APPLICABILITY: REGULAR FACULTY AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF (NON
CLASSIFIED STAFF)

1. Purpose: Faculty development leaves are authorized for the primary purpose of increasing the value of the recipient’s sustained contribution to the university by providing the individual an opportunity for professional growth. Such developmental leaves are not to be understood as deferred compensation, nor are they to be anticipated simply on the basis of longevity at the university, alone. Development leave may be granted, upon application, for study, research, writing, field observations or other suitable purposes.

Opportunities for additional training, for improving skills and for maintaining currency are understood to be included as a purpose of development leave. Specifically, faculty development leaves are divided into three classes:

Class I:  Research

These awards require a clearly defined project or activity with a specific objective or expected application.

Class II:  Creative

These awards require a clearly defined project and a clearly defined end result (such as artifacts, compositions, novels, interior designs).

Class III:  Renewal

These awards require attendance at a specific institute, seminar, course of studies, course of performances, or similar academically relevant activity. Rank and degrees are not to be weighed in the evaluation of these proposals.

2. Eligibility: Faculty development leave may be granted to persons employed by the university on a full-time basis as a member of the faculty or staff (including professional librarians) whose duties include teaching, research, administration, or the performance of professional services. Hereafter, the term “faculty member” refers to all those included above. Development leaves cannot be used for retraining from academic to administrative positions and vice versa and may not be granted to persons in the classified personnel system of the university.

a. if the individual has served the university for at least six consecutive academic years following initial employment or return from a development leave, and

b. if the individual is not in the terminal year of employment at UNT.

Exceptions to the six-year minimum service requirement may be granted only in extraordinary circumstances.

Specific questions concerning eligibility for faculty development leave shall be referred to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and/or a Faculty Development Leave Committee member.

3.Procedures and Authorizations: Applicants must initiate the faculty development leave with the chair of the department who will forward it to the dean of that faculty member’s academic unit for endorsement. The endorsed applications will be forwarded to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, whose office then forwards them to the University Faculty Development Leave Committee. (For a copy of the form refer to UNT Policy Manual, III, #15.1.11.1)

Decisions regarding endorsement must be based on curriculum needs, monies available for replacement, and other considerations.

All faculty and administration applications for faculty development leave shall be received and evaluated by a Faculty Development Leave Committee that shall be elected by the general faculty according to the rules established by the Faculty Senate and shall operate according to procedures adopted by the Faculty Senate. If a member of the Faculty Development Leave Committee resigns, goes on leave, or is otherwise unable to serve during any semester of his or her service on the committee, the Faculty Senate shall direct the election of a replacement member to serve during the period that the regularly elected member is unable to serve. The chair of the Faculty Development Leave Committee shall ask the Faculty Senate to direct such an election. Subject to the limitations specified in this policy statement, faculty development leaves are approved by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs for eligible faculty members upon the recommendation of the Faculty Development Leave Committee and transmitted through the President to the Board of Regents for approval.

4. Leave Period and Compensation: Faculty members on nine month appointments may be granted leave for one long semester at full salary or for two consecutive long semesters, which may be separated by the summer terms, at one-half salary.

Faculty members on 12-month appointments may be granted leave for four and one half consecutive months at full salary or for nine consecutive months at half-salary.

The terms “full salary” and “half salary” are understood to apply to budgeted contract salaries, irrespective of the number of installments in which the salary is received, and to include any adjustments that become effective for or during the leave period.

5. Grants and Employment: A faculty member on faculty development leave may accept a grant or stipend for study, research or travel from any institution of higher education or from a charitable, religious or educational corporation or foundation, from any business enterprise, or from any state, federal or local government. The Board of Regents must specifically approve any outside employment.

6. Group Insurance, Social Security, Teacher Retirement, Etc.: A member of the faculty on faculty development leave remains eligible to participate in the programs and to receive the benefits made available by or through the university or state to faculty members. During the faculty development leave, the university shall continue all deductions from compensation relevant to such participation and benefits.

7. Maximum Number of Leaves to be granted:

No more than 6 percent of the faculty members of the university may be on faculty development leave at any one time.

8. Expectation of Future Service: Faculty development leave shall be awarded with the provision that the recipient will be expected to continue in service at the university for at least one academic year after completion of the leave. This service requirement shall be regarded as fulfilled if the recipient remains in the employ of the university for the twelve months immediately following the end of the leave period, without regard to other leaves or other lawful interruptions of service that may occur during that twelve-month period. Recipients who do not remain at the university for one calendar year following the termination of their leave are required to repay the university the full amount of cash and travel benefits received from the university under the terms of their leave. In the case of special circumstances, the president, upon the recommendation of the provost and vice president for academic affairs may waive the one-year requirement.

9. Financing: Payment of salary to the faculty members on faculty development leave may be made from the funds appropriated by the legislature specifically for that purpose or from such other funds as may be available to the university for this purpose.

10. Integrity of the Curriculum: The granting of a faculty development leave should not create undue hardship for other faculty and it should not unduly limit course offerings. Endorsement by the departmental PAC, respective chair and dean should be taken to mean that this criterion is being met.

Additional Stipulations

1. The university encourages departments to support these awards with some travel funds when possible. The university will support the effort of those recipients who solicit travel funds from independent sources (such as The American Council of Learned Societies) when such funds are available.

2. A summary report of the activities undertaken during the leave period must be submitted to the Development Leave Committee within four months after completion of the leave.

3. Recipients are prohibited from serving on university committees, Faculty Senate assignments and the like during the time of their leave.