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Yale University |
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Yale’s commitment to support the research interests and professional development of its faculty is reflected in the opportunities for leave which are described below. All leaves with salary paid from University funds and most leaves without salary paid from University funds are granted by and under the authority of the Corporation for purposes of research or to allow faculty to take advantage of professional opportunities for a short time away from their normal duties.
In some cases, the University continues to pay the faculty member’s full or partial salary or fringe benefits from Yale funds (including General Appropriations, endowments, or a grant or contract) during the period of leave. In other cases, the full or partial salary may be covered from an outside fellowship or from another institution, as, for example, when the faculty member is holding a visiting appointment. Any leave that is funded fully or partially from University funds is referred to in this section as a paid leave, and any leave during which the faculty member’s salary is fully funded by an outside source is called an unpaid leave.
Some leaves without salary are granted for personal reasons — such as medical disability or child rearing — or for public service not directly related to academic development. All policy questions concerning leaves in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences should be referred to the Provost’s Office. Questions concerning leaves in a professional school, several of which have their own policies, should be referred to the dean of that school.
1. Leave is a privilege, not a right, and generally will be granted only when the Provost is assured that the leave will not have adverse effects on department teaching, administrative responsibilities, or research. Eligibility for a leave according to the policies spelled out below does not in itself constitute entitlement to that leave, except to the extent required by certain laws. Leaves are granted only after formal application in accordance with the regulations and deadlines established by the particular school.
2. Those granted leave will be relieved of all teaching and administrative duties, except that ordinarily they will be required to continue supervision of dissertations.
3. The period of a full-year leave is defined as the nine-month academic year during which faculty members are otherwise expected to meet their institutional responsibilities. In the case of a semester’s leave, the period of leave is one-half of the nine-month academic year. (Leave periods in the Schools of Medicine and Nursing are exceptions to this rule.) The normal requirement that a nine-month leave be taken within a single academic year may be altered occasionally to permit a leave for that period to be taken over a calendar year.
4. The maximum period of a leave is one academic year, whether the leave is taken within a single academic year or divided between two successive academic years. One full year of teaching in residence must precede and follow any leave, paid or unpaid, with the exception of a tenured faculty member who retires at the end of a scheduled leave or a non-tenured faculty member who may be granted special permission to take a leave for which he or she is eligible in the final year of appointment.
5. In special circumstances and with specific approval by the Corporation a second consecutive leave may be granted, typically in connection with a leave for public or military service (see Section VII.C.2 below) such that the total period of absence exceeds one academic year. The total period of consecutive leaves is extended beyond two academic years only in the most exceptional circumstances, such as when required by law or for a public service leave deemed to be in the national interest.
6. No member of a University faculty may be on leave, whether paid or unpaid, more than four semesters in a seven-year period unless required by law. Absence from the University in excess of this limit is inconsistent with the teaching and University service expectations of a full-time member of the faculty. Exceptions to this policy may be granted when a faculty member has had one or more semesters of leave for reasons such as child rearing, caregiving, or public service, including leaves for military service.
7. The calculation of the terms of
appointment, maximum time in a particular rank, and maximum time in the
combined non-tenure ladder ranks
includes all leaves, with or without Yale salary, except Child Rearing Leaves,
Caregiver’s Leaves of at least six weeks, and leaves granted for public
service For these leaves and when a
member of the faculty gives birth to a child or experiences a short-term
medical disability of at least six weeks, extensions in terms of appointment
and time in rank will be granted. See Section VII.D below for
policies regarding these leaves, including extensions of terms of appointment
and maximum time in rank. See Section III.F for policies
governing maximum time in non-tenure ladder ranks.
8. With the agreement of the Provost, faculty members may change from one leave option to another provided that the criteria for the type of leave which is to be taken are met, and that the change is effective for the entire period (a semester or an academic year) for which the leave is taken.
9. Leaves of absence with reduced Yale salary or without Yale salary affect certain fringe benefits. Members of the faculty who are on leave with less than full salary paid by Yale should check with the Benefits Office.
10. Members of the faculty who are not eligible for a paid leave and who are awarded an outside fellowship may apply for an unpaid leave, but they will normally not be eligible to receive supplemental salary from the University. See Section VII.C below for policies governing unpaid leaves.
a. Eligibility. On recommendation of the department chair in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and of the deans in other schools, full-time ladder faculty may be awarded a leave of absence with salary according to the policies described below.[10] Eligibility for paid leaves varies from school to school. Faculty members should consult the dean for information about policies governing eligibility for paid leave in their particular school. Faculty members who intend to resign from the University at the end of an academic year are not eligible for paid leave during that year, even if they meet other eligibility requirements. However, with special permission, faculty members whose terms of appointment expire at the end of an academic year are eligible for paid leave during that year if they meet the other eligibility requirements.
b. Salary and Benefits. The amount of salary and benefits received by a faculty member on a paid leave depends upon the type of leave (see below). When a faculty member who is eligible for a paid leave is successful in obtaining partial or full outside support, the University will continue all benefits to which the faculty member is normally entitled. When the University contributes any part of salary or benefits, the leave is considered a paid leave.
c. Outside Funding. Faculty members who are eligible for leave with salary are encouraged to help finance the leave from sources outside the University. Faculty should consult the Office of Grant and Contract Administration and the Offices of Corporate and Foundation Relations in the Yale Development Office for help in identifying agencies or foundations appropriate to the purpose of the leave. Application of external funds to specific leaves is discussed under the relevant sections below.
d. Employment During Leave. Since the purpose of a leave with salary is to permit continued and uninterrupted scholarly research, faculty members who are granted paid leave under any of the provisions of this section are not permitted to teach or to engage in any other remunerative employment during the period of the leave, except as provided under Section VII.B.3 for Sabbatical Leave of Absence and as permitted for full-time faculty not on leave under policies on outside employment. (See Section X.D.)
a. Eligibility. Eligibility for a Triennial Leave of Absence begins after two years of teaching at Yale at the rank of associate professor (both term and without term) or professor provided that four semesters of full-time teaching in residence have elapsed since the faculty member’s previous paid leave.[11] Thereafter, the faculty member will become eligible for a Triennial Leave after five semesters of full-time teaching at Yale. In the School of Medicine, two and one-half years of full-time faculty activity is considered the equivalent of five semesters of full-time teaching at Yale. Eligibility for a Triennial Leave of Absence in the School of Medicine begins after two years of full-time faculty activity at the rank of associate professor or professor. Thereafter, the faculty member will become eligible for a Triennial Leave after two and one-half years of full-time faculty activity at Yale.
b. Length and
Salary. A Triennial Leave of Absence is a one-semester leave during which a
faculty member receives full salary. Except for
leaves granted for child care, care giving, or public service, a Triennial
Leave may not be combined with any other form of leave, paid or unpaid, to make up a leave of absence for a full academic
year. In the School of Medicine a Triennial Leave is four months in length,
during which time a faculty member receives full salary.
c. Special Triennial Leave. With the approval of the chair of the department and the Provost, a faculty member who is eligible for a Triennial Leave of Absence and who succeeds in winning outside fellowship support for a period extending beyond one semester may be granted instead a Special Triennial Leave of a full year. Yale’s contribution to such Special Triennial Leaves will not exceed one third of the academic year salary at the time of the leave, with the remainder up to full salary to come from the source originating outside the University.[12] Yale’s contribution to salary will be paid over the full leave period, and the full year will count as paid leave. University contributions to benefits will continue, with contributions to retirement annuities based upon the amount of salary paid by Yale.
a. Eligibility. Faculty members shall first become eligible for a Sabbatical Leave of Absence after having taught at Yale or elsewhere at the rank of associate professor or professor for four years without a paid leave of absence. Thereafter they shall be eligible after having taught in those ranks at Yale for six years without a paid leave of absence. In the School of Medicine, faculty members shall first become eligible for a Sabbatical Leave of Absence after having taught at Yale at the rank of associate professor or professor for two years. Thereafter they shall be eligible after having taught in those ranks at Yale for six full years from the end of their previous leave of absence.
b. Length and
Salary. A Sabbatical Leave may be for either one semester at full salary or
a full year at half salary. In the latter case, exceptions will be considered to the general rule that employment may not be
undertaken by these faculty while they are on leave, and the faculty member may
be permitted to supplement his or her Yale salary, up to full approved salary,
from sources originating outside the University. A one-semester Sabbatical
Leave of Absence at full salary may be combined with a one-semester leave of
absence without salary to make up a full year’s leave. In the School of
Medicine, a Sabbatical Leave of Absence may be six or twelve months in length.
Although it may start or end in mid-year, faculty members do not become
eligible for a subsequent Sabbatical Leave of Absence until they have taught at
Yale for six full years from the end of the academic year in which their previous
Sabbatical Leave was taken.
a. Eligibility. Faculty members in all schools except Medicine (see Section IV.I.13) shall first become eligible for a Senior Faculty Fellowship after having taught at Yale or elsewhere at the rank of associate professor or professor for six years without a paid leave of absence. Thereafter they shall be eligible after having taught in those ranks at Yale for six years without a paid leave of absence.
b. Length and Salary. A faculty member awarded a Senior Faculty Fellowship is granted a full-year’s leave at a salary level half-way between base pay for the rank held and the individual’s approved salary. Recipients of this award are free to accept salary supplements to the Yale funds up to the amount of their approved salaries, provided those funds are from sources originating outside the University, are paid for purposes consistent with the purpose of the leave, and do not constitute payment for services provided.
a. Junior Faculty Leaves. Assistant professors whose primary appointment is in one of the departments of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences are eligible for one semester of paid leave at full salary when they meet the following three criteria: (1) they have served three years at the rank of assistant professor at Yale; (2) they have received no leave of any kind, other than Child Rearing, Caregiver’s, or leaves for military service, paid or unpaid, during their appointment to this rank at Yale; and (3) they continue to hold the rank of assistant professor throughout the year in which the leave is taken.
Once having become eligible, faculty members may defer the leave for one year as long as they remain at Yale in the rank of assistant professor. However, faculty who choose to accept a Junior Faculty Leave are not thereafter eligible for Morse Fellowships or Junior Faculty Fellowships.
A Junior Faculty Leave may not be combined with any other form of leave, paid or unpaid, to make up a leave of absence for a full academic year.
b. Special Junior Faculty
Leaves. With the approval of the chair of the department and the
Provost, a faculty member who is eligible for a Junior Faculty Leave and who is
successful in winning outside fellowship support for a period extending beyond
one semester may be granted instead a Special Junior Faculty Leave for a full
year. Yale’s contribution to such Special Leaves will not exceed one half of
the academic year salary at the time of the leave, with the remainder up to
full approved salary to come from the source outside the University. Yale’s
contribution to salary will be paid over the full leave period, and the full
year will count as paid leave. University contributions to benefits will
continue, including contributions to retirement annuities, where appropriate,
based upon the amount of salary paid by Yale.
c. Morse Fellowships (Humanities) and Junior Faculty Fellowships (Social Sciences and Natural Sciences). These fellowships are intended to provide time for research and writing at a crucial point in the careers of recently appointed scholars at the rank of assistant professor. A limited number of fellowships are available in each division each year. Candidates for fellowships are nominated by their departments and selected by special committees appointed by the Dean of Yale College. The fellowship pays full salary and the University contributions to fringe benefits.
Assistant professors who have had no leave of any kind while at Yale are normally eligible to hold Morse or Junior Faculty Fellowships after three years of teaching at that rank at Yale. Departments may recommend assistant professors for fellowships in their third year if warranted by such circumstances as a strong record of teaching or research before joining the Yale faculty.
The holder of a Morse Fellowship or a Junior Faculty Fellowship is relieved of all duties to the University for the period of the fellowship, which may be a year or a semester. Each fellowship holder is expected to devote full time to the proposed project.
A faculty member awarded either a Morse or Junior Faculty Fellowship must return to Yale for a full year of teaching. The appointment of a faculty member who is awarded either a Morse or a Junior Faculty Fellowship in the last year of that appointment will normally be extended by one year, even if that results in an eighth year in the assistant professor rank.
d. Leaves for Newly Promoted Associate Professors on Term in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences who are promoted to the rank of associate professor on term for terms of three years or more are eligible for a Triennial Leave of Absence, Sabbatical Leave of Absence, or a Senior Faculty Fellowship to take place as early as the first year of their terms of appointment provided that four semesters of full-time teaching in residence have elapsed since their last paid leave.
e. Outside Funding. Faculty members who are eligible for any paid leave are encouraged to seek support from sources outside the University. If a member of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences who has been granted a paid leave is successful in obtaining from outside sources any portion of the salary that he or she is eligible to receive from Yale for the term of that leave, one half of the resulting salary savings will be returned to an individual research account, which may be used for any legitimate expenses of research.
Faculty who are on appointments of three years or more and who have taught at Yale for at least one year are eligible for a one-semester or full year leave of absence without salary. Such a leave is granted on recommendation of the department chair in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences or of the dean in one of the professional schools, and with the approval of the Provost. Semesters spent on leave without salary do not count as years of teaching at Yale in determining eligibility for subsequent paid leaves. Faculty on leave of absence without salary cannot receive salary support from University-administered funds.
With the approval of the Provost, leaves may be granted for faculty invited to serve the public interest at a local, state, national, or international level, including military service. Such leaves are granted for either one semester or one year. Upon petition, recommendation by the Provost, and a special vote by the Corporation, a Public Service Leave may be extended for up to a total of two years. Only in the most exceptional circumstances, such as when required by law or for public service deemed to be in the national interest, can such a leave be extended beyond two academic years.
a. Health, Dental, and Group Life Insurance. Faculty on an unpaid leave of absence are responsible for their share, if any, of health, dental, and group life insurance costs. Yale will pay its share for the period of the leave. Faculty members who wish to maintain health, dental, and group life insurance coverage should contact the Benefits Office to arrange for prior payment of the individual’s contribution.
b. Disability Insurance. For faculty members on unpaid leaves of absence, the University will continue to provide, at no cost to the individual, insurance as partial protection against loss of income and pension benefits resulting from long-term disability.
c. Retirement Annuities. The University will not make payments to retirement annuities for faculty on unpaid leave of absence. Faculty who wish to make personal contributions to retirement annuities should call the Benefits Office to make special arrangements.
d. Scholarship Plan for Sons and Daughters of the Faculty and Staff. During any semester in which a faculty member is on a leave of absence without receiving salary from University funds, the individual’s children are not eligible to receive scholarship awards under the University’s Scholarship Plan for Sons and Daughters. An unpaid leave does not count as a disruption of continuous University employment, but time spent on unpaid leave with outside employment does not count toward the six years of continuous full-time service that are required for eligibility in the Scholarship Plan.
e. Payroll Deductions to Third Parties. Faculty who take leaves of absence without salary should make arrangements with the appropriate office to maintain or discontinue, as desired, payments normally made by payroll deductions to third parties, such as the Yale Credit Union, the Yale Parking Service, and banks participating in the University Mortgage Program.
f. Tuition Benefit. Faculty on leave without salary and their spouses or same-gender domestic partners will continue to be eligible for tuition benefits on the same terms as those for faculty not on leave.
A member of the faculty who bears or adopts a child or whose spouse bears or adopts a child will be granted upon request an unpaid Child Rearing Leave for up to one semester occurring within the first year after the birth or adoption for the purpose of the child’s care. General policies regarding the effect of unpaid leaves upon salary and benefits (see C.3 above) apply to these leaves, but policies regarding eligibility for unpaid leaves and the effect of unpaid leaves upon eligibility for other leaves do not apply. See D.5, below, for policies regarding the effect of Child Rearing Leaves on terms of appointment and time in rank.
As delineated by federal and state laws concerning family and medical leaves, a member of the faculty may take an unpaid leave of absence to care for a seriously ill spouse, parent (natural, foster, adoptive, stepparent, or legal guardian), or child (natural, adopted, foster, stepchild, or legal ward) who is under 18 years of age or, if older, is unable to care for him or herself because of serious illness for up to sixteen weeks in year one and twelve weeks in year two in any two-year period. Except in cases of emergency, two-weeks’ notice is required, and all requests must be accompanied by written notice from a physician or other licensed health care provider verifying the need for a leave and the probable duration. Serious illness is considered to be a disabling physical or mental condition that requires in-patient care in a hospital or licensed nursing facility or continuing outpatient care requiring treatment by a licensed health care provider. During the period of this leave, the University will continue to pay its share of health and any noncontributory insurance premiums for the caregiver on leave. An employee who has authorized payroll deductions for benefits must make arrangements with the Benefits Office to make those payments in order to continue coverage. The time available for a Caregiver’s Leave is reduced by the amount of time during that same two-year period when the faculty member has been on a Child Rearing Leave or has been relieved from teaching under the policies governing maternity and short-term medical disability.
Consistent with the general policy affecting faculty who are unable to meet their responsibilities as a result of short-term medical disability (see Section XI.E.), a full-time member of the ladder faculty who bears a child will be relieved of teaching duties, without loss of salary or benefits, for the whole of an academic semester during or following which the child is born. In such cases, the chair of the department or the dean of the school, in consultation with the Provost’s Office, will make such arrangements as are necessary and appropriate with regard to covering her teaching responsibilities, including the canceling of an affected course or the employment of substitute instructors. This relief from teaching duties is not a leave of absence. Outside the period of limited capacity, and as compatible with her particular situation, the faculty member will be expected to meet other department and University responsibilities, including research, clinical responsibilities, committee membership, and advising.
In the case of Child Rearing Leaves, Caregiver’s Leaves, or relief from teaching as a result of childbearing or other short-term medical disabilities, the faculty member is expected as early as possible to discuss with the chair of the department or the dean of the school his or her anticipated teaching and administrative responsibilities before and after the leave of absence or relief from teaching. They should agree upon a schedule for the year that will facilitate the carrying out of non-teaching responsibilities insofar as practicable under the circumstances, so as to minimize the impact of the faculty member’s absence on the curriculum and administration of the department or school. Upon request, the faculty member will also be granted an extension of appointment (see below).
Throughout the University, any full-time, non-tenured member of the ladder or non-ladder faculty holding an appointment of three years or more who takes either a Child Rearing or a Caregiver’s Leave of at least six weeks, may request a six-month extension of his or her current appointment and, where relevant, the maximum time in that rank and in the combined non-tenure ranks. Any full-time member of the ladder faculty who bears a child or experiences any short-term medical disability as described in Section XI.E of at least six weeks at any time of the year, may request a two-semester extension of his or her current appointment and therefore the maximum time both in that rank and in the combined non-tenure ranks. The requested extension will be granted automatically and may be repeated for one subsequent birth or other qualifying event, thereby extending the appointment and time in the non-tenure ladder ranks for a maximum of two years. (See also Section III.F.)
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