Deadlines:

• Prior Email Notification of Intent:  15 September to abellega@bates.edu (need to identify the length of the leave & whether or not it is contingent upon external funding)
• Application Deadline: 1 November of the academic year preceding that in which the leave is to be taken

For purposes of professional development, members of the faculty may apply for leaves of absence. Eight copies of the applications for such leaves must be made to the dean of the faculty.  The faculty member should identify the length of the leave and whether or not it is contingent upon external funding.  Normally no leave of absence will be considered after a faculty member's contract is returned on 15 March for the subsequent academic year, although arrangements can be made with the dean of the faculty to allow for a later consideration because of late notification of funding awards.

When a leave of absence is required to accept a postdoctoral fellowship or other research grant, the dean of the faculty must approve of the application for the fellowship or grant prior to its application deadline. Such application must have the written approval of the appropriate department or program chair. With the leave of absence request, the program or department must submit a plan of leaves, a statement regarding the impact of the leave on the department's or program's course offerings, and a request for a replacement, if needed, so that the request can be evaluated with a full understanding of the needs of the program or department. Replacements are determined on the basis of curricular needs. Normally no leave of absence is granted for the purpose of completing work on the terminal academic degree.

When a faculty member takes a full-year- leave of absence leave of absence, that faculty member neither earns a salary from Bates, nor receives benefits.  By working with Office of Human Resources, faculty on leave may make arrangements to continue to participate in the Bates-sponsored health care package by paying the costs themselves. When a faculty member takes a leave of absence for an academic year, that faculty member does not receive benefits for the period from 1 August through 31 July.

When a faculty member takes a leave of absence for a semester, the leave of absence is normally understood to last for four months, either during first semester (September through December) or during second semester (January through April). During the academic year of that leave of absence, the faculty member receives 50% of his or her salary for the year, and would contribute to their benefits according to the requirements of the Three-Quarter Employee benefits level. Benefits extend over the twelve months of the academic year. This policy applies to the circumstance in which a faculty member combines a leave of absence with a pre-tenure leave. During the period of leave, the College's contribution to the TIAA/CREF and FICA retirement programs are based on the salary actually paid by the College.

When a leave of absence is granted, any contractual agreement between the faculty member and the College is suspended during the period of leave. In accordance with personnel rules, a full-year leave does not count toward the probationary period for tenure or toward years of service for determining promotion or other employment benefits. Normally, a half-year leave does not retard such schedules. All such leaves are contingent upon the departments and programs either securing satis­factory replacements or making arrangements to cover the curriculum offerings.

When a half-year leave of absence is granted in combination with a disability leave, that year does not count toward the probationary period for tenure or toward years of service for determining promotion or other employment benefits. A faculty member granted a leave of absence is expected to return to the College.

All full-time members of the faculty are eligible for leaves of absence, without salary and without benefits, for purposes of child rearing or other dependent care. Applications for such leaves are subject to the same conditions and must be made according to the same timetable as other leaves of absence.

8/2009