***Please note: This section has been superseded by a more recent policy. ***
Policy:
1. Leave of absence without pay is encouraged as a means of increasing the limited opportunity for professional development provided by the paid professional leave program. Leave without pay may be taken either in conjunction with a paid leave or independently.
2. Leave without pay is available only to regular members of the faculty.
3. The maximum duration of a leave without pay is normally two consecutive academic years. Under unusual circumstances, a third year or portion thereof may be granted by the provost as an extension.
4. If a leave without pay extends beyond one quarter, the faculty member will be delayed in the faculty evaluation cycle by the duration of the leave.
5. If the activities of a leave without pay include sufficient scholarly work or experience relevant to the teaching activities of the college, as judged by the provost and deans, the faculty member may be eligible for benefits while on leave, and the leave will qualify the faculty member for advancement at the regular rate on the faculty salary scale. Documentation of professional activities accomplished during the leave must be provided to and approved by the provost. Availability of benefits while on leave without pay is dependent on state funding and cannot be guaranteed.
Application procedures:
1. Decisions regarding the granting of leaves without pay are made by the deans and provost. Application is made by a simple letter of request to the academic deans (with a copy to the provost) stating the dates and proposed activities of the requested leave. The principal consideration in deciding whether or not to grant a leave without pay is protection of the quality and extent of the curriculum. Acting upon the advice of the deans, the provost will grant the leave by a letter indicating whether or not the proposed activities will qualify the recipient for benefits and/or advancement on the faculty salary scale, or will deny the leave and provide a statement of the reasons why the leave cannot be granted.
2. Except in emergencies, applications for leave without pay should be submitted with as much advance notice as possible, but not later than the end of March of the academic year preceding the requested leave.
3. After a leave without pay has been granted and accepted, the deans and provost have the right, for the duration of the leave, to use the temporarily vacated faculty line for a visiting faculty appointment, but are not obligated to do so.