Faculty Professional Development Leave Program

Policy Details

Effective Date:

February 22, 2018

Supersedes:

COM Administrative Policies Initially Adopted 2/28/2007; amended June 1, 2009, September 30, 2010, January 19, 2011, June 12, 2012, May 10, 2013, July 10, 2014; Faculty Professional Development Leave Program Adopted February 22, 2018.

Responsible Authority:

Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs

Policy Statement

Faculty Professional Development Leave offered by the College of Medicine is designed to provide opportunities to increase the faculty member's contributions to the college through enhanced professional development, formal education, research, scholarly writing or other experience of professional value, outside of their normal Assignment of Responsibilities (AOR), that aligns with the mission of the College of Medicine. Such activities require measurable objectives to increase the contributions of the faculty member to the College of Medicine. The granting of such leave is predicated upon finding appropriate coverage for their job duties in their absence. Funding is not provided with this program, and applicants are encouraged to seek funding from external sources, internal academic enrichment funding, or other means.

Program Description

In this program, select faculty may propose short-term professional enhancing activities on or off-campus for
periods from 4 to 12 weeks. During such activities, the faculty member's other obligations must be covered by
other faculty members to allow participation in such endeavors. To minimize the burden on others, faculty
interested in professional leave are encouraged to avoid peak workload periods for their position.

The availability and number of Professional Development Leaves that may be granted is subject to administrative determination, and will not generally exceed 3 across the College in any academic year, except as otherwise approved by the Dean. Qualifications and application specifics may vary from program to program, and department to department. In all cases, such leaves must be approved and endorsed by the faculty member’s immediate supervisor and department chair prior to submission to the Dean’s office for final approval. Applicants should pay particular attention to describing the proposed activity during the leave period and how the activity will improve the professional contribution of the individual and/or productivity of the school. The applicant’s supervisor may submit a letter of endorsement supporting their request and noting expected benefits to the unit.

Application Timetable

There will be two application cycles annually.

• Spring: Apply by April 1 for proposed leaves occurring between August 1 and January 30.
• Fall: Apply by October 1 for proposed leaves occurring between February 1 and July 31.

Approval Decisions

Approval decisions will generally be provided within 30 days and be based upon the value and congruence with the mission of the College of the proposed activity, the ability to achieve the stated goals of the proposed leave in the time available, and the minimization of disruptions to the ongoing activities of the College. In the case of applications by more faculty than there are leaves available, the decision by the Dean will be final.