Leaves of Absence (Faculty and Academics only)

Childbearing Leave

Childbearing leaves are granted upon request by a faculty or academic appointee who bears a child for the period prior to, during, and after childbirth. The leave may be from 6 weeks to a maximum of 4 months. These leaves are granted for disability due to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions based upon department-specific policies.

Parental Leave

Parental leaves are granted upon the request of a faculty or academic appointee who needs to care for a child of appointee, spouse, or domestic partner. This leave may be up to 1 year in combination with other leaves and ASMD (Active Service-Modified Duties; see below); however, it is considered a leave without pay, unless the appointee, if eligible, opts to use vacation hours accrued.

Active Service-Modified Duties

Active Service-Modified Duties (ASMD) is NOT considered a type of leave but a modification of normal duties due to substantial responsibility for the care of a newborn, adopted, or foster child under 5 years of age. ASMD normally occurs from 3 months prior to the 12 months following the birth or placement of the child. The possible duration of time is up to 2 quarters of ASMD and childbearing leave for the birth mother for each birth and 1 quarter for all others for each event, birth or placement.

Family and Medical Leave

Family and Medical Leaves under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) are available for all eligible faculty or academics, which entitles them to take an unpaid leave or to substitute accrued paid leave for up to 12 weeks per calendar year. This type of leave can be taken for the following reasons:

• the appointee’s own serious health condition
• to care for the appointee’s child, parent, spouse, or domestic partner with a serious health condition
• to care for the appointee’s newborn child or a child newly placed with the appointee for adoption or foster care.

Jury Duty

Jury duty does not require an official leave request; however, the faculty member should discuss the absence with their Department Chair

Military Leave

Individuals who have been in service to UCSD for a full year prior to the military leave will be granted a leave with pay for the first 30 calendar days of military leave. Leaves for greater than one year require approval from the Senior Vice Chancellor - Academic Affairs, except for salaried Clinical faculty in which it is the School of Medicine Associate Dean’s authority. All requests are submitted to the SOM Academic Affairs Office.

Government Service

Leaves for consulting or providing other services to government agencies require the faculty member to submit application materials relating to their intended leave. They are eligible for full or partial pay, and leaves of more than one year require approval from the Senior Vice Chancellor - Academic Affairs.

Professional Meeting

With approval from the Department Chair, School of Medicine (SOM) faculty and academics may take leaves with pay to attend professional meetings or conferences for up to 10 service (working) days. The SOM Associate Dean of Academic Affairs may approve longer leaves with pay (up to 30 calendar days). Vacation leave must be requested for professional leaves of more than 30 calendar days in length. After all vacation time is expended, any additional extensions, if approved by the Associate Dean, will be granted as a leave without pay (up to one year).

Regular Sabbatical Leave

Only Ladder-Rank faculty are eligible for sabbatical leaves, which enable the faculty member to engage in intensive programs of research and/or study, becoming more effective teachers and scholars and enhancing their services to the University. School of Medicine (SOM) faculty members earn a maximum of 4 sabbatical credits each fiscal year for service at 50% time or more and cannot accrue more than 40 sabbatical credits. Credits are not accrued during periods of leave without pay, leave with pay for 3 or more months, and sabbatical leave. Application for sabbatical leave using the ALAS form is submitted to the Academic Resource Center and includes a detailed description of the proposed project or sabbatical plan. The Department forwards requests to the SOM Academic Affairs Office for processing and approval. A sabbatical leave is approved with the understanding that following the leave, the faculty member will return to service for a period equal to the period of the sabbatical leave or they are obligated to refund the entire salary received for the period of the leave. Upon return from the leave, a sabbatical report MUST be submitted to the Department Chair within 90 days. The report is forwarded from the Department to the SOM Academic Affairs Office. Sabbatical leaves may be taken at various percentages with prorated credits used.

Sabbatical Leave In Residence

An "In Residence" sabbatical differs from a normal sabbatical in that it requires the faculty member to teach at least 3 hours each week or to substitute significant University service for some or all of the teaching requirements; however, substitution of significant service requires Executive Vice Chancellor approval as an exception. This leave requires fewer sabbatical credits, but may only exempt faculty from administrative, university, and/or departmental service. These leaves require the usage of about two-thirds of the number of sabbatical credits required for a full sabbatical.

Leave with Pay in lieu of Sabbatical

Faculty in the In Residence, Clinical X, Salaried Adjunct, and Health Sciences Salaried Clinical series are not eligible for sabbatical leave. However, they are entitled to request a leave with pay in lieu of sabbatical if appropriate funding is available. Eligibility for this type of leave is based on length of service and is patterned after the sabbatical policy, except there are no credits accrued or deferred.

Leave from Professional Duties to Conduct Research

The purpose of this type of leave is to allow a ladder-rank faculty member to take leave from professorial duties to focus exclusively on research while remaining at UCSD. This will require a change to the Professional Research series since the faculty member is generally paid from grant funding under a research title for the duration of the leave. No ALAS form is required when research is conducted at UCSD; however, the department should submit a memo to the Associate Dean, Academic Affairs 3-4 weeks before the effective date outlining the proposal. An ALAS form is only required when the research is conducted at a location other than UCSD or the faculty member leaves UCSD for more than 10 service or 14 calendar days during the course of the leave.

**Approval for Salaried Clinical Faculty Members rests with the Associate Dean, Academic Affairs.