wish to request a junior research leave or the department does not support such a request, an explanation must be submitted by the department in writing to the Dean of Emory College. Time spent on a Junior Leave of Absence will count toward eligibility for a Regular Leave of Absence.
   
   Requests for Junior Leaves of Absence should be submitted in writing to the Dean of Emory College usually by the end of Fall Semester. The request should include a statement of the purpose of the leave and describe the activities that will occur over the semester in which the leave occurs. The request should be accompanied by a letter of support from the department which states how the responsibilities of the individual on leave will be handled by the department and which identifies all costs associated with the leave that the department cannot absorb.
   
   Departments that support Junior Leaves of Absence should make reasonable efforts to absorb the responsibilities of the individual on leave without additional cost to Emory College. When necessary, however, the Dean of Emory College will attempt to provide financial support to departments for approved Junior Leaves of Absence, though such support cannot be guaranteed.
   
   
3. Special Leaves of Absence. Special Leaves of Absence are funded by outside sources. Such leaves should be evaluated and approved by the departments and the Dean of the College prior to submission of the granting agency. There are no length of service eligibility requirements for Special Leaves of Absence. However, time spent on Special Leaves of Absence will not count toward the six years of accumulated eligibility for Regular Leaves of Absence.
   The proposal which is to be submitted to the outside granting agency should be attached to any request for Special Leaves of Absence submitted to the Dean of Emory College. The request should include, in addition, a statement of support from the department chair which indicates how the responsibilities of the individual on leave will be handled and which identifies all costs associated with the leave that the department cannot absorb.

With regard to Departmental Leave Policies, all Emory College departments must develop and place on file in the Dean's Office a statement that details the procedures to be followed within that department in regard to recommendation of all three types of leaves of absence and indicating how the department shall determine decisions concerning leave recommendations. The departmental policy statement shall be distributed to all regular faculty within that department.

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