Leaves for Academic Appointees

Scope

The following types of leaves are available, subject to eligibility standards, to full-time academic appointees (75% effort or greater). The specifics of certain types of leaves can differ based on criteria such as the type of appointment (10-month or 12-month) or the appointee’s rank (tenure-track, tenured appointees).

Back to top

Policy Statement

1. Indiana University supports an environment which offers solutions to the complex issues academic appointees face in balancing their work and family commitments.  Leaves of various types reflect the fact that academic appointees do not accrue paid time off as do appointed and hourly staff and allow an academic appointee to have vacation time and, when needed, leave time that relieves academic appointees of professional responsibilities so that they may attend to personal and family needs without undue financial hardship.
2. The university recognizes that the amount of paid leave taken by academic appointees to attend to medical needs, whether their own or those of a family member, or for family formation will vary by need and circumstance and may extend across terms.
3. An academic appointee should not be expected to perform duties while on leave, to make up time or work, or to be on call in clinical settings. Abstention from performance of duties during the leave period, under most circumstances, shall not be considered in the evaluation for reappointment, tenure, promotion, or merit pay.

Back to top

Reason for Policy

This policy articulates how academic appointees determine their eligibility for and schedule their vacation time (12-month appointees) and other leaves and how Indiana University implements its responsibilities under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and other laws for its academic appointees.

Back to top

Procedures

Types of Leave and Procedures

1.  Medical Leave
   1. Informal medical absences that will last less than three weeks (15 working days) per year are handled within the unit and are fully paid. The academic appointee must make arrangements with the department chair or unit director. If the appointee later learns that the medical absence will require more than three weeks, the appointee must notify the department chair or unit head as soon as possible and request a formal medical leave. 
   2. For medical absences of more than three weeks (15 working days) in a year, academic appointees are eligible for medical leave as follows:
      1. A full-time (75% or greater) academic appointee is eligible for paid medical leave.  The maximum amount of paid medical leave for a full-time academic appointee is 15 weeks, up to six weeks of leave at full pay and up to nine additional weeks at half pay.  An academic appointee is expected to return to work before being eligible for a subsequent paid leave for the same or related medical condition. 
      2. Any appointee seeking a leave pursuant to this section must request a medical leave and follow campus- or unit-specific procedures governing the medical documentation required to support the leave.
   3. Time spent on informal medical absences normally does not count toward the 15-week maximum for paid leave. However, if during an informal absence, the appointee applies for a paid medical leave under Paragraph 2 for the same or a related issue, then the time already spent on a medical absence does count as part of the 15-week maximum for paid leave. 
   4. During a medical leave, the tenure clock stops unless the academic appointee requests otherwise. An appointee’s abstention from performance of duties during the leave period shall not be considered in the evaluation for reappointment, tenure, promotion, or merit pay.
   5. For a pregnancy-related medical leave, no medical documentation is needed for the period of two weeks before birth and four weeks after birth.  An appointee may take an additional 9 weeks of medical leave at half pay if medically necessary and documented according to campus- or unit-specific procedures. This pregnancy-related medical leave is separate from family formation leave (See Section C. below).
   6. Medical leave may be intermittent, continuous block, or reduced schedule (i.e., part-time) depending on the medical condition.
   7. Time spent on paid medical leave counts towards eligibility for sabbaticals and retirement benefits.
2. Family Formation Leave
   1. Family formation leave for academic appointees at the IU School of Medicine is governed by ACA-51.
   2. Family formation refers to the birth or placement of a child with an academic appointee through adoption or foster care.  If  both parents in the household (whether spouses or domestic partners) are employees of Indiana University, each parent may take the family formation leave provided under this policy, if the parent is an academic appointee, or HR-05-65, if the parent is staff. 
   3. Both 10-­ and 12-­month academic appointees become eligible for up to 12 weeks of family formation leave after one year of continuous full-­time Indiana University service.  Visiting and post-­doctoral academic appointees are not eligible for family formation leave with pay, but they are eligible for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave.
   4. Family ­formation leave must be concluded within six months of the birth of the child or, in the case of adoption or foster care, within six months of the date on which the child is placed in the physical custody of the academic appointee.
   5. Family formation leave is separate from and in addition to any medical leave for which the appointee may be eligible, including pregnancy-related medical leave provided in Section A.6. above.  
   6. When an academic appointee intends to take family formation leave, the appointee must provide written notice according to campus- or unit-specific procedures, including any requirements that tenure-probationary faculty must follow to document tenure status while on family formation leave.  
   7. Flexibility and Teaching Assignments
      1. When a family formation leave would prevent an academic appointee from carrying out regular teaching responsibilities in two consecutive terms, the appointee must reach an agreement with the relevant academic unit that meets the needs of both the appointee and the academic unit. Agreements may include a reduced teaching schedule in one or more terms, partial-term teaching schedules, additional non-­teaching duties, or a combination of paid and unpaid leave. Appointees and academic units are encouraged to be creative and flexible in developing solutions that are fair to both the individual and the university.
      2. All family formation leave agreements that span two terms must be committed to writing and approved by the campus chief academic affairs officer, who will ensure that the agreement has been entered into voluntarily and is fair to both the appointee and the university.
   8. During a family formation leave, the tenure clock stops unless the academic appointee requests otherwise. Abstention from performance of duties during the leave period shall not be considered in the evaluation for reappointment, tenure, promotion, or merit pay.
   9. All academic breaks count in the leave period. For appointees on twelve-­month appointments, an appointee’s vacation days do not count in the total twelve-­week eligibility period.
   10. Academic appointees may take family formation leave up to twice every five years. 
       1. A 10-month appointee must return to full-time service for at least one fall or spring semester between leaves; a 12-month appointee must return to full-time service for at least five months between leaves.
       2. The first week of a paid family formation leave begins the period for calculating both the twelve-week leave and the five-year eligibility period. 
       3. The maximum of twice in five years applies to any combination of family support leave (Section C. below) and family formation leave, but does not apply to medical leave, including medical leave for pregnancy. 
   11. Time spent on family formation leave counts towards eligibility for sabbaticals, time in service, and retirement benefits.
3. Family Support Leave
   1. Family support leave for academic appointees at the IU School of Medicine is governed by ACA-51. 
   2. Family support leave is intended for the primary care of an academic appointee’s eligible family member with a serious health condition.  Eligible family members are the spouse, domestic partner, parent, dependent child, or dependent child of the appointee’s spouse or domestic partner.
   3. Both 10-­ and 12-­month academic appointees become eligible for family support leave after one year of continuous full-­time Indiana University service. Visiting and post-doctoral academic appointees are not eligible for family support leave with pay, but they are eligible for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave. 
   4. Informal absences that will last less than three weeks (15 working days) per year are handled within the unit and are fully paid. The academic appointee must inform the department chair or unit director of the absence and its expected length.
   5. For a family support leave that will extend for more than three weeks (15 working days) in a calendar year, the appointee must follow campus- or unit-specific procedures, including documentation of the medical need and the necessity for caregiving as well as any requirements that tenure-probationary faculty must follow to document tenure status while on family support leave.
   6. A family support leave may last up to 12 weeks, and may be intermittent, continuous block, or reduced schedule (i.e., part-time), depending on the medical condition and the necessity for care.
   7. Time spent on informal family support absences normally does not count toward the 12-week maximum for paid leave. However, if during an informal absence, the appointee applies for a family support leave for the same or a related issue, then the time already spent on the absence does count as part of the 12-week maximum for paid leave. 
   8. Flexibility and Teaching Assignments
      1. When a family support leave would prevent an appointee from carrying out regular teaching responsibilities in two consecutive terms, the appointee must reach an agreement with the relevant academic unit that meets the needs of both the appointee and the academic unit. Agreements may include a reduced teaching schedule in one or more terms, partial-term teaching schedules, additional non-­teaching duties, or a combination of paid and unpaid leave. Appointees and academic units are encouraged to be creative and flexible in developing solutions that are fair to both the individual and the university.
      2. All family support leave agreements which span two terms must be committed to writing, signed by the appointee and the head of the relevant academic unit, and approved by the campus chief academic affairs officer, who shall be responsible for ensuring that the agreement has been entered into voluntarily and is fair to both the appointee and the university.
   9. Eligible academic appointees may take paid family support leave up to twice every five years.
      1. A 10-month appointee must return to full-time service for at least one fall or spring semester between leaves; a 12-month appointee must return to full-time service for at least five months between leaves.
      2. The first week of any paid family support leave begins the period for calculating both the twelve-week leave period and five-year eligibility period.
      3. The maximum of twice in five years applies to any combination of family support and family formation leave (Section B. above), but does not apply to paid medical leave (Section A. above), including paid medical leave for pregnancy.
      4. An academic appointee who has exhausted paid family support leave, but has an ongoing need to provide care for eligible family member with a serious health condition may request a leave without pay (Section F. below). 
   10. An eligible academic appointee shall be compensated at the following amounts for the duration of a paid family support leave period (twelve weeks maximum per instance, up to twice within each five years):
       1. For academic appointees earning salaries up to and including $125,000 annually, the leave shall be at full salary.
       2. For academic appointees earning salaries above $125,000 annually, the percentage of pay they receive shall be reduced by 1% for each $2,000 in salary above $125,000; however, the percentage of paid leave shall not fall below 50% of the academic appointee’s salary.
   11. Time spent on paid family support leave counts towards eligibility for sabbaticals, time in service, and retirement benefits.
   12. During a family support leave, the tenure clock stops unless the academic appointee requests otherwise. Abstention from performance of duties during the leave period shall not be considered in the evaluation for reappointment, tenure, promotion, or merit pay.
4. Funeral/Bereavement Leave
   Academic appointees may be absent up to three days with pay for the death or funeral of the following family members:  spouse, domestic partner, child, grandchild, parent (or an individual who stood in loco parentis to the academic appointee prior to the age of 18), sibling, grandparent, in-law relative of the same degree, step-relative of the same degree; or other relative of whom the appointee is the sole survivor. These three days will not be counted in the total of medical leave days under Section A. of this policy or, for 12-month appointees, vacation days per year provided under Section F. of this policy.
5. Leave Without Pay; Prestigious Leave
   1. An academic appointee may request leave without pay (LWOP), including a prestigious leave, through the procedure adopted by the campus.
   2. A request for LWOP should be made in writing to the department chair or unit head and should be accompanied by a brief statement of the reasons for which the leave is sought. The campus will determine whether a requested leave is a prestigious leave. 
   3. Final approval of LWOP rests with the campus Provost/Chancellor.
   4. A LWOP is typically limited to one year, but may be extended for a second year for good cause.
   5. The university will not make contributions to an academic appointee’s retirement funds while on LWOP.  See “Additional Considerations” tab in https://hr.iu.edu/bcc/status/leave_of_absence.htm. 
   6. Continuation of the appointee’s benefit plans while on LWOP, including life and health insurance, will be in accordance with current HR policy. See https://hr.iu.edu/bcc/status/leave_of_absence.htm. 
   7. Time on LWOP typically counts toward tenure.
   8. Time on LWOP accrues university service credit, which may be relevant under other university policies, such as IU Retiree Status Eligibility.
   9. Time on LWOP typically does not count towards sabbatical eligibility, except for prestigious leaves.
   10. Exceptions to the provisions of this Section may be approved following campus guidelines.  
6. Vacation Leave for 12-month Appointees
   1. Vacation leave is voluntary paid time off that is available to 12-month appointees.
   2. Academic appointees with 12-month appointments have 22 working days of vacation leave per year, as “year” is defined by their unit for their appointment category (e.g., academic, fiscal, calendar; “grant year” as defined by a federal grant).  Appointees with partial year or partial effort appointments have the number of days of vacation days equal to 22 days pro-rated in accordance with the terms of their appointment.
      1. Units should, to the extent practicable, use a consistent definition of year and process for accrual of vacation leave for all of their 12-month academic appointees. Units should develop a process for incremental accrual for 12-month appointees in their first year.  At a minimum, units should allow appointees to accrue at least 11 days in the first six months of the appointment. 
      2. Appointees are not required to use vacation for official campus holidays, but are required to use vacation for time taken off during academic breaks.  Days during which an office or function is officially closed by the unit head are counted the same as official campus holidays, and the appointee is not required to use vacation days.
      3. Unused vacation days do not carry over to future years. 
      4. No academic appointee can expect additional compensation in lieu of vacation.
      5. Campus-specific rules govern whether an appointee could have terminal leave.
   3. The use of vacation leave must be approved by the unit head.  Specific scheduling must meet the needs of the individual and the unit.
7. Sabbatical Leave
   1. Tenured and tenure-probationary faculty members have responsibility for two academic functions, teaching and research. Travel to use other libraries or research centers, to work with other scholars, to conduct field research, or to engage in creative activity is generally necessary for scholarly endeavor.  A sabbatical leave is designed to provide time for such scholarly research and creative activity and associated travel and to allow faculty to keep abreast of developments in their fields of service to the university. 
      1. The university makes the investment in a sabbatical leave in the expectation that the sabbatical will significantly enhance the faculty member’s capacity to contribute to the objectives of the university.
      2. Faculty proposals for sabbatical leave must include a statement indicating the manner of achieving the objectives of sabbatical leaves, which may include research on significant problems; important creative or descriptive work in any means of expression, for example, writing, painting, etc., postdoctoral study along a specified line at another institution, or other projects satisfactory to the responsible committee(s) and/or dean(s).
   2. Tenured and tenure-probationary librarians are responsible for the collection, dissemination and preservation of information and source materials and for services in support of all academic functions of the university.  
      1. Indiana University recognizes that, as is the case with faculty, sabbatical leave for librarians is an investment that will significantly enhance the librarian’s capacity to contribute to the objectives of the university.
      2. Librarian proposals for sabbatical leave must include a statement indicating the manner of achieving the objectives of sabbatical leaves, which may include scholarly and pedagogical research, creative work, post-master’s study such as a second master’s degree or doctorate (normally undertaken at another institution), and other projects satisfactory to the responsible committees and/or deans.
   3. An academic appointee is eligible to apply for one sabbatical leave for each period of seven years’ full-time service in faculty rank following the completion of the first six years of full-time service at Indiana University.
      1. For example, an academic appointee may be granted one sabbatical leave in the seventh through thirteenth year of service, and another sabbatical leave in the fourteenth through twentieth year of service. 
      2. Time on a sabbatical leave counts as full-time service for purposes of establishing eligibility for a subsequent sabbatical leave. 
      3. Leaves without pay do not count as part of the period by which eligibility for sabbatical leave is determined, except for prestigious leaves.  
   4. Although not part of the university’s sabbatical leave program, units are encouraged to provide sabbatical-like leaves for non-tenure-track faculty for professional development.
   5. A sabbatical leave will not be granted to an academic appointee who has been denied reappointment for the academic year immediately following the proposed leave.
   6. A sabbatical leave will not be granted for the last year of an academic appointee’s service prior to retirement or for an academic appointee who intends to resign at the end of the year for which sabbatical is requested.
   7. A sabbatical leave will not be granted until at least four years have passed since the prior sabbatical. Sabbatical leaves typically cannot be accumulated or “stacked” from one seven-year period to the next.
   8. A proposed sabbatical leave will be approved upon a determination that the purpose of sabbatical leaves set forth in Paragraph 1. above will be achieved.
   9. Each campus shall adopt procedures for the submission and approval of proposals for sabbatical leaves.  All campus approval procedures must:
      1. Condition approval of a proposed sabbatical leave on an agreement in writing that the academic appointee will reimburse Indiana University for any salary, retirement contributions, and insurance premiums paid during the sabbatical leave if the academic appointee does not return to the university for at least  two semesters following the leave.
      2. Require the academic appointee to adhere to a plan for the sabbatical that is developed as part of the approval process and that includes the submission of a report of activities undertaken during the sabbatical at the termination of the leave.  The report must be submitted no later than three months after the appointee’s return to the campus and will be used in evaluating future applications for sabbatical leave of appointees who have had one or more sabbatical leaves.
      3. Provide a process for review by the campus chief academic affairs officer of a decision by a department chair, school dean, or other unit head to deny approval for or delay an appointee’s sabbatical leave.
   10. Sabbatical leave will be for one semester at full salary or for one year at half salary.
       1. For an academic appointee with a twelve-month appointment, one semester is interpreted as 5 months, and one year as 10 months.
       2. Except as provided below, academic appointees  shall not seek or accept salary or stipend during a sabbatical leave from other sources than the university except:
          1. Academic appointees on sabbatical leave may receive grants from other sources for travel and research expenses incident to their scholarly activity.
          2. Appointees on leave for a year at half pay may engage in other scholarly activity consistent with that for which leave is granted and receive salary, stipend, or honoraria from other sources including external funding in amounts such that total salary, stipend, and honoraria do not exceed approximately the annual income normally earned.
   11. Academic appointees who are considering a sabbatical leave should consult with the campus chief academic affairs officer and with the UHR benefits office at askHR@iu.edu for case-specific information about benefits while on a sabbatical leave. The following guidelines apply in all cases:
       1. Health care benefits continue during the semester or year of the sabbatical leave.
       2. The university continues the academic appointee’s Group Life insurance based on the full-time salary rate.
       3. The university makes retirement plan contributions based on actual IU pay received.
   12. Final approval rests with the campus Provost/Chancellor. 
   13. An academic appointee may subsequently change sabbatical timing with the consent of the unit and the campus chief academic affairs officer.
   14. Academic administrators should arrange departmental schedules so as to permit eligible academic appointees to take sabbatical leaves while minimizing the cost of substitute instruction and the disruption of the departmental program.
8. Military Leave
   1. Military leaves are implemented in accordance with federal law, which protects the employment of all employees of Indiana University, including academic appointees, who have voluntarily enlisted in or who have been inducted into or called to duty by the uniformed services of the United States. These protections include leaves of absence for training and active duty and continuation and restoration of certain benefits.
   2. Indiana law allows family members of individuals on active duty in the uniformed services to take temporary leaves of absence within specified time frames.
   3. Because of the type and nature of academic appointments and the fundamental differences between the way academic appointees and staff accrue and use paid time off, academic unit heads will address the implementation of military duty or military family leave, including short-term deployments, on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the academic appointee and IUHR to ensure that academic appointees receive the leaves and protections to which they are entitled. (See HR-05-60, Leaves for Military Duty and Leaves for Military Families, for information about leaves available to Indiana University staff employees and how these leaves are to be implemented.) 
9. Leave for Jury or Witness Duty
   An academic appointee who is called for jury duty will be allowed absence with pay for the period of service as a juror. An academic appointee who has been subpoenaed will be allowed absence with pay when serving as a witness.
10. Other
    While the categories set forth in this policy cover most kinds of leave available to academic appointees, they are not exhaustive. A request for a discretionary leave shall be submitted in writing and approved by the department chair or unit head of the appointee's unit, the Dean of the school or college, and the campus chief academic affairs officer.
11. Campus-Specific Procedures
    Each campus shall adopt procedures for the implementation of this policy that includes, at a minimum:
    1. A requirement that the department or unit maintain documentation related to all leaves taken by its academic appointees.
    2. Procedures governing the submission and approval of proposals for sabbatical leaves, which include the criteria identified in Paragraph G. above. 
    3. Criteria that will be used in evaluating requests for leave without pay under Paragraph F. above.

Back to top

Definitions

Academic Breaks: Fall, Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring breaks.

Campus Holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas Day.

Chief Academic Affairs Officer: The Vice Provost, Executive Vice Chancellor, or Vice Chancellor on each campus responsible for faculty and academic affairs or designee.

Provost/Chancellor: Includes that official’s designee.

Semester: The spring and fall terms as defined by the common calendar, including grading periods.

Term: A semester and/or a summer session of at least 12 weeks as defined by the campus in which a unit offers full-credit classes.

Back to top

History

On December 7, 2020, the UFC approved updates to the university policies related to leaves for academic appointees (ACA-46, Vacation for 12-Month Appointees; ACA-47, Sabbatical Leaves for Faculty and Librarians; ACA-48, Leave Without Pay; ACA-49, Other Leaves; and ACA-50, Paid Family Leave for Academic Appointees) and also approved the consolidation of these policies into a single policy for ease of reference, as follows:

DETAILS:

ACA-46, Vacation 12-Month Academic Appointees:  UFC, March 7, 1967, Board of Trustees, April 21, 1967.  On December 7, 2020, the UFC approved non-substantive updates to ACA-46 and approved the consolidation of the updated content into ACA-47, Leaves for Academic Appointees.

ACA-47, Sabbatical Leaves for Faculty and Librarians:  Action by Board of Trustees, June 2, 1939; February 25, 1952; December 5, 1981; April 11, 2013.  Action by Faculty Council, November 15, 1949; May 25, 1956; and May 5, 1964.  Action by University Faculty Council, October 13, 1981; April 27, 1982, March 26, 2013.  On December 7, 2020, the UFC approved non-substantive updates to ACA-47 and approved the consolidation of updated content of ACA-46 through -50 into ACA-47, Leaves for Academic Appointees. ACA-47, as it existed on December 6, 2020 can be viewed here.

ACA-48, Leave Without Pay:  Action by Faculty Council, May 5, 1964; December 3, 1968; July 25, 1969); Administrative updates in 2015 and 2020 to align with HR policies applicable to all university faculty and staff (Health Care Benefits During An Unpaid Leave of Absence; Discretionary Leave of Absence, which affects university service credit while on LWOP).  On December 7, 2020, the UFC approved non-substantive updates to ACA-48 and approved the consolidation of the updated content into ACA-47, Leaves for Academic Appointees.

ACA-49, Other Leaves:  Action by Board of Trustees, October 20, 1961 (Military Leave); Board of Trustees, December 20, 1942 (Jury Duty and Witness Appearance); Board of Trustees, January 20, 1973 (Sick Leave); Board of Trustees, June 29, 1974 (Pregnancy and Childbearing).  Interim provisions to this policy were put into effect on August 17, 2020 to comply with the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).  On December 7, 2020, the UFC approved non-substantive updates to ACA-49 and approved the consolidation of the updated content into ACA-47, Leaves for Academic Appointees.

ACA-50, Paid Family Leave for Academic Appointees:  Board of Trustees on June 20, 2008; December 9, 2011; non-substantive administrative revision August 28, 2019, to provide context for implementation of paid family leave in the academic setting. Interim provisions to this policy were put into effect on August 17, 2020 to comply with the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).  On December 7, 2020, the UFC approved non-substantive updates to ACA-50 and approved the consolidation of the updated content into ACA-47, Leaves for Academic Appointees.

Interim provisions to this policy expired on December 31, 2020, under the terms of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).

Previous Version 08/17/2020-12/31/2020

On March 23, 2021, the UFC approved the addition of Paragraph C.12., which addresses the impact on tenure clock of a family support leave, which was inadvertently omitted from the adoption of this consolidated academic leave policy in December 2020.

This policy was amended in June 2021 to make a correction to Section F. such that language addressing academic appointees who separate from the university mirrors the language in the Trustee resolution that established vacation leave for 12-month appointees. 

Previous Version 03/23/2021-6/18/2021

June 2025- Update Responsible Office

Update Responsible Office and Responsible Administrator

Back to top