POLICIES & PROCEDURES

Faculty Leaves of Absence

Rice University provides a variety of benefit offerings to meet the varying needs of the workforce. This section provides a brief summary of the policies available to faculty and staff in benefit-eligible positions.

Types Definition Eligibility Process Details
Junior Leave Also called junior sabbatical or junior research leave; a one-semester, paid research leave for assistant professors TTT:1 Must have been reappointed for 2nd contract

Discuss with dept chair or dean.

1. Fill out this form.

2. Submit leave request.

Policy 201, 3.a.1.

Policy 208

Faculty Handbook
Sabbatical 2 Leave of absence for study, research or other scholarly agenda; can be at full pay, half pay, or partial pay TTT: Semester service credits accrued per Policy 208; usually not granted more frequently than every sixth year

Discuss with dept chair or dean.

1. Fill out this form.

2. Submit leave request.

Policy 208

Faculty Handbook
Professional Leave of absence to pursue academic or professional opportunities, such as fellowships, visiting faculty posts, etc.; can be at full pay, no pay or partial pay Must be approved by department chair, dean, provost and board of trustees

Discuss with dept chair or dean.

1. Fill out this form.

2. Submit leave request.

 If taking a leave without Rice pay, consult Human Resources/ Benefits regarding benefit deductions
Primary Caregiver One semester, paid release from all teaching, research and administrative duties TTT ranks: Faculty must be the primary caregiver in a household of a child(ren) under the age of one year; leave must be completed within 9 months after birth or adoption

NTT ranks: For specific eligibility requirements and usage guidelines, see Policy 205

1. Complete this affidavit and get it notarized.

2. Fill out this form.

3. Submit leave request.

NOTE: If you will be requesting a related tenure extension, please work with your department admin on initiating this as a separate action.

Policy 204 - for TTT faculty

Policy 205 - for NTT faculty
Personal Leave Leave of absence without pay for personal reasons not related to personal or family health issues

Discuss with dept chair or dean.

1. Fill out this form.

2. Submit leave request.

Consult Human Resources / Benefits regarding benefit deductions

Medical

Also called short-term disability; at 80% pay for up to one semester of academic year salary; if longer, may go to long term disability at 60% pay

 TTT & benefits-eligible NTT 3

Contact Human Resources/ Benefits to initiate leave.

Will need to obtain physician’s statement that you are unable to work.

Short-Term Disability

Long-Term Disability

1 TTT = Tenured/tenure track faculty

2 The instructions for Sabbaticals are almost the same for two other faculty leave types: the Magister Leave and the Administrative Leave. These are almost the same as sabbaticals, except in how eligibility is earned, i.e., through completing service as magister or other senior administrative positions such as dean or vice provost.

3 NTT = Non-tenure track faculty