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2,681: Faculty Development Leave Program

Last Revised: December 2008

This program enables academic and administrative faculty to be reassigned to projects that lead to professional advancement in instructional, service, or research areas. The program permits reassignments which may be for one-half year or less at full base salary or more than one-half year up to one full year at two-thirds base salary. The work need not be conducted at UNR. For teaching faculty, a leave at full base salary may not include more than one semester and a leave at two-thirds base salary may not include more than two semesters (not counting summer). 

Eligibility:

1. Any full time faculty member whose position is funded in whole from state sources, and who has served the University for six full years or more and who has not been awarded a sabbatical leave or development leave for six years or more, is eligible. Eligibility for development leave commences at the end of the sixth year of full-time service in the same position. Any period of time spent on an unpaid status is not considered a part of the six-year service requirement under this policy. Applications for a sabbatical leave must be submitted while a faculty member is in a paid status.
2. Full-time faculty whose positions are funded in whole or in part from non-state sources may be eligible for development leave according to the terms of this policy only if the funds to support a development leave can be derived from the appropriate non-state funding source. The use of non-state funds for development leave must also be approved by the appointing authority.
3. Part-time academic or administrative faculty (i.e., those having an FTE of at least 50% but less than 100% for the contract year) may be eligible for development leave at the discretion of the University. In such cases, the leave and payment provided shall be at a time and amount pro-rated to reflect part-time status.
4. Faculty who have been honored with awards such as Fulbright Scholarships or Guggenheim Awards will be eligible for development leave even if they do not meet the six-year eligibility requirement stated above. However, for those faculty receiving awards prior to meeting the six year eligibility requirement the campus shall not be obligated to pay more than the amount of salary which, when added to the Fulbright or other award stipend, will equal 100% of the individual's annual base salary for the period of leave. If an allowance for transportation and/or cost-of-living differential is included in the outside compensation, the amount of this allowance will be disregarded in computing the salary to be paid by the campus. The Professional Development Leave Committee will be responsible for establishing which awards will make faculty eligible for this opportunity. 

Faculty development leave applications are submitted during the fall semester for leave during the following fiscal year. Leave may not be applied for and taken in the same fiscal year. Once awarded and scheduled, faculty development leave may not be rescheduled or postponed without forfeiting the leave and reapplying the following year. Faculty who have been awarded faculty development leave may request a change in the length of their leave from a full year to a semester or from a semester to a full year, as long as the leave will still occur within the same fiscal year and approval is obtained from their department chair, dean, and the executive vice president & provost. Exceptions to this policy must be approved by the executive vice president & provost.

The taking of development leave will not interfere with the continuing employment of an individual, or any other rights or privileges normally associated with appointment to the faculty. Service credit for retiree health insurance will be based on the faculty member's full-time equivalency (FTE) while on sabbatical.
 
No development leave with pay shall be granted unless the faculty member requesting the leave agrees in writing to continue to employment at the University after the leave for a period not less than one year if the University desires his/her continued service. The faculty member will agree to return to the University in a paid status immediately upon the end of the development leave.

Additional income - for example, grants-in-aid or fellowships - may be accepted during the leave provided the activity for which the income is received contributes to the individual's professional development or his/her future usefulness to the University. 

Acknowledgement of development leave assistance shall be given in any publications resulting from work accomplished during the development leave.

A written report concerning development leave activities shall be submitted to the executive vice president & provost and to the faculty member's dean or other appropriate supervisor within three months of return from leave. Upon approval by the Provost's Office, a copy will be forwarded by this office to the institution's Human Resources Office for placement in the faculty member's personnel file.

Specific information regarding eligibility, options, application, etc., is updated annually by the Provost's office in April or May and may be found on the UNR website.

Annual and/or sick leave is accrued while on faculty development leave at the appropriate FTE.

The Professional Development Leave Committee appointed by the Faculty Senate reviews the proposals and makes recommendations to the executive vice president and provost.