A leave of absence must be requested by a faculty member and approved in advance by the faculty member’s department head and/or other administrator as appropriate. Each request for leave must be in writing and specify the length of the leave period. Leaves of absence normally shall not exceed two years and are normally without university compensation. For more information regarding the University’s policies on leaves of absence, please see UT Policy HR0355 – Leave of Absence.

Department heads should consult with the UTC Office of Human Resources to be sure a requested leave of absence complies with University policy. For more information regarding obtaining leave approvals and the recording of leave, faculty members should contact the UTC Office of Human Resources. Normally, a faculty member on a leave of absence must complete his or her annual Evaluation and Development by Objectives (EDO) process in the appropriate time frame in order to be eligible for a merit pay increase for that year.

6.3.1. Leave Available to All Regular Full-Time Faculty Members

1. Family and Medical Leave

The University provides for family and medical leave for eligible employees, as appropriate, for childbirth, adoption, foster care placement of a child, serious illness of a spouse, child or parent, or the employee’s own serious illness. Family and medical leave requests should be made through the UTC Office of Human Resources. The dean or department head and the Provost will work in consultation with the UTC Office of Human Resources to determine the length of a faculty member’s family and medical leave and any work restrictions associated with such leave. For more information regarding family and medical leave, please see UT Policy HR0338 – Family and Medical Leave.

2. Court Leave

Subject to the terms and requirements of UT Policy HR0315 – Court Leave, a faculty member may be granted leave by his or her department head, without loss of pay, to serve as a witness or on a jury in a court or other legal proceeding. A faculty member must provide to his or her department head a copy of the summons or subpoena for jury or witness duty. Court leave must be approved in advance by the department head. Before approving a request for court leave, the department head shall consult with the UTC Human Resources Director to determine whether approval is in accordance with UT Policy HR0315. If the faculty member’s absence is expected to create undue hardships in the academic department, the faculty member may wish to respond to the summons or subpoena with a letter requesting that he or she be excused until a later time (stating the hardships that would be caused by an extended absence). Should such a request not be granted by the court, the academic department must make arrangements to cover for the faculty member during his or her absence.

3. Funeral and Bereavement Leave

Faculty members may be granted leave with pay for bereavement and/or to attend the funeral of a close relative. Funeral/bereavement leave must be approved in advance by the department head and the UTC Human Resources Director. For information regarding funeral and bereavement leave, please see UT Policy HR0340 – Funeral and Bereavement Leave.

4. Military Leave

Faculty members may be granted leave for military duty with or without pay. For information regarding leave for military duty, please see UT Policy HR0370 – Military Leave.

5. Educational Leave

UTC may grant leave to regular full-time faculty members, with or without pay, to continue their education and/or participate in research, grants, or fellowships. Educational leave for faculty members must be requested in writing and approved in advance by the Provost and the UTC Human Resources Director. Such approval must specify the length of the leave, which normally should not exceed two years. Each request for leave will be evaluated on its own merits and university approval will depend upon the evidence provided as to the enhancement of the faculty member’s value to the University resulting from the leave. Any approved leave extending beyond the current fiscal year is subject to budgetary constraints or funding availability or both. For more information regarding educational leave, please see UT Policy HR0335 – Educational Leave.

6. Personal Leave

A regular full-time faculty member may request leave without pay for personal reasons by making a request in writing to his or her department head. Personal leave is approved or disapproved on an individual basis and predicated on departmental needs and requirements. During a personal leave, the faculty member is always in a leave without pay status.

7. Holidays

The University recognizes the holidays identified under UT Policy HR0350 – Holidays. When a recognized holiday falls on Saturday, it shall be observed on the preceding Friday. When a recognized holiday falls on Sunday, it shall be observed on the following Monday. All regular full-time faculty member employees, as defined under UT Policy HR0105 – Employment Status, qualify for compensation for recognized holidays. More information regarding designated holidays and associated compensation matters can be found under UT Policy HR0350 – Holidays.

6.3.2. Additional Benefits and Leave for Faculty Members on Nine-Month Appointments

1. Annual/Vacation Leave

Faculty members employed on regular full-time academic year (nine-month) appointments do not accrue annual leave under UT Policy HR0305 – Annual Leave (Vacation). However, subject to any Summer semester responsibilities and submitting all reports for the Spring semester, a faculty member on an academic year appointment is considered to be on vacation beginning after the Spring semester Commencement. The faculty member should return back to work at least seven (7) days prior to the first day of the Fall semester in order to give sufficient time to participate in scheduled faculty meetings, committee work, advising and other activities necessary for the satisfactory resumption of the work of the department for the Fall semester. Exceptions on an individual basis may be made by the department head. Faculty members on academic year (nine-month) appointments who are not teaching during the Summer semester are expected to be available during the summer months for communication with their college and departmental faculty colleagues and UTC administrators.

2. Sick Leave

Faculty members employed on regular full-time academic year (nine-month) appointments do not accrue sick leave under UT Policy HR0380 – Sick Leave. However, see Section 6.3.2.3. below regarding family care policies applicable to nine- month faculty members.

3. Family Care

Certain nine-month faculty members may be eligible for leave or additional benefits under circumstances where: (1) the faculty member has a serious illness or has primary responsibility for the care of a child or an ill or disabled parent, spouse, or other family member; or (2) the faculty member is managing the arrival of a child through birth, adoption, or foster care. Such additional benefits may include modified duty assignments and extending the probationary period for a tenure-track faculty member. For more information regarding benefits and leave related to family care reasons, see the UTC Faculty and Family Care Policy.

4. Summer Semester

Faculty holding regular full-time academic year (nine-month) appointments may teach Summer semester courses and are paid compensation for teaching such courses, unless such courses are “banked” by the faculty member toward extended periods of release in other semesters as provided under Section 6.3.2.5. below. A nine-month faculty member’s total compensation in a year from teaching Summer semester courses may not exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the faculty member’s academic year salary.

The Provost, in consultation with the department head and dean, determines compensation for Summer semester courses. Compensation for a Summer semester course is primarily determined based on the level of student enrollment in the course and the qualifications of the faculty member teaching the course. The amount paid for a Summer semester course in which student enrollment is less than fully subscribed may be less than the amount paid for a course in which student enrollment is fully subscribed. Application of the appropriate percentages of faculty members’ full-time effort and pay for teaching Summer semester courses should be consistent among faculty. Colleges, subject to the approval of the Provost, may cap the total amount of compensation paid for teaching Summer semester courses offered within the college.

5. Semester Banking

Semester banking is available to faculty members who hold regular full-time academic year (nine-month) appointments. Subject to the conditions set forth in this section, permission may be granted to substitute Summer semesters of teaching, or to “bank” such semesters, toward extended periods of release from regular duties in other semesters. Acceptable practice also allows a faculty member to teach (without additional compensation) a larger than normal course load during semesters of the academic year in order to bank the additional courses for released time in subsequent semesters.

Such periods of released time are not considered leaves of absence since they represent substitution of one working period for another and do not entail any redirection of the normal duties of the faculty member. Evaluation and approval of a request for a semester banking arrangement is subject to the following conditions and considerations:

1. Service for the semester must be performed before the semester may be “banked” toward a period of release from regular duties in subsequent semesters.
2. The duties performed during the “banked” semester (e.g., advising, committee work, etc.) must be coextensive with the duties required for the semester from which the faculty member is to be released.
3. The needs of the department and college will be a major consideration.
4. The financial and educational resources of the department and college must not be jeopardized in order to effect the substitution.
5. Credit for “banked” semesters will not result in additional pay at termination of the faculty member’s employment.

A request for a semester banking arrangement will be evaluated by the department head, in consultation with the Office of Human Resources, and the department head will submit his or her recommendation regarding the request to the dean. The request must be approved by the dean.

6.3.3. Additional Benefits and Leave for Faculty Members on Twelve-Month Appointments

1. Annual/Vacation Leave

Faculty members on regular full-time twelve-month appointments accrue annual leave as provided under UT Policy HR0305 – Annual Leave (Vacation).

2. Sick Leave

Faculty members on regular full-time twelve-month appointments accrue sick leave as provided under UT Policy HR0380 – Sick Leave.

3. Family Care

Certain twelve-month faculty members may be eligible for leave or additional benefits under circumstances where: (1) the faculty member has a serious illness or has primary responsibility for the care of a child or an ill or disabled parent, spouse, or other family member; or (2) the faculty member is managing the arrival of a child through birth, adoption, or foster care. Such additional benefits may include modified duty assignments and extending the probationary period for a tenure-track faculty member. For more information regarding benefits and leave related to family care reasons, see the UTC Faculty and Family Care Policy.

6.3.4. Professional Development Leave

1. Eligibility

Full-time tenured faculty members are eligible to apply for professional development leave if they have completed a minimum of six consecutive years of service in a full- time appointment immediately prior to the time the professional development leave is to begin.

2. Application and Approval Procedure

An eligible faculty member interested in applying for professional development leave should submit the Application For Leave or Faculty Development Grant to his or her department head. The department head will review the application and will make a recommendation to the dean. The dean will review the application and make a recommendation to The Deans Council to the Provost. The Deans Council to the Provost will review annually all applications requesting leave for the following academic year and make recommendations to the Provost. The Provost will make the final decision on each application.

3. General Criteria for Awarding Leave

Professional development leave is awarded on the merits of a faculty member’s specific proposal for professional development. The award is an investment by UTC in the expectation that the leave will enhance the faculty member’s ability to contribute to the objectives of UTC and to student development.

The improvements sought during professional development leave should benefit the work of the faculty member, department, college, and university. Only professional development leave proposals that meet this criterion will be accepted and approved by UTC. The purposes for which professional development leave may be granted include:

1. research on significant problems and issues;
2. important creative or descriptive work in any means of expression;
3. post-doctoral study at another institution; and
4. other approved projects, including innovations in teaching and learning.

4. Duration of Leave and Compensation

Professional development leave may be granted for either:

1. one-half the faculty member’s annual appointment period at the faculty member’s full base salary rate; or
2. the faculty member’s full annual appointment period at one-half of the faculty member’s full base salary rate.

Compensation shall be paid monthly, unless approved otherwise.

5. Additional Compensation and Benefits

1. For the period of a faculty member’s professional development leave, the faculty member normally will be permitted to accept only such grants, contracts, awards, fellowships, and other additional compensation as are given to support the approved professional leave project or are consistent with university policies. The approval of the Provost must be obtained prior to accepting any compensation beyond that specified in Section 6.3.4.4. above. A fellowship, grant-in-aid, or government-sponsored exchange lectureship may be accepted for the period of the leave if acceptance will promote the purpose of the leave and is approved by the Provost.
2. If approved by the Provost, a faculty member on leave normally will be permitted to earn compensation from an outside source in accordance with the Policy on Compensated Outside Services set forth in Chapter 7 of this Handbook.
3. To the extent permitted by state law, all benefits available to the faculty member under normal service shall be available during professional leave.