The leave program of the University is designed to ensure that faculty members may be relieved periodically from normal teaching and other University duties in order to pursue scholarship. Leaves are recommended by the Chair of the department on the basis of a faculty member's proposed program of scholarship, while taking into account the teaching and service needs of the department. The leave program does not guarantee that each faculty member receives a specified number of leaves during a given number of years. It is intended rather to provide flexibility in planning both for the individual faculty member's scholarly pursuits and for the instructional program of the department. There are several kinds of leave, including sabbatical leave and leave without pay. For sabbatical leaves, at least five consecutive semesters of active service must precede the leave. For leaves without pay, at least two consecutive semesters of active service must precede the leave. No member of the faculty may be on a leave of any kind for more than four semesters in a seven-year period.

Sabbatical Leaves. Tenured faculty are eligible for leaves with pay for scholarship after five consecutive semesters of active service. In this context, semesters including short-term disability or workload relief for childcare are considered semesters of active service. Sabbatical leaves may be with full pay for one semester or half pay for two semesters in the same academic year. External funds may be used to provide the other half salary so long as these funds do not entail obligations which alter the purpose of the leave. One semester of paid leave may be "banked" to be used at a later time, with the understanding that no more than one semester of paid leave can be banked at a time and that five semesters of active service remains the minimum interval between sabbatical leaves. For example, faculty may elect to serve ten semesters of active service and take one academic year on leave at full pay. Note that sabbatical leaves are available only to faculty who are actively engaged in scholarship, teaching, and service. No more than 1/3 of tenured faculty in the department may be on sabbatical leave at any given time.

One-in-Six Leaves for Assistant Professors in the Humanities or Social Sciences. An assistant professor in the humanities or social sciences is granted one semester's leave with full pay or its equivalent during his or her first three-year appointment. 

Leaves for Bicentennial Preceptors. A Bicentennial Preceptor is granted one academic year's leave with full pay during the term as Bicentennial Preceptor in addition to the one-in-six leave granted to assistant professors in the humanities and social sciences.

Leaves for University Preceptors. A University Preceptor is granted one semester's leave with pay in addition to the one-in-six leave granted to assistant professors in the humanities and social sciences.

Leaves without Pay (Including Leaves for Personal Reasons). Leaves without pay may be recommended by the Chair of the department on the basis of a faculty member's needs, provided that the department's teaching and other functions can be met. In addition to those for scholarship, leaves without pay may be granted for such purposes as the temporary assumption of an important government post, a temporary honorific professorial or administrative appointment, or for personal reasons, including child-rearing. Leaves without pay are not, however, granted for regular teaching at another institution.

Leaves without pay are not normally granted for more than one year. Under certain circumstances, typically in connection with government service, an extension of one year is permitted, but at the end of that time the University normally requires that the faculty member either return or resign. Extensions are not granted for leaves for scholarship, whether paid or unpaid. In all cases the Dean of the Faculty shall be consulted at the outset of negotiations with an outside party. All leaves without pay must be approved by the Dean of the Faculty, and when combined with leaves for scholarship, including sabbaticals, may not exceed four semesters in a seven-year period.

Benefits Coverage during Leaves of Absence.
The University is not permitted by the Internal Revenue Service to contribute to a faculty member's retirement plan account during a leave of absence without pay. However, coverage in most other benefit plans continues during the months a faculty member is on leave either with or without pay. When a faculty member is on leave without pay, he or she will be billed for the cost of benefits that are normally reduced from salary.