Process for a Special Leave (Presidential Leave)
A faculty member may request a Special Leave for up to one year on a paid or unpaid basis. Only the President may grant a Special Leave.
A special leave may be paid or unpaid and is granted at the discretion of the President. Leave requests for the next semester are made no later than the first month of the preceding semester. Up to two paid leaves are given per academic year.
A special leave allows a faculty member to accept an exigent and extraordinary opportunity for advancement and achievement. Leave requests need to demonstrate how a particular project will be advanced or completed, or how an honorific appointment can enhance a scholarly or creative trajectory and/or provide visibility for the College. Ordinarily, the time on special leave will be counted as time toward tenure and/or promotion and will not be counted either as sabbatical leave or as "full-time service" (Faculty Handbook, section 13.1.1) for purposes of determining eligibility for sabbatical leave.
The Provost and the School/Institute Deans will review special leave requests by faculty and send their recommendation to the president. Faculty members should provide an executive summary detailing the request along with supporting documents such as contracts, invitations, award letters, or deal memos. This should be sent to the School/Institute Dean with a copy to the President.
A faculty member who takes a paid special leave must agree in writing to return to service at the College for at least one full academic year, beginning with the start of the next academic year, immediately following the leave. Ordinarily, if the leave is one semester in length, the faculty member agrees to teach a 3-course load or the equivalent during the alternate semester. In the rare event of a year-long leave, the faculty member teaches a 3-course load the first semester upon return.
While the Presidential Leave is primarily designed for leaves of absence, in some special cases, the President may grant a course equivalency to a Term Faculty member for the purpose of allowing that faculty member to accept a time-sensitive and distinctive opportunity for academic, artistic or professional advancement and achievement that will enrich the faculty member's teaching and benefit the College.
