Faculty Leave Information

For information about expectations of faculty, including attendance, please click here.

Family and Medical Leave (FML)

The University recognizes the importance of achieving a healthy balance between work and family obligations and is committed to supporting our employees through certain measures to promote a “family-friendly” environment. The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law designed to help employees balance the demands of the workplace and the needs of their families by allowing for unpaid job and benefits protected leave for certain family and medical reasons. Faculty members who are seeking Family Medical Leave should submit a Family Medical Leave Request Form from University Human Resources (UHR). The Office of Staff Relations in UHR receives and reviews and processes the request. For more information, please see https://uhr.umd.edu/leave/fml/.

Professional Leave for Librarians

The following instructions are based on the University's Policy on Professional Leave for Librarians.

  1. An applicant for a professional leave must initiate the request by completing the Professional Leave Request Form and attaching a detailed summary of the professional project (see below) and a current curriculum vitae. Applications must be submitted at least 6 months in advance of the proposed professional leave, and the librarian must agree to comply with the university's professional leave policy. The Professional Leave Form must include the specific dates for which the leave is requested. (A librarian may request any 6- or 12-month period.)
  2. The Summary of the Project should describe:
    • the specific project or work which is expected to be accomplished during the professional leave
    • the value of this project to the mission of the library system
    • the location where the project is to be conducted and other relevant travel/study plans
    • tangible products or results expected from professional activities
  3. These materials should be submitted to the Dean who is responsible for verifying the eligibility of the applicant and completing the form. The Dean must attach a brief letter that explains why the librarian merits a professional leave and the expected benefits of the professional leave to the librarian and the library system. Professional leaves must be more than automatic awards for service.
  4. Additionally, the librarian must have completed six years of full-time (100%) service to UMCP at the time of an initial request or since the previously granted professional leave. Normally, semesters when the applicant was on an approved Leave of Absence Without Pay (LWOP) or partial LWOP do NOT count toward service toward a professional leave.
  5. The Dean must sign the form and forward it to the Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs, 2117 Main Administration Building, for review and approval by the Provost. After a decision is reached by the Provost, a letter will be sent to the applicant, with copies to the Dean and payroll and personnel officers. The original material will be kept in the Office of the Provost.

Note: Faculty on professional or sabbatical leave continue to have the same benefits coverage. They also continue to accrue annual leave and sick leave at either full rate (if receiving full pay) or half rate (if receiving half pay).

Transitional Terminal Leave

  1. Before the faculty member negotiates arrangements for a transitional terminal leave, the faculty member should meet with a Benefits Office staff member to discuss retirement eligibility, income options, benefits coverage, required paperwork, post-retirement employment constraints, and the optimum date of retirement. A letter confirming the meeting has occurred is signed by the Benefits Office staff member and forwarded to the chair/unit head of the faculty member’s tenure home.
  2. During the period of Transitional Terminal Leave, the faculty member is required to perform services for the University at a level of at least 25% of the faculty member’s full-time commitment over the prior 36 months. As such, the faculty member and department chair should document the services the faculty member will be performing in a letter or memorandum, which will be referenced in and attached to the Transitional Terminal Leave Agreement.
  3. The department chair/unit head and the faculty member should then draw up a draft of the Transitional Terminal Leave Agreement, using the University's template. If the faculty member has a joint appointment with funding of the terminal being the responsibility of both units, each unit head must be consulted in drawing up the transitional terminal leave agreement. Note that transitional terminal leave agreements usually preclude other preretirement arrangements such as boosts to salary and postretirement returns to employment. See the University's Policy on Transitional Terminal Leave for additional guidelines.
  4. The draft of the Agreement, including the letter or memorandum describing the work to be performed during the Transitional Terminal Leave period referenced in and attached to the Agreement, and Benefits letter must be forwarded to the Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs who will, after consulting with the Office of General Counsel and the Office of Personnel and Budgetary Affairs, offer guidance to the faculty member’s unit head. Transitional terminal leaves are not offered routinely. Strong justification is required for the granting of such leaves and the unit head may wish to include a memo stating these justifications. Once preliminary agreement has been obtained, the unit head gives the faculty member the Transitional Terminal Leave Agreement. Faculty have a minimum of 21 days to consider the agreement, and are encouraged to consult with an attorney before signing. (The faculty member may sign before the expiration of the 21-day consideration period, but by doing so, they are voluntarily waiving the 21-day consideration period and warranting that they have had sufficient time to review and consider the terms.) If the terms are acceptable, the faculty member should submit the signed agreement to the chair. The faculty member has seven days to revoke the Agreement after signing, and, if they wish to do so, they must comply with the specific notice revoation provisions set forth in the agreement.
  5. The chair signs the agreement and forwards it, including any attachments, and the benefits letter to the dean. (When the appointment is joint, all participating unit heads and deans must sign the agreement.) The dean signs the agreement and forwards it and the benefits letter to the Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs, 2117 Main Administration Building. The Associate Provost forwards the agreement and attachments to the Provost for signature, and then to the President for signature.
  6. The president's signature is required in order to create a binding obligation on the part of the University.
  7. The Agreement becomes effective and enforceable after the faculty member, all necessary chairs and deans, the Provost, and the President have signed, provided that the faculty member has not provided notice of revocation and more than seven days have elapsed since the faculty member signed.
  8. Copies of the terminal leave are distributed to the faculty member, chair, dean, and the payroll and personnel officers. The original material is kept in the Office of the Provost. If the president fails to approve the transitional terminal leave, a new transitional terminal leave agreement may be negotiated.