Academic Affairs Policy Manual

Section 1: Faculty

1.12 Leaves

At the University of Georgia, a variety of leaves are available as outlined below.

1.12-1 For Education Purposes

In the absence of a Sabbatical Leave Program, it is imperative that the University of Georgia have mechanisms that provide faculty with the opportunity to enhance their scholarship. The purpose is to provide an environment that will be as supportive as that provided by the nation's major research institutions even though we do not have a Sabbatical Leave Program. As with any institution, resources are limited and responsibilities for the instructional, research, and service programs must be met. This means that scholarly support programs must be implemented with reasonable guidelines and that, depending upon the specific circumstances, they must have institutional approval and recognition whether at departmental, college, or university level.

Leaves of Absence without Pay

Requests for leaves of absence without pay are handled routinely through the offices of the department head [or director], dean, and SVPAAP. Requests for leaves of more than one semester must also be approved by the President, the Chancellor, and the Board. Requests for leaves of absence must be submitted to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at least four weeks before the proposed date of implementation. The department head [or director] must provide a letter of support and justification. Leaves should be recommended only when the department head [or director] is convinced that it is in the best interests both of the faculty member and the department. Generally, these leaves must be approved when they are devoted to enhancing the faculty member's scholarship and to providing, as a result, an improvement in departmental programs. Sometimes faculty members win prestigious fellowships that provide salary support, but not at the level of their base pay. On a case-by-case basis, consideration may be given by the department head [or director] and the dean to supporting a request for a leave by providing partial salary support to compensate for a limited fellowship stipend level. This is not, strictly speaking, a leave of absence without pay, but it does represent partial matching for an earned stipend based upon recognized scholarship.

Leaves of Absence with Pay

Based on departmental needs and programmatic development, a head [or director] may recommend that a faculty member be given a leave of absence with pay. Regents policy requires that prior to being granted a leave of absence with pay, the faculty member sign an agreement indicating that, for a leave for less than one year, he or she will return to the institution for at least one year or that, for a leave of one year, he or she will return to the University for at least two years. If the faculty member does not return to the University for the time specified in the agreement, then he or she will reimburse the University for compensation received from and any other expenses paid by the University during the leave. Otherwise, the operating policy and procedure are precisely the same as those for leaves of absence without the pay. The leave must be awarded specifically for the faculty member to assume scholarly responsibilities on a full-time basis which are in the best interests of the department [or school] and the university. The justification for a leave of absence with pay must include a brief statement of what the faculty member expects to accomplish during the leave. Leaves of absence with pay are earned and are not entitlement. They are to be recommended by the department head [or director] only when the proposed reassignment of responsibilities is of programmatic benefit to the institution. Within 30 days following the leave, the faculty member must submit a written statement to the department head and the dean describing what was accomplished.

Source: Board of Regents Policy Manual,§ 802.0804

UGA's Vice President for Academic Affairs, 9/27/96

1.12-2 For Other Reasons

In addition to leaves of absence for educational purpose, leaves may be justified for a variety of reasons, including military leave, family medical leave, sick leave, jury duty leave, voting leave, and others.

Source: Board of Regents Policy Manual,§§ 802.0803—802.0806

Source: URL: http://www.busfin.uga.edu/manual/ and click on “Human Resources” then on “Human Resources Policies” and then the various headings related to leaves.

1.12-3 Reassignment of Location

Reassignment of Instructional Responsibilities

A reassignment of instructional responsibilities applies principally to faculty paid from the resident instruction budget and with continuing instructional responsibilities and only when the faculty member remains in the area. One of the constructive tools executive officers have in faculty career development is the assignment of instructional responsibilities in a way which periodically provides a semester free from formal classroom instruction, thus enabling a faculty member to have more concentrated time for scholarship. It is to be emphasized that freeing a Faculty member from formal course responsibilities in this manner is a decision to be made only by the department head (or, as appropriate, dean or director). The decision to reassign formal courses of instruction should be made only with due regard to the programmatic needs of the department and therefore is a department head [or director], not an individual faculty member, decision. Reassignment may be made in one of two ways: with or without release from other responsibilities.

Without Release from other Responsibilities

In this case, the faculty member has his or her courses of instruction reassigned to free him or her from formal instruction, but all other responsibilities for that semester are retained. This includes, for example, advising of students, meeting responsibilities for thesis or dissertation students, chairing thesis or dissertation committees, serving on department committees, attending faculty meetings, serving on college or university committees, working with students on individual projects, etc. In short, the only change to be made is an assignment, or reassignment, of the semesters for formal course instruction. All other responsibilities remain and the faculty member is expected to be available and in residence. The decision to make this assignment, or reassignment, rests with the department head [or director] and not with the individual faculty member. It is best managed as part of the annual review and planning for the following year. The decision should reflect consideration of departmental, school, and college needs.

With Release from other Responsibilities

Reassignment of courses to free a Faculty member from formal instruction for a semester and releasing the faculty member from all other departmental and university responsibilities is similar in some respects to a leave of absence with pay. This reassignment requires the formal approval of both the department head [or director] and the dean. A letter of justification must accompany the request for a release to the dean. The typical rationale would be for assignment to full-time scholarship and would include a statement of what the faculty member expects to accomplish during this reassignment.

Reassignment of Location

Sometimes both the faculty and institution can benefit when a faculty member is assigned with pay for at least a month, but no more than a semester, to another location to conduct their work. This involves freeing the individual from local responsibilities to concentrate on other activities; e.g., pursuing full-time scholarship or research at another institution. Reassignment of location must be approved explicitly by the department head [or director] and the dean. Each dean is free to manage this internally as he or she deems appropriate, but there must exist in the dean's office a formal record of a prior approval for any reassignment of location. There must also exist a dated report to the dean on what was accomplished during this reassignment. It is critical for two reasons that any reassignment, which includes significant time away from campus, be formally approved by the dean. First, the reassignment must be part of departmental, school, and college planning. Second, it assures for any legal, medical, or other purposes that the faculty member has or had a location reassignment for university, and not personal, purposes. Since this latter is a concern no matter how short or long the duration, deans should develop their own internal method of assuring that location reassignments for less than a month have some form of approval.

Other Considerations

There may be occasions for leaves or reassignments that do not fit within the stated guidelines. For leaves of absence with or without pay, requests for exceptions must be approved by the office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. For reassignment of instructional responsibilities, the appropriate dean must approve exceptions.

Source: UGA's Vice President for Academic Affairs, 9/27/96

1.12-4 Activation for Military Service

If University of Georgia faculty or staff members are called to active military duty, the University will act to facilitate the transition from work to active duty and from active duty back to work. The procedures in this document are intended to supplement and explain University policy and state and federal laws. If any conflict between this statement and applicable laws exist, the provisions of the laws will prevail. The intent of these procedures is to restore, insofar as possible, the relationship the employee held with the University of Georgia at the time of the call to active service and to avoid penalties that might result from an unexpected absence. Although the procedures contained in this document are comprehensive, the intent of the general policy should be followed in any situation not covered.

There are slightly different provisions for academic and contract employees and non-faculty, non-contract employees. The groups and the relevant provisions are described below.

1. The Academic and Administrative group consists of: Lecturers, Instructors, Assistant Professors, Associate Professors, Professors, Public Service Faculty, Research Professionals, Academic Professionals, Clinical Faculty, Librarians, Administrative A., and Other Appointments in Positions with Faculty Privileges.
   1. Those in the above categories called to active duty will be placed on personal leave without pay "to fulfill military obligations” after appropriate paid leave has been taken (see 3.b. below). Those with faculty appointments listed above who are released from active service will be returned to the position they vacated when they left the University, provided they request reemployment within 90 calendar days following separation from active duty. Those with faculty appointments should contact their supervisor and make arrangements on a return-to-work date. The return-to-work date can be as early as the faculty member can return to work, provided that the date of return for those with academic year contracts is during the academic year. The supervisor of those with academic year contracts should provide an equivalent summer assignment to those who have had summer assignments in the past, provided the notification of the return to work date is given before summer school budgets have been allocated. Those serving in administrative positions will be returned to the same position or to an equivalent position. Those serving a term appointment in an administrative position will be returned to the same or equivalent position for a time period at least as great as was remaining at the time of call to active duty.
   2. Those with faculty appointments will be returned to the same position unless promoted while on leave. Time spent on leave, if eight weeks or longer, will not count against a faculty member in calculating the maximum time before promotion and tenure.
   3. The pay of those holding faculty appointments when they return will be at least the salary they were receiving when they were placed on leave. Any individual promoted to a higher rank while on leave will also receive any increment provided explicitly for the promotion.
2. The Classified Staff group includes all employees not defined earlier in paragraph B-1, and includes all non-faculty, non-contract employees.
   1. Classified staff members called to active duty will be placed on personal leave without pay “to fulfill military obligations” after appropriate paid military leave has been taken (see 3.b below.) Classified staff members will be returned to the same position or to an equivalent position when they return to the University from active duty, provided they request reemployment within 90 calendar days following separation from active duty. Classified staff should contact their supervisor and make arrangements on a return to work date after separation from active military service. At the employee's discretion, this date can be as early as the employee can return to work at the University.
   2. The salary of classified staff members upon return to work will be at least the salary they were receiving when they were placed on leave.
   3. Employees of the University do not accrue annual and sick leave while on leave without pay as a result of being called to active military duty. However, the time is counted in determining when classified staff members become eligible to accrue additional leave hours.
3. General Procedures for Both Employee Groups
   1. A University employee called to active duty or his or her supervisor should initiate an official leave of absence form; the leave will be renewed as long as active military duty continues as a result of the current call-up. As soon as possible, employees must provide their supervisors a copy of the written orders they received calling them to active duty.
   2. A regular University employee ordered to active military duty is eligible to receive his or her regular rate of pay for a total of eighteen (18) workdays per calendar year as paid military leave time for ordered military duty. At the expiration of the paid military leave time, an employee may elect to take any portion of his or her accrued annual leave prior to being placed on military leave without pay. Any accrued annual leave not taken and all accrued sick leave will be frozen until the employee returns to work.
   3. Employees will be released from any university contracts or agreements that cover the purchase of any services and any unused portion of any services covered by a contract will be refunded on a prorated basis, including, but not limited to, season tickets to athletic events. Employees will also not lose priority for the assignment of seats in the purchase of season tickets as a result of being called to active duty, provided the employee exercises the right to purchase season tickets upon returning to the University. If the return occurs after assignment of seats for a given season, the employee will be restored to the proper priority in the next season. Employees should return library books if time permits, but at a minimum should designate a responsible individual to respond to requests from the library for books that are needed by other patrons.
   4. Employees called to active duty may be replaced by acting or temporary replacements in accordance with usual University hiring procedures. Ordinarily, the replacements will hold the position for which they are hired for a period to coincide with the employee's tenure on active duty. Since those returning from active duty may resume their positions immediately upon deactivation, careful planning by those responsible for given units will be necessary. Those returning from active duty can assist in this process by notifying supervisors as early as possible of the expected return to work date. Since teaching assignments are ordinarily made for a term, instruction units are encouraged, if funds are available, to retain a replacement for an entire term to minimize disruptions for students.
   5. An employee who is a member of the Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) may purchase, within five (5) years, time spent on unpaid leave due to ordered military duty. At the time of purchase, the employee will be credited with the appropriate period of creditable service. For information regarding the purchase of creditable service, please see the Teachers' Retirement System Members Guide at http://www.trsga.com/publications/main.asp
   6. The provisions in this document that apply to University employees apply to those defined as “regular” employees of the University. Regular employees are those who are employed at least half time, are currently benefit eligible, and for whom continuing employment beyond the current fiscal or academic year is contemplated as noted by the personnel report and the letter of appointment (in the case of positions for which a letter of appointment is normally issued.) Upon their return to work, classified staff ordered to military service during the initial 180 day probationary period will be continued on probation for the balance of time that remained in their probation period at the time they left the University for active duty.
   7. Special provisions may be necessary for an employee returning from ordered military duty whose salary was paid from grant sources. If the appointment in force at the time of ordered military duty is one with a fixed term (to coincide with the expiration of a contract or grant, for example), the returning employee should be restored to the position for the remainder of the term. Under law, if the employee was previously paid from grant funds that expired while the individual was on ordered military duty, the University is not required to restore the individual to the same or equivalent position. However, every effort should be expended to place the individual in another equivalent position within the employing unit or the institution. In such cases, for example, contracts and grants similar to those expired would be a likely source of funding for a restored position. Only as a last resort, after thorough review on a case-by-case basis would the University seek to utilize provisions in federal legislation that permit, under some circumstances, relief from restoring an individual to the same or equivalent position.
   8. Since the activated employee is placed on personal leave without pay to fulfill military obligations, personal leave without pay provisions with regard to employee benefits will apply. Employees may make arrangements to pay the full premium amount (both employee and employer portions) for any insurance benefit in order to keep the coverage in effect. Employees on leave without pay who choose to cancel insurance may enroll again within 31 days after returning to work.
   9. Any employee who volunteers for active duty will be covered by applicable federal law with respect to reemployment rights but will not be provided any of the special considerations of this policy that go beyond the requirements of federal or state law.

Source: University President, 9/27/2001.