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Professional Leave for Faculty

The development and maintenance of a world-class faculty at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) includes supporting faculty in their continual and lifelong development as scholars and instructors. The CAES professional leave for faculty is a mechanism to enhance their scholarship and creative energy as well as provide opportunities for obtaining new innovative knowledge and skills. The faculty of CAES is encouraged to utilize this policy to maximize and maintain their enthusiasm and access to vanguard technologies and ideas as they strive to be outstanding contributors in their respective fields.

The Process

Departments are to develop their own selection criteria for choosing faculty for professional leave and are encouraged to forward proposals that are revenue neutral including vitae. The Deans office will review the lists, discuss any issues with the Department Head and announce the names of faculty chosen for professional leave. Applications will be routed through the appropriate University offices for approval before the faculty member will receive professional leave.

Eligibility

  1. Tenured Full-time, Part-time and Public Service Faculty.
  2. The president ordinarily should not approve a request for a leave with pay if the applicant for leave has been employed at an institution for the period of fewer than three (3) years.
    1. Leave of absence without pay will not be counted as service for a purpose of professional leave.
    2. Service at other University of Georgia System institutions may at the sole discretion of the Dean be considered toward eligibility for professional leave in the same manner as service at CAES.

Application for Professional Leave

  1. Applications are to be addressed to the faculty members Department Head.
  2. Applications must be made through the Department Head and Dean and must be submitted to the Office of Faculty Affairs at least 6 months prior to the commencement of the proposed professional leave. Any request for a leave of absence beginning fall semester must be submitted to the Office of Faculty Affairs by no later than March 1. Any request for a leave of absence beginning spring semester must be submitted to the Office of Faculty Affairs by no later than August 1.
  3. Applications denied by a Department Head may be appealed to the Deans office.
  4. Applications must contain all information required by the UGA Faculty Leave of Absence policy as outlined at Faculty Leave of Absence Requests

Duration of Professional Leave

  1. Leaves of absence of one year or less with or without pay may be granted by the institution’s president and reported to the Chancellor.
  2. Extensions of such leaves, or the initial granting of leaves of more than one year, require the approval of the Chancellor or his/her designee.

Location of Professional Leave

  1. While on professional leave faculty may remain in residence or may request reassignment of location.
  2. Reassignment of location must be in accordance with CAES and UGA policy.

Compensation and Benefits

  1. All benefits available to faculty under normal service will be available during professional leave unless otherwise specified.
  2. The combined professional leave pay and any additional salary must not exceed the recipient’s regular salary.
  3. The ability of the recipient to meet their obligations under University intellectual property policies must be preserved. When a recipient proposed to receive additional salary from service on a professional leave by an institution other than CAES the details of the proposed relationship must be approved.
  4. Faculty awarded professional leave must sign an agreement that states:
    1. For a leave of absence with pay of less than one year, the employee will return to the institution at the termination of the leave for a period of at least one (1) year;
    2. For a one-year leave of absence with pay, the employee will return to the institution at the termination of the leave for a period of at least two (2) years; and that,
    3. For a leave of absence with pay, if the employee does not return to the institution for the full amount of time specified in the agreement, the employee will reimburse the institution for the amount of compensation received while on leave, as well as any other expenses paid by the USG during the leave, including all benefit costs.
    4. For a leave of absence without pay, if the employee does not return to the institution, the employee will reimburse the institution for any expenses paid by the USG during the leave, including all benefit costs.