Policy Title: Modified Duties for Faculty Upon Becoming a Parent
Summary: In addition to any time taken by the birth mother pursuant to the Faculty Short Term Disability Policy, this policy provides eligible faculty with a workload reduction upon the birth or adoption of a child. All eligible faculty are entitled to this workload reduction and may not be disadvantaged in their promotion, advancement, or compensation because they take a workload reduction under this policy.
Policy Category: Human Resources
Policy Owner: Human Resources
Policy Status: Active
Effective Date: January 2012
Effective January 1, 2012*
In addition to any time taken by the birth mother pursuant to the Faculty Short Term Disability Policy, this policy provides eligible faculty with a workload reduction upon the birth or adoption of a child. All eligible faculty are entitled to this workload reduction and may not be disadvantaged in their promotion, advancement, or compensation because they take a workload reduction under this policy.
I. Definition and Terms
“Parental Modified Duties” means a reduction in workload, without a reduction in pay, equivalent to a 1/6 reduction in the faculty member’s regular teaching or clinical load for an appointment year (academic or fiscal). For example, for faculty members with a regular teaching schedule of 18 credit hours, modified duties is a one 3- credit course release. The faculty member is normally expected to fulfill his or her other responsibilities. Decisions relating to scheduling, curricular needs, departmental needs and determining what is an equivalent reduction in faculty workload are to be made in consultation with the department chair and the Dean. The Dean is responsible for final approval.
II. Eligibility
Modified duties are available to a member of the full time faculty (tenure-track, tenured or faculty with consecutive term appointments) who becomes a parent and who has at least co-equal care giving responsibilities for an infant or adopted child. Parental Modified Duties are available immediately upon full time employment with the University. Eligibility normally extends from 3 months prior to 12 months following the birth or placement.
If both parents are employed at the University and both parents have co-equal care giving responsibilities for the child, both parents may take a period of modified duties for a particular child. (In all cases, but particularly where both parents are employed by the same school/college and/or department, close consultation with the Dean is necessary to ensuring the scheduling of modified duties meets curricular and departmental needs).
III. Process for Scheduling Workload Reduction
To schedule the period of workload reduction, a faculty member must first complete Request for FMLA Leave Form in most cases at least 16 weeks prior to the beginning of the semester for which the modified duties are requested, unless unusual circumstances make such notice impracticable. The form will then be submitted to the Department Chair and Dean for review and consultation with the requesting faculty member. The Dean is responsible for approval and will forward the completed form to Human Resources.
*Note Regarding Implementation: While this policy is effective January 1, 2012, faculty who became parents on or after June 1, 2011 may request a workload reduction if a workload reduction arrangement was not previously agreed upon. For those who became parents between June 1 and December 31, 2011 we encourage you to work with your deans to determine if the policy timeline of 12 months from the birth of the child is feasible in your situation. If, after consulting with the appropriate dean or administrator, an extension of the policy timeline is desirable to allow the workload reduction in the fall of 2012, that may be approved with prior approval of the Dean and Provost.
