Chapter 6: Benefits and Leaves of Absence

6.1 Introduction

The University of Tennessee provides a comprehensive program of benefits for faculty members and full-time non-tenure-track faculty members as set forth in the Personnel Policies and Procedures and this handbook. The university administration works closely with state government officials and the Faculty and Staff Benefits Committee of the Faculty Senate to assess the needs of the faculty members and to provide programs that respond to those needs.

UT’s policies governing benefits and leaves of absence are established in the personnel policies and may be amended from time to time. The following sections are intended as a general summary of the most important benefits and leaves of absence and are provided for information purposes and are not a promise that any particular benefit or leave request will be granted. In the event of any conflict or inconsistency between the personnel policies and this Handbook, the personnel policies will control.

Leaves of absence, extended periods of time spent away from campus for professional growth or personal reasons, are an important aspect of faculty development. Leaves of absence must be requested in writing by the faculty member and specifically approved by the department head, dean or director, and the chief academic officer, and where appropriate, the state of Tennessee. Leaves of absence are normally granted for not more than 24 months and are normally without university compensation.

Certain benefits and leaves of absence are available to both nine-month and 12-month faculty members. Other benefits and leaves are applicable only to nine-month faculty members. Twelve-month faculty members have certain leave benefits, which are not applicable to nine-month faculty members.

6.2 Benefits for all Faculty Members

6.2.1 Insurance Plans

The university, through the state of Tennessee, offers a group insurance program to all regular employees who work a minimum of 75% time. The program includes medical, life, and accidental death or dismemberment insurance. Other insurance plans are available for other needs to qualified individuals. Illness or injury sustained in the course of employment is covered by the State of Tennessee Worker’s Compensation Program. The flexible benefits plan permits the university to exclude, from both federal income and Social Security taxes, premiums paid for group medical and dental insurance and university parking premiums deducted from the employee’s paycheck for participating employees. In addition, the university offers optional dependent care and medical reimbursement accounts in the flexible benefits plan. These plans are described at: http://www.tennessee.edu/retirement/bmFlexBenefits.shtml

6.2.2 Educational Assistance

Faculty members may be eligible for maintenance fee (tuition) waiver under the provisions of the Personnel Policies and Procedures and with the approval of the department head, dean, and chancellor or vice president.

Regular full-time faculty members are also eligible for a student maintenance fee (tuition) discount for their spouses and dependent children who have been admitted to the university as undergraduate students through standard admission procedures. Fee discounts do not apply to other student fees. Spouses and dependent children of regular part-time faculty members who have one (1) or more years of regular continuous service with the University of Tennessee working a minimum of 50 percent time shall receive a pro rata discount based on the percent of effort currently worked by the employee.

6.2.3 Retirement

The university offers five retirement programs and retirement counseling. Regular full-time faculty members must participate in a retirement program. Participation in retirement programs is optional for part-time faculty members. In addition, the university offers several optional tax deferred income plans.

6.2.4 Longevity Pay

The University of Tennessee seeks to reward regular faculty members and staff for their years of service with the university and state. Regular full-time employees and regular part-time employees working 82.05 percent time or more, who have completed 36 full-time equivalent (fte) months of service at 82.05 percent time or more with UT, The State Board of Regents, or any other agency of the state of Tennessee are eligible to participate in the longevity pay plan.

6.3 Leave for All Faculty Members

6.3.1 Faculty Development Leave

Full-time tenured faculty members with a minimum of six years full-time campus service since any previously granted professional leave (or six years at the time of an initial professional leave) are eligible to apply for faculty development leave, which is awarded on the merits of a specific proposal for professional development. The award is an investment by the university in the expectation that the leave will enhance the faculty member’s ability to contribute to the objectives of the university and to student development. The improvements sought during a professional leave should benefit the work of the faculty member, department, college, and university. Only professional leave proposals that meet this criterion will be accepted and approved by the university.

The purposes for which professional leave may be granted include:

1. research on significant problems and issues
2. important creative or descriptive work in any means of expression
3. post-doctoral study at another institution
4. other approved projects, including innovations in teaching and learning

Eligible full-time faculty members may be granted professional leave for either (a) one-half the faculty member’s annual appointment period at full-base salary, or (b) the full annual appointment period at one-half-base salary. Complete information regarding this policy is found here.

6.3.2 Family and Medical Leave

The university provides for family and medical leave, as appropriate, for childbirth, adoption, foster care placement of a child, serious illness of a spouse, child or parent, or the employee's own serious illness. The leave may extend up to a maximum of twelve (12) work weeks of paid or unpaid leave during the twelve (12) month period beginning on the date the family and medical leave first begins. During this period, 12-month faculty members may use any or all accrued annual leave, or accrued sick leave if applicable, instead of taking leave without pay. This leave will be granted if it qualifies as family and medical leave on request by the employee or on determination by the university. Family and medical leave forms are available from the campus/unit human resource or personnel office.

Nine-month faculty members should also review the Family Care Policy in section 6.4.2.

6.3.3 Court Leave

Court leave is granted to employees to appear as a witness in state, federal, or local court or to serve on jury duty upon presentation of an official summons, subpoena, or notice to that effect. Refer to Policy 315 in the UTK Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual.

6.3.4 Military Leave for Short Tours of Active Duty

Regular employees of the university who receive orders to report for training or active duty in the service of the state of Tennessee or of the United States shall be entitled to military leave with pay for up to fifteen working days per calendar year. It is expected that faculty members employed on an academic year basis will perform their military training during periods when classes are not in session. Refer to Policy 370 in the UTK Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual.

6.3.5 Military Leave for Extended Tours of Active Duty

Regular employees of the university in the National Guard or reserves who receive orders to report for extended active duty in the United States armed forces will be granted leave of absence without pay (for military reason) after the employee has received military leave with pay for 15 working days in any one calendar year.

6.3.6 Educational Leave

Educational leave for regular university employees must be requested in writing and in advance by the chief administrator and the chief personnel officer of the employee's budgetary unit. Such approval must specify the length of the leave, which normally should not exceed two (2) years. Each request for leave will be evaluated on its own merits, and university approval will depend upon the evidence provided as to the enhancement of the employee's value to the university resulting from the leave. Any approved leave extending beyond the current fiscal year is subject to budgetary constraints and/or funding availability. Refer to Policy 335 in the UTK Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual.

6.3.7 Personal Leave

The university grants leave with or without pay to full-time faculty members on regular appointments for a variety of reasons. A regular employee may request leave without pay for personal reasons by making a request in writing to his or her supervisor and department head. Personal leave is approved or disapproved on an individual basis and predicated on departmental needs and requirements. [Personnel Policy 355]

6.3.8 Funeral Leave

Funeral leave is described in Policy 340 in the UTK Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual.

6.3.9 Fringe Benefits for Faculty Members on Leave

Eligible employees on approved leave of absence without pay (except FMLA) are eligible to maintain membership for up to 12 months in the basic group/HMO/POS plan to which they belong at the time the leave begins but will be responsible for both employee and employer portions of the premium. Generally, the period of approved leave of absence without pay does not qualify as creditable service for retirement, and contributions are not made by the university during the leave period. Refer to Policy 335, 338, and 355 in the UTK Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual.

6.3.10 Outside Compensation for Faculty members on Leave

Policies regarding outside compensation through consulting are covered in Chapter 7 of this handbook and are applicable to faculty members on full-pay while pursuing a professional development leave.

6.3.11 Holidays

The university recognizes holidays as listed on the following human resources link: (PDF).

6.4 Additional Benefits and Leave for Nine-Month Faculty Members

6.4.1 Sick Leave

Nine-month faculty members do not earn and accrue sick leave. However, the university grants leave with or without pay to full-time faculty members on regular academic year appointments as required by illness, injury, or medical treatment. The amount of such leave varies with the circumstances of the individual case. Factors considered in making the determination are (a) length of service, (b) necessity of replacement, (c) quality of past service, and (d) potential future with the university.Nine-month faculty members do not earn and accrue sick leave. However, the university grants leave with or without pay to full-time faculty members on regular academic year appointments as required by illness, injury, or medical treatment. The amount of such leave varies with the circumstances of the individual case. Factors considered in making the determination are (a) length of service, (b) necessity of replacement, (c) quality of past service, and (d) potential future with the university.

6.4.2 Family Care

In addition to family medical leave, certain 9-month faculty members may be eligible for certain additional benefits such as modifying service requirements and extending the tenure-track probationary status.

6.4.3 Annual Leave

Faculty members employed on regular full-time academic year appointments do not accrue annual leave. However, nine-month faculty members are not required to be on campus during any semester for which they have no university assignments. Such periods begin when all reports have been made following the preceding semester’s commencement, and extend to a reasonable period prior to the beginning of the semester following the semester without assigned duties. A reasonable period must include sufficient time to participate in scheduled faculty meetings, perform committee work, advise, and other activity necessary for the satisfactory resumption of the work of the department in that semester.

6.4.4 Semester Banking

Semester banking is available to faculty members who hold regular full-time academic year appointments. Permission may be granted to substitute summer terms of teaching, or to bank such terms, toward extended periods of release from regular duties during other terms. Acceptable practice also allows faculty members to teach (without additional compensation) larger than normal teaching loads during semesters of the academic year in order to bank these for released time in subsequent semesters. The need of many faculty members upon occasion to devote large uninterrupted amounts of time to a single research or creative project without teaching or committee work and to spend time periodically in personal renewal and development is fundamental to every good university. This arrangement is subject to the following conditions:

1. courses must be banked before leave is taken
2. the needs of the department or program will be a major consideration in evaluation of requests to bank courses
3. the financial and educational resources of the department or unit must not be jeopardized by banking arrangements
4. credit for banked courses will not result in additional pay at termination of employment

6.5 Leave for 12-Month Faculty Members

6.5.1 Vacations and Annual Leave

The university recognizes the importance of rest and recreation and encourages faculty vacations. Faculty members must arrange the length and timing of vacation periods with the department head or dean and must provide information on how they may be contacted during periods of absence. Refer to the Annual Leave Policy in the UTK Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual.

Faculty members employed on regular full-time twelve-month appointments earn annual leave at the rate of two (2) working days per month [twenty-four (24) working days of annual leave per year]. A maximum of forty-two (42) days of accumulated annual leave may be carried forward from one calendar year to the next. At the end of a calendar year, annual leave days in excess of forty-two (42) will be credited to sick leave. Faculty members on regular part-time 12-month appointments receive a prorated amount of annual leave based on the percentage of full-time employment.

6.5.2 Sick Leave

Sick leave is earned at the rate of one (1) working day per month by regular full-time 12-month faculty members. Regular part time faculty members on 12-month appointments earn sick leave on a pro rata basis. Sick leave is described in Policy 380 in the UTK Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual.

6.6 Term-Faculty Members

Faculty members on full-time term and faculty members on part-time term do not receive annual or sick leave. Refer to Policy 305 in the UTK Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual.

6.7 Records of Leave

Official leave records are maintained through IRIS, the university financial and human resources information system, for all regular full-time and part-time personnel other than faculty members employed on academic-year appointments. Deans, directors, and department heads are charged with ensuring that these records are accurate on a current basis.

Any full-time employee of any agency, office, or department of the state who is employed by another state agency (including the University of Tennessee) without a break in service shall have his or her annual and sick leave transferred. Moreover, when such a former employee who has one (l) full year of state employment in good standing returns to full-time service with one of these employers, he or she shall be credited with all sick leave to which he or she was entitled at the time of termination. The most recent employing authority shall be responsible for certifying eligibility for this sick leave credit to the re-employing agency, college, or university. Employees who come to the university from state agencies, colleges, or universities should be strongly encouraged to take their accumulated annual leave prior to being placed on the rolls of the university, unless there is an immediate and urgent need for their services.

Furthermore, any full-time teacher employed by a local school board in Tennessee, who leaves the employment of that board and becomes an employee of UT, shall have his or her sick leave transferred upon request. The former employee of a local school board must have begun university employment after July l, l965, to be eligible for this transfer of sick leave.