Faculty and A/P Leaves/Absences

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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2025, 04:07 PM

[The following was approved on May 23, 1996, with amendments on June 27, 1997, October 9, 1998, July 9, 1999, and September 20, 2000, in accordance with provisions set forth in SIU Board of Trustees 2 Policies C.] Per current Board Policy, the following was approved by the Chancellor of Southern Illinois University Carbondale on August 26, 2004.

  1. Sick Leave
    1. Faculty and administrative/professional staff employees at Southern Illinois University Carbondale with continuing appointments and coaches with multi-year term appointments shall be granted both non-accruable and accruable sick-leave benefits. These benefits will be implemented in accordance with administrative guidelines authorized by the Chancellor of Southern Illinois University Carbondale and approved by the President of the Southern Illinois University System.
    2. Non-accruable sick-leave benefits will be granted to all faculty and administrative/professional staff on full-time academic- or fiscal-year appointments at the rate of 43 work days per contract year.
    3. Accruable sick leave will be awarded to faculty and administrative/professional staff with continuing appointments and to coaches on multi-year term appointments at the rate of 7.2 work days per contract year. Term appointment employees, with the exception of coaches on multi-year term appointments, shall be ineligible for accruable sick leave. Faculty or staff carrying split appointments (i.e., in part continuing and in part term) are eligible to accrue sick leave.
    4. Both the non-accruable and accruable sick-leave benefits for eligible part-time faculty and administrative/professional staff will be prorated in accordance with the percentage of time provided in the appointment.
    5. Sick leave for all eligible faculty and administrative/professional employees will be used in the following order:
      1. Non-accruable sick-leave days for the current fiscal year;
      2. Sick-leave days accrued before January 1, 1984;
      3. Sick-leave days earned and accrued after January 1, 1998;
      4. Sick-leave days accrued on or after January 1,1984 but before January 1, 1998.
    6. Accrued sick leave is transferable within the Southern Illinois University system.
    7. Before sick-leave benefits are made available, the employee's supervisor or the Director of Human Resources may require documentation of an illness from a physician or other administratively acceptable proof.
    8. Employees may use their sick leave for personal illness or injury, for personal medical and dental appointments, for any approved family and medical leave, for the illness or injury of a member of the immediate family or household or additional bereavement in accordance with established policy. For these purposes, the immediate family is defined as spouse, domestic partner, child, parent, mother-in-law, father-in-law, stepparent, sibling, grandchild or grandparent. Household includes anyone maintaining a family relationship living in an employee's home.

    9. Pregnancy and related illnesses shall be considered by the university as any other medical condition and will merit leave consideration as such. Up to six weeks of sick leave may be taken for the medical condition resulting from a normal delivery. Use of additional leave necessitated by medical complications requires an order from the employee's physician.

    10. Sick leave must be exhausted before an employee can become eligible for SURS disability benefits.
    11. Upon termination of employment for any reason, an employee or employee's estate is entitled to be paid for one-half of the unused sick leave which was accrued on or after January 1, 1984 and before January 1, 1998, except as limited by Illinois statute pertaining to the transfer or reemployment of State of Illinois employees to other state institutions or agencies.
  2. Vacation
    1. Members of the faculty who hold nine-month academic appointments shall not be eligible to earn or accrue vacation benefits. For such faculty, the time in the calendar not covered by the contract period of annual service constitutes a vacation period.
    2. The following policy shall govern vacation benefits for faculty and administrative/professional staff on fiscal-year appointments:
      1. Vacation for faculty and administrative/professional staff employees on fiscal-year appointments shall be earned at the following rates:

        Non-Exempt Employees

        Years of Employment Days Earned Per Year Monthly Accrual Rate Policy Maximum Computer Maximum
        0-0.99 12 1.000 24.00 25
        1-1.99 13 1.083 26.00 27.08
        2-2.99 14 1.167 28.00 29.17
        3-3.99 15 1.250 30.00 31.25
        4-4.99 16 1.333 32.00 33.33
        5-5.99 17 1.417 34.00 35.42
        6-6.99 18 1.500 36.00 37.50
        7-7.99 19 1.583 38.00 39.58
        8-8.99 20 1.667 40.00 41.67
        9-9.99 21 1.750 42.00 43.75
        10-10.99 22 1.833 44.00 45.83
        11-11.99 23 1.917 46.00 47.92
        12-12.99 24 2.000 48.00 50.00
        13-13.99 25 2.083 50.00 52.08
        14-14.99 26 2.166 52.00 54.17
        15-15.99 27 2.250 54.00 56.25
        16+ 28 2.333 56.00 58.33

        Exempt Employees

        Years of Employment Days Earned Per Year Monthly Accrual Rate Policy Maximum Computer Maximum
        0-2.99 25 2.083 50.00 52.08
        3-5.99 26 2.166 52.00 54.17
        6-8.99 27 2.250 54.00 56.25
        9+ 28 2.333 56.00 58.33
      2. Part-time employees in fiscal-year appointments shall earn vacation in accordance with the proportionate rate of the contract.
      3. Employees in continuing fiscal-year appointments and coaches on multi-year term appointments may accrue up to two years vacation credit, but no additional accumulation will be credited to their account whenever a two-year maximum is accrued.
      4. Employees in fiscal-year appointments may use all or part of their earned or accrued vacation prior to entering a disability leave or absence without pay. Unused accrued vacation benefits will be retained on university records pending the employees' return to pay status.
      5. Vacation is not earned during a period of sabbatical leave or professional development leave or leave without pay.
      6. In the event a change of status occurs, such as resignation, layoff of undetermined duration, termination, death, or retirement, the employee's payroll records will be closed and a lump sum payment of all earnings and accrued and unused vacation must be made, except as limited by Illinois statute pertaining to the transfer or reemployment of State of Illinois employees to other state institutions or agencies.
      7. Employees in term, fiscal-year appointments, with the exception of coaches on multi-year term appointments, must use the vacation benefits during the period of appointment or the benefit will be lost to the employee. Should death occur during a term fiscal-year appointment, earned but unused vacation benefits will be paid in a lump sum.
      8. Employees whose continuing fiscal-year appointments have been converted to term appointments may maintain such vacation accruals as were earned in the prior fiscal-year appointment but are subject to paragraph 6 above with respect to vacation earned during subsequent term appointments.
      9. Employees who are in term fiscal-year appointments on a temporary basis and who retain continuing fiscal appointment status are not subject to paragraph 6 and will accrue vacation as indicated in paragraph 2 above.
      10. Employees who are in a term appointment may accrue vacation and sick benefits commensurate with employees on a continuing appointment at the discretion of the Chancellor. 
  3. Personal Leave

    A leave without pay may be granted for a number of reasons:

    • acceptance of a visiting appointment at another college or university, a fellowship or
    • scholarship for advanced study, an opportunity to travel and/or engage in research, or
    • any number of other personal reasons which would require absence from the campus for an extended period.

    Only members of the faculty or administrative/professional staff who are on continuing appointment are normally eligible to receive an extended leave without pay. This type of leave shall not be granted to any employee who has accepted a bona fide, continuing position elsewhere.

    The regular appointment status of an A/P staff employee shall not be affected by such leave of absence, unless the employee and supervisor establish in writing mutually agreeable terms of leave.

    Upon return from such leave, the employee shall be restored to the position (s)he held immediately prior to the leave with all previously accrued rights, salary, and benefits. The right to return from a leave cannot extend beyond the term of the contract from which the leave is taken. Salary increases that occur among A/P staff in the employee's absence are not automatically extended to an employee on an unpaid leave of absence. The supervisor will determine whether or not a salary increase is justified at the return of the staff member from an unpaid leave of absence, and shall be contingent upon availability of funds. The A/P employee taking leave without pay is responsible for contacting Employee Benefits to arrange for personal payment or termination of employee benefits during the leave of absence. Vacation and sick leave benefits do not accrue during the period of leave, and granted leave will be prorated and adjusted as applicable.

    Leaves without pay for educational purposes are granted by the department, with dean and provost approval, and must be based upon clearly documented educational benefit to the university.(1)

    Personal leaves without pay must be approved by the fiscal officer, dean or director, and the appropriate vice chancellor.

    A leave without pay will normally be granted for a period of no longer than one year (9 months if on an academic-year appointment, 12 months if on a fiscal-year appointment). A second year may be approved based on the following guidelines:

    1. any desired change in the conditions of an approved leave without pay must be submitted in writing by the individual to the department head or supervisor at least 3 months prior to the end of the approved leave. A response indicating either approval or denial of the request must be made by the university within 30 days of the receipt of the request;
    2. any desired change in the conditions of a leave without pay will only be approved if it is in the best interest of both the individual and the university. In the case of faculty, periods of leave without pay do not count toward the minimum years of service required for a sabbatical leave, but do account in the accumulation of service towards tenure.
  4. Professional Development

    A faculty or administrative/professional staff member of Southern Illinois University Carbondale shall be eligible, subject to the conditions of this policy, for professional development leave(s) with pay. All leaves approved hereunder are tentative until ratified by the Board of Trustees (2 Policies B.2.e.)

    1. Leave of Absence
      1. Professional development leave will be considered when demonstrable benefits would accrue to the employee and the university by the grant of such a leave. Such benefits may include, but are not limited to, increasing the effectiveness or efficiency of the higher education processes of the university; improving the professionalism of the employee in the performance of assigned responsibilities; and retraining and reorienting employees for new roles within the university.
      2. The length of a professional development leave with pay shall be determined by legitimate requirements of a proposal submitted, but shall not exceed a maximum of one calendar year.
      3. Application for professional development leave must include a precise statement indicating the purpose of the leave and the benefits to be derived therefrom. Application for professional development leave shall be submitted, in the case of faculty members, to the department chair, the dean or comparable administrative officer, and the appropriate vice chancellor. Application for professional development leave shall be submitted, in the case of administrative/professional staff members, to the immediate supervisor of the employee, the dean (if appropriate), and the appropriate vice chancellor, or the chancellor for those employees not reporting to a vice chancellor.
      4. The application shall include a statement describing the applicant's obligation, if granted the leave, to return to the university for a period of service as follows: in the case of a sabbatical leave - one year following the conclusion of the leave; in the case of a professional development leave - a period equal to the length of the leave. A staff member who fails to return following the leave or who fails to serve the full period as described above must reimburse the university for a percentage of salary equivalent to the percentage of time remaining in the obligated period of service.
      5. A written report summarizing what was accomplished during the leave shall be submitted to the appropriate vice chancellor or the chancellor, as applicable, within six months following the completion of a professional development leave.
      6. A recipient of a professional development leave shall be permitted to receive additional financial assistance from sources other than the university, provided that specific arrangements concerning such assistance have received administrative approval by the chancellor prior to the granting of the leave.
      7. Individual leaves awarded under this policy shall be reported to the Board of Trustees for ratification along with the other personnel matters.
      8. A faculty or administrative/professional staff member on a fiscal year appointment and approved for professional development leave is not eligible to accrue vacation during the period of the leave. The individual is expected to take vacation during the leave in accordance with university vacation policy for fiscal-year employees.
    2. Release Time with Pay

      [In accordance with the authorizing statement in 2 Policies B.2.e. of the Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees, the following policy on release time with pay for SIUC administrative/professional staff was approved on September 20, 2000.]

      Released time with pay may be granted to administrative/professional staff for participation in professional development activities, which are mutually beneficial to the university and the employee. Released time would normally be used for activities of brief duration or occurring intermittently over a longer period of time. Activities covered by this policy are those not requiring a leave of absence. Such activities include but are not necessarily limited to attendance at professional meetings, fellowships, internships, research work, and continuing education.

      In order to qualify for released time, the employee must provide a written statement documenting the need for the released time, i.e., the professional activity to be pursued, the expected duration of the activity and the recommended nature of relief from specified assignments. Examples of ways such relief may be provided include reassigning duties within the unit, extending deadlines, and/or hiring temporary staff. Written approval of the department supervisor for the use of released time is required. The approval will include a statement regarding the relief from specified assignments that will be provided.

      Approved use of released time shall not be charged to vacation, but shall be reported on the Absence Request form as “university business.”

  5. Sabbatical Leave
    [In accordance with the authorizing statement in 2 PoliciesC.3.b.5. of the Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees, the following policy on sabbatical leaves for SIUC faculty was approved on December 11, 1980, with revisions approved by the President on January 28, 1986.]

    A faculty member of Southern Illinois University Carbondale shall be eligible for sabbatical leaves with pay, subject to the conditions of the following policy. All sabbatical leaves approved hereunder are tentative until ratified by the Board of Trustees (2 Policies B.2.e).

    1. A sabbatical leave program is essential to provide opportunities for continued professional growth and development of the faculty and to insure that the academic vitality of the university is maintained. The plan for a sabbatical leave should include such activities as course development, research, additional study, and preparation in new or different fields, any of which pertain to projects that relate to the educational mission of the university and to the professional development of the faculty member.
    2. A full-time, tenured member of the academic faculty may be granted two types of sabbatical leave:
      1. Full sabbatical option: At the end of six years of service from the initial date of full-time appointment or six years of service from the termination date of a previous sabbatical leave, the faculty member is eligible for a full sabbatical. A full sabbatical may be granted
        1. at full pay for 4 1/2 months for faculty on academic-year appointment(2) and for 6 months for faculty on fiscal-year appointment; or
        2. at half pay for a calendar year for faculty on academic- or fiscal-year appointment. A calendar year is considered to run from the beginning of the fall or spring semester to the beginning of the following fall or spring semester, respectively; or from the end of the fall or spring semester to the end of the following fall or spring semester, respectively; or for a 12-month period, generally but not necessarily, commencing on July 1 and concluding on June 30 of the following year.
      2. Partial sabbatical option: At the end of three years service from the initial date of full-time appointment or three years from the termination date of a previous sabbatical leave, a faculty member is eligible for a partial sabbatical leave. A partial sabbatical leave may be granted for 4 1/2 months for faculty on academic-year appointment and 6 months for faculty on fiscal-year appointment at half pay.
    3. All time spent on unpaid leaves of absence shall be excluded in the calculation of sabbatical eligibility.
    4. Applications for sabbatical leave are to be submitted by the department chair to the dean of the college or school and by the dean to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost, in accordance with the time schedules established in the Planning Calendar. Each application (four copies) is to be supported with a detailed statement to show it is for professional improvement of the faculty member and is likely to contribute to the university's academic excellence. When submitted to the vice chancellor, the applications for sabbatical leave should be accompanied by a listing from the dean of the priority order of the applications.
    5. A recipient of a sabbatical leave is permitted to receive additional financial assistance from sources other than the university, provided the specific arrangements have received administrative approval. Sources other than the university shall, for the purposes of this paragraph, include externally funded grants, contracts, and fellowships awarded to the university for support of the plan of the recipient's sabbatical leave. However, during the period of sabbatical leave, a faculty member shall engage in salaried work for another employer only with the prior approval of the chancellor or the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost.
    6. The application shall include a statement describing the applicant's obligation, if granted the leave, to return to the university for a period of service as follows: in the case of a sabbatical leave - one year following the conclusion of the leave; in the case of a professional development leave - a period equal to the length of the leave. A staff member who fails to return following the leave or who fails to serve the full period as described above must reimburse the university for a percentage of salary equivalent to the percentage of time remaining in the obligated period of service.
    7. A written report by the faculty member summarizing what was accomplished during the leave shall be submitted to the department chair, the dean, and the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost within one semester following the termination of the leave.
    8. If a sabbatical leave is granted for a full year at half pay, a temporary replacement may be authorized to the department within the budgetary constraint of the half salary of the sabbatical leave request. If a sabbatical leave is granted at full pay, a replacement is not authorized, and the department is expected to absorb the work load.
    9. A faculty member appointed on a fiscal-year basis, and approved for a sabbatical leave, is entitled to vacation time based on his/her period of campus service only.

1. During an educational leave without pay and personal leave for medical reasons, the state continues to pay the employer's portion of the State of Illinois Group Insurance premiums. For all other forms of personal leave employees may elect either to continue health and life insurance at their own expense or to terminate the benefits for the duration of the leave. In the latter case, they must reapply for health benefits for dependents at the end of the leave, providing proof of insurability at that time. Employees may elect to contribute to the State Universities Retirement System during personal leave. If they choose not to do so, they may purchase that credit at a later date, prior to retirement. Disability, death, and survivor coverage is provided to employees on unpaid leave even if they do not pay contributions to SURS during that time.

2. Faculty who apply for and receive a full-pay, 4 1/2 month sabbatical may apply for a six-week extension to be taken during the summer. Guidelines for applying for a sabbatical extension are distributed each fall by the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost.