Junior Faculty Leave Program - Policy

The purpose of the Junior Faculty Leave Program is to provide every reappointed assistant professor with a full year of leave to enhance preparation for the tenure review and to provide a period of time for pure research. Effective with the 1998-1999 academic year, tenure-track assistant professors reappointed to a second term may take a full year of paid leave at 100% pay (on the nine-month base salary) during their fifth or sixth year.

Eligibility
Assistant professors eligible for this program are those who were reappointed during the 1997-98 academic year or later. Those wishing to take other leave opportunities may do so, but they will forfeit their eligibility for this program; in such cases, however, faculty retain their accrued sabbatical credits. Faculty who have delayed their start date by taking the first year of appointment as leave without salary are eligible for the Junior Faculty Leave Program. Maternity Leave does not affect eligibility for this program.

Timing of the Leave
This leave will be granted only during the fifth or sixth year after formal review and approval of reappointment for a term of three years as assistant professor. The tenure clock continues to run during the Junior Faculty Leave.

Sabbatical Credits and Funding
The Junior Faculty Leave Program combines earned sabbatical credits, borrowed sabbatical credits, and funding from the School (typically in the form of a 50% paid leave) to support a full year off. In most cases, the assistant professor's sabbatical credits accrued during the entire assistant professor rank must be used and, if granted tenure, he/she will begin the associate professor appointment with a zero balance. No individual will begin the tenured appointment with a negative sabbatical credit balance. If less that the full Junior Faculty Leave is taken, it is possible that an individual may start the tenured appointment with a positive sabbatical credit balance. In cases where partial support for leave has been secured from other internal or external programs, the JFL Program wil typically top up funding to reach the goal of a full year of leave.

Coordination with other School or University Leave Programs/Fellowships

  • Banks Fellows: There is currently no coordination required between the Junior Faculty Leave Program and the Banks Fellows Program.
  • Dean's Fellows: Humanities faculty chosen as Dean's Fellows are eligible for the Junior Faculty Leave Program but will not receive additional research leave from H&S. Instead, they will receive three years of research support in the amount of $5,000 per year.
  • Hoover Institution: For those granted a three-quarter Hoover National Fellows leave, the Junior Faculty Leave program will add an additional quarter of leave at full pay. This fourth quarter will not be housed at the Hoover Institution. As with other Junior Faculty Leaves, all sabbatical credit accrued during the assistant professor rank must be used.
  • Humanities Center: For those granted a three-quarter leave at the Humanities Center, the Junior Faculty Leave program will add an additional quarter of leave at full pay. This fourth quarter will not be housed at the Humanities Center. As with other Junior Faculty Leaves, all sabbatical credit during the assistant professor rank must be used.

Procedure

  • Assistant Professors: Obtain a copy of the university form, "Application for Leave," (download document) fill out the form noting that you are applying for Junior Faculty Leave and discuss your plans with your department Chair.
  • Department: Submit the approved leave form to the Faculty Affairs Specialist in the Dean's Office, Becky Reyna , and then contact the H&S Finance Group for assistance in determining the appropriate budgeting and payroll figures.