Faculty Leave Policies

 

 

Policy Statement

Southeastern Louisiana University provides eligible employees with leave (time off) in accordance with state and federal laws, UL System policy, and University policy.

 

Purpose of Policy

To provide employees with information and guidance on the availability of all types of paid and unpaid time off.

 

Applicability

This policy applies to Faculty only.

 

Policy Procedure

LEAVES OF ABSENCE

Members of the University faculty or administration may apply for leaves of absence. The President of the University, acting in accordance with regulations of the University of Louisiana System, shall determine whether or not individuals are eligible for leaves of absence.

Leaves of absence for the purpose of accepting temporary appointment elsewhere shall not exceed one year. Any additional extensions shall require special justification and must be approved by the System. Leaves granted for the purpose of participating in political campaigns shall not exceed six months.

 

SABBATICAL LEAVE GUIDELINES
Policy Statement
Sabbatical leaves at Southeastern Louisiana University are intended to promote the professional growth and effectiveness of a faculty member or administrator by affording him/her intellectual stimulation in the form of study, research, travel, or other creative intellectual activities. These leaves are used to bring on-going projects to fruition and to establish new directions of scholarship.

Leaves of Absence
Sabbatical Leaves: Sabbatical leaves provide for absence with pay for the purpose of promoting professional improvement and/or renewal. The leave should be designed to contribute to the best interests of the individual and the University through study, research, writing, field experiences, or other appropriate activities. Sabbatical leaves require completion of the application and approval processes outlined in this document.

Non-Sabbatical Leaves: Non-sabbatical leave without pay may be granted for a maximum of one year at a time for professional, personal, or other reasons. Completion of application and approval procedures is required as outlined in this document.

Eligibility for Leave
Those eligible for sabbatical leave are full-time faculty members on regular appointment, including professors, associate professors, assistant professors, and instructors; and full-time members of the professional staff whose duties include teaching, research, and administration, including professional librarians. Stipulations for eligibility are listed below.

1. A sabbatical leave may be granted for 2 semesters (52 weeks for 12-month employees) or for 1 semester (26 weeks for 12-month employees).
2. A sabbatical leave taken during a summer session is considered a semester for leave purposes.
3. Leave may be granted following six years of consecutive active employment at the University for a 2-semester sabbatical; three years for a 1-semester sabbatical.
4. Time may not be accumulated to qualify for more than one consecutive year of sabbatical leave.
5. Absence due to sick leave does not interrupt active service for this purpose.
6. A non-sabbatical leave without pay does not count toward eligibility for a sabbatical.

 

General Provisions
The University of Louisiana System recognizes that a sabbatical leave policy is justifiable and desirable and therefore provides for faculty members and administrators leaves of absence under established conditions. One of the best decisions an institution can make is to support a strong sabbatical leave program, since faculty, students, administrators, and the institution benefit from a revitalized professional returning to the work setting. Leave stipulations are listed below.

1. The compensation from the State for the period of approved leave with pay shall be at the rate of not more than 75 percent of the salary the individual will receive during the fiscal year for the period of time in which leave is granted. Compensation at less than 75 percent will be in accordance with Items 2 and 3 which follow.
2. In those cases where the faculty member or administrator receives outside compensation, such payment is to be approved in writing and in advance by the President as supportive of the purposes of the leave.
3. If outside compensation plus paid leave exceeds the regular salary, the leave pay will be reduced so that the institution will pay no leave if the outside compensation equals or exceeds the regular pay. Nothing prevents the individual from being remunerated by outside agencies at higher rates than his/her regular pay.
4. Sabbatical leave shall be granted only with prior University of Louisiana System approval.
5. The employer and employee shall contribute to the retirement system on the basis of the full annual salary rate.
6. Compensation payable to persons on sabbatical leave shall be paid when salaries of the other members of the faculty are paid and in the same manner.
7. An individual on sabbatical leave with pay shall be considered in work status and shall receive health and appropriate fringe benefits provided by the University in the same manner as if he/she were not on sabbatical leave.
8. The number of persons on leave with pay (except sick leave) will not exceed 5 percent of the total faculty.
9. In accepting a leave of absence with pay, the faculty member shall assume a legal obligation to return to the institution for at least one year of service.
10. An individual on non-sabbatical leave without pay will have the right to participate in any and all fringe benefits to which he/she would have been entitled if not on leave, except those not allowed by law. Such benefits will be provided upon payment by the individual of the full costs thereof. All benefits which are based on salary will be calculated on the regular base salary which the person would receive if he/she were not on leave.
11. A non-sabbatical leave without pay will not be regarded as a break in continuous service if scholarly in nature and if the full costs of benefits are paid by the individual.
12. Upon returning from leave, a person will receive any across-the-board salary increase which he/she would have received had he/she remained in residence.
13. Every person on sabbatical leave shall report on the manner in which such leave was spent after each leave period is completed. Such evidence shall be submitted to indicate that the purpose for which the leave was granted has been achieved.
14. Refusal by the faculty member to comply with the provisions of reporting on the leave may result in the forfeiture of tenure and eligibility for increase of salary and promotion in rank until the necessary requirements are met.

 

Application Process
An individual requesting a leave of absence shall make application to the Department Head and should include the information below.

1. A narrative outlining the reasons why the project is being proposed, including a justification of its value to both the applicant and the University
2. Goals of the applicant
3. Measurable objectives
4. Strategies to accomplish the objectives
5. A timetable for the accomplishment of each of the objectives (dates and locations)
6. A curriculum vitae appropriate to the sabbatical, not to exceed three pages
7. An itemized budget, with supporting rationale, if the applicant requests funding.

 

Approval Process
Upon receipt of the completed application, the department head will evaluate the proposed leave and its effect upon the operation of the department. After such determination, the department head will transmit all application materials to the dean or library director.

The academic dean/director and Provost will endorse or not endorse the completed request.

Department heads, deans, and library director are expected to evaluate requests for leaves based on improvement and/or renewal, on administrative feasibility (staffing, funding, assignments, etc.), and on the application criteria.

The application is then sent to the Provost, who forwards it to the President with a recommendation. Faculty shall be informed about the progress of their request after each step of the process. The President will review the request for leave and, if appropriate, send it to the University of Louisiana System. The President shall respond in writing to the application and such a response shall include the reasons for denial. The response approving a sabbatical leave will include any conditions of such a leave. A copy of the response shall be provided to the affected department and the college or the library.

Final approval of a sabbatical leave with pay will not be granted until the applicant has filed with the President of Southeastern Louisiana University an agreement or contract stipulating that as a condition of sabbatical leave and to be eligible for compensation during such leave, he or she will return to the employing institution for at least one year of further service after the leave is completed.

Timeline for Leave Applications
Call for sabbatical and leave requests for the

subsequent academic year ……………………….…     Third Monday in January

 

Requests for leave to the Department Heads …….      Second Friday in February

  

Requests forwarded to the dean or library director       Third Friday in February

 

Requests forwarded to the Provost ………………...      First Friday in March

 

Requests forwarded to the President ………………      First Friday in April

 

Request forwarded to the University of Louisiana System

 

Returning to the University after Sabbatical Leave
After the completion of a sabbatical leave, the faculty member shall complete a report which will be filed with the department head, the dean or library director, and the Provost within one month after the faculty member returns to the University. The report will reflect the following:

• The manner in which the stated purpose of the leave was carried out
• The primary results achieved
• Tangible results of the leave, such as publications, new course strategies, new teaching methods developed, scientific materials collected or designed, paintings created, music composed, etc.

 

SICK LEAVE
The University has established a forty-hour workweek for all full-time personnel. The purpose of establishing the forty-hour week is to provide for a system of accounting for and the taking of sick leave. An attendance and leave record shall be completed and certified by all employees and endorsed by their immediate supervisors. The completed records are then processed by the Payroll Office. Sick leave, by definition, is leave with pay granted for medical, dental, or optical consultation or treatment.

Sick leave for unclassified employees shall be earned by each employee who has a regular tour of duty. The earning of such leave shall be based on the equivalent of years of full-time state service and shall be creditable at the end of each pay period or calendar month in accordance with the following general schedule:

1. Less than three years of service: at the rate of one day of sick leave per month, or the equivalent thereof in hours.
2. Three years but less than five years of service: at the rate of one and one-fourth days of sick leave per month or the equivalent thereof in hours.
3. Five years but less than ten years of service: at the rate of one and one-half days of sick leave per month or the equivalent thereof in hours.
4. Ten years but less than fifteen years of service: at the rate of one and three-fourths days of sick leave per month or the equivalent thereof in hours.
5. Fifteen or more years of service: at the rate of two days of sick leave per month or the equivalent thereof in hours.

Unclassified academic personnel of the University employed on other than a twelve-month basis shall earn sick leave in accordance with the table below.

Length of Contract	Summer Session Worked	YEARS OF SERVICE
		Less than 3 years	3 but less than 5	5 but less than 10	10 but less than 15	15 years and over
9 months	12 weeks	12 days	15 days	18 days	21 days	24 days
9 months	9 weeks	11-1/4 days	14 days	17-1/4 days	19-3/4 days	22-1/2 days
9 months	6 weeks	10-1/2 days	13 days	15-3/4 days	18-1/2 days	21 days
9 months	none	9 days	11-1/4 days	13-1/2 days	15-3/4 days	18 days

Accrued sick leave earned by an employee shall be carried forward to the succeeding years without limitation. There is no minimum charge for sick leave. It is to be charged on an hourly basis.

 

USE OF SICK LEAVE
Sick leave with pay may be taken by an employee who has sufficient leave to his credit for the following:

(a) Illness or injury which prevents performance of his usual duties.

(b) Medical, dental, or optical consultation or treatment.

(c) Care for an immediate family member who is ill or injured, "immediate family member" means a spouse, parent, or child of an employee.

(d) Accompanying an immediate family member to a medical, dental, or optical consultation or treatment.

Absence from duty caused by maternity is considered to be a temporary disability similar to any other medical disability. Employees may use accumulated sick leave for this purpose. If the employee's sick leave balance is insufficient to cover the entire period of absence, the employee must seek approval from the appointing authority or his/her designee to use annual leave, or to use leave without pay. Sick leave may be used only for that period of time during which the employee is unable to perform her duties because of pregnancy. Additional time off must be covered by other types of leave when the employee is discharged by her health care professional, usually six weeks following delivery. Maternity leave will be designated under FMLA. (Louisiana Law R.S. 23:342 allows up to 4-months of leave for pregnancy/childbirth leave.)

Before being granted leave for maternity purposes the employee is required to furnish a statement from her health care professional to the effect that she can no longer perform the duties required and the expected date of delivery. Before an employee can return to work following leave for pregnancy, the health care professional must certify in writing that the employee is able to return to regular duties. To prepare for possible replacement of an employee who is requesting maternity leave, the employee's written request for leave should be submitted a minimum of two months in advance of the proposed beginning of leave. No later than one month prior to the termination of the approved leave period; the employee should notify the Human Resources Office in writing of her plans to resume duty on the established date.

Every faculty member who does not earn annual leave and who is employed by a public post-secondary education management board shall be entitled to and shall be allowed to use up to two days absence during each academic year without loss of pay for personal purposes as may be determined by the employee. The employee requesting such personal leave shall give his immediate supervisor at least twenty-four hours’ notice prior to taking the leave. The personal leave shall be charged to and deducted from the employee's sick leave for the current year or sick leave accumulated.  Personal leave shall not be accumulated from year to year nor shall personal leave be compensated for upon the death or retirement of the employee or paid in any other manner except as provided by this Subsection.

 

CRISIS LEAVE
Southeastern participates in a Crisis Leave Program to be used by fellow faculty and/or unclassified employees. Crisis Leave is leave hours donated by faculty and/or unclassified staff into a Crisis Leave Pool to be used by fellow faculty and/or unclassified staff who are suffering from their own serious health condition, which has caused or is likely to cause the employee to take leave without pay or to terminate employment. Donated annual and sick leave to the Crisis Leave Pool is irrevocable.


ANNUAL LEAVE, FACULTY LEAVE, AND HOLIDAYS
Annual leave earned shall be based on the equivalent of years of full-time state service and shall be creditable at the end of each pay period or calendar month in accordance with the general schedule below.

Years of Service	Work Days of Annual Leave Earned per Month	Work Days of Annual Leave Earned Per Year
Less than three years	1	12
Three but less than five years	1-1/4	15
Five but less than ten years	1-1/2	18
Ten but less than fifteen years	1-13/4	21
Fifteen or more years	2	24

Only faculty with twelve-month appointments earn annual leave. Annual leave for twelve-month employees is scheduled with the consent of the library director, academic dean or the Provost, subject to the approval of the President, in accordance with the nature of the faculty member's duties.

Faculty members employed on a nine-month basis do not earn annual leave; they earn "Faculty Leave." "Faculty Leave" is leave granted in lieu of annual leave to faculty members employed on a nine-month basis. Faculty leave is automatically taken between terms and at holiday periods, as shown in the official University calendar.

All nine-month faculty members follow the holiday schedule found in the academic calendar on the University's webpage.


FUNERAL LEAVE
Full-time employees may be given time off without loss of pay, annual leave, or sick leave when attending the funeral of a relative.  Time off shall not exceed two days on any one occasion.  Relatives for purposes of this section include the following:

Parent	Child	Spouse
Step-parent	Step-Child	Mother-in-law
Grandparent	Brother or Sister	Father-in-law
Step-grandparent	Step-brother or sister	Grandchild

 

COVID-19 VACCINE LEAVE
Full-time faculty and staff will, as needed, be allowed up to 12 hours of leave to receive the vaccine.  No more than 4 hours can be used for each dose, for up to 12 hours of leave in total which includes a booster.  Proof of vaccination on the date requested will be required for this leave to apply.  Once proof of vaccination is received HR will apply for the employee.  Employees will not be required to take any leave to receive the vaccine on campus, they will only have to ensure department coverage and coordinate with their supervisor.


MILITARY LEAVE
Full-time employees who are members of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States or of the National Guard shall be granted leaves of absence from their positions without loss of pay, time, sick leave, or annual leave when ordered to active duty for field training or training authorized in lieu thereof when the individual is given constructive credit for such training. Such leaves shall be for periods not to exceed 15 working days in any calendar year, but an appointing authority may grant an employee annual leave or leave without pay or both, in accordance with other provisions of these leave regulations for such periods which exceed 15 working days in any calendar year.

Full-time employees who are inducted or ordered to active duty to fulfill reserve obligations or who are ordered to active duty in connection with reserve activities for indefinite periods or for periods in excess of their annual field training shall be ineligible for leave with pay.

Full-time employees on military leave (or special leave for war-connected service) from institutions under the control of the University of Louisiana System shall be re-employed by the institution at the beginning of the next semester (or quarter) after the date on which the institution heads receive written notification that such persons wish to return to their positions, provided that such notification shall be given within 40 days after honorable discharge from the Armed Forces.


LEAVE FOR CIVIL AND NATIONAL SERVICE
Full-time employees shall be given time off without loss of pay or sick leave when:

1. Performing jury duty.
2. Summoned to appear as a witness before a court, grand jury, or other public body or commission.
3. Performing emergency civilian duty in relation to national defense.
4. His/her appointing authority determines that he/she is prevented by an act of God from performing his/her duty.
5. Voting in a primary, general, or special election which falls on his/her scheduled working day, provided that not more than two hours of leave shall be allowed an employee to vote in the parish where he/she is employed, and not more than one day to vote in a parish other than the one where he/she is employed.
6. The President of the University shall determine when local conditions or celebrations make it impracticable for University employees to work. University of Louisiana System, Policies and Procedure Memorandum, Chapter III, FS-III.XXI.-1, located at: https://s25260.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/FS-III.XX_.-1-Leave-Record-Establishment.pdf

 

LEAVE FOR PERSONAL EMERGENCIES
At the discretion of the President of the University, a full-time employee may be granted leave with pay to attend to personal emergencies. Such time may be charged against sick leave.  The form to request Personal Emergency leave can be found on the Human Resources webpage.


FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE
As per the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993, Southeastern will grant a leave of absence to regular full-time and regular part-time employees (who meet the requirements described below) for the care of a child after birth or adoption or placement with the employee for foster care, for the care of a covered family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition, or in the event of an employee's own serious condition. Employees may also utilize FMLA to care for a military member injured in the line of duty or for a military member who has been notified of an impending call or order to active duty in support of a contingency operation.  A covered employee is entitled to twelve weeks of leave in a "year." The State of Louisiana has designated that all agencies use a "first usage" year. This 12-month period begins with an employee's first usage of FMLA leave.

Employees must meet the following eligibility requirements: 

1. One must have been employed for 12 months by the state and for at least 1250 hours during the 12 months preceding the start of FMLA leave. The employee must have actually worked 1250 hours. Leave time is excluded.
2. The 12-month period required for employment need not be continuous. If an employee has worked any part of each of 52 weeks, the 12-month employment requirement is considered met. These 52 weeks must have been within a reasonable time period.

 

Guidelines
Pursuant to federal regulations, the University can place an employee on FMLA leave (paid or unpaid) even if the employee has not requested leave under FMLA. However, the employer should always require the employee to use paid leave first. This is to simplify problems with paying medical insurance premiums.

1. The employee may utilize paid leave during FMLA leave and, after exhaustion of sick leave, may use annual leave when the employee cannot work because of illness or injury.
2. While an employee's appointment may be terminated for exhaustion of sick leave, if that employee has not used all of the 12 weeks of FMLA leave, the University will not consider termination of the employee’s employment until all FMLA leave has been exhausted.
3. The University may designate absences as FMLA leave where the reason for the absence is covered by FMLA and the employee may demand to use appropriate paid leave during FMLA leave. In either case, the University must advise the employee in writing with notice of the employee's rights and obligations when such designation is made.
4. The employee must give 30 days’ notice of the need for FMLA leave, or, if not practicable, as much notice as is practicable.
5. The leave is an entitlement for only 12 weeks.
6. Sick leave can still be used only for the employee's illness but may not be used for taking care of a family member.
7. All medical records submitted to the employer for verification of leave are confidential.
8. The "key employee" provision of the federal act does not apply.