Administrative Regulation:  Prof. Development Leave of Absence for Benefitted Employees

Regulation Number:  3.8.4          

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Professional development leave of absence is provided for benefitted EWC employees in order that they may engage in educational pursuits that will contribute to their personal growth and to the needs of the College. Short Term Professional Development Leave is defined as leave for ten working days or less.

Long Term Professional Development Leave is defined as leave for more than ten working days.

Short Term Leave – Benefitted EWC employees are eligible for short term professional development leave at the discretion of their individual department supervisors. Supervisors must approve any related absences and their department will fund any temporary replacement personnel, as needed. The supervisor may fund some professional development activities at their discretion and as funds are available. Normal salary and benefits will continue for the employee during the time of leave.

Long Term Leave (Sabbatical) – Benefitted EWC employees shall become eligible for long term professional development leave after his/her fifth year of continuous full-time service to the College. A recipient of long-term leave shall not become eligible to apply for a subsequent long term leave for five years from the date of return to duties at the College.

Any eligible employee may apply for up to:

  • one-half of their contracted year with full pay,
  • one contracted year with half pay, or
  • one-half release time with full pay for up to one contracted year, as long as the total cost of sabbatical coverage (salary and benefits for the current employee and for replacement employee) does not exceed the cost of options (a) or (b)

Due to the coordination of EWC departments required to staff a sabbatical position and the impact on the college budget, the application process for long term leave during the following fiscal year must begin by January in order for tentative budget approval in May and final budget allocation in July. Long term leave may not begin prior to the third Wednesday in July. Applications for long term leave will be reviewed by the President’s Cabinet for recommendation to the College President, who will recommend action to the Board of Trustees. Applications are available from the Vice President of Student and Academic Services and electronically.

Long term leave is granted with the understanding that the recipient will return to the College for at least one year after the leave has been taken. Upon return to service, the employee will be reinstated in the position held at the time leave was granted.

Criteria

  1. Normal salary increments and all other employment benefits will continue during the time of leave.
  2. Long term leave recipients who receive remuneration from another agency, institution, or organization while on leave will have their college salary reduced an amount equal to any remuneration received. Direct expense reimbursements; personal gifts; or educational grants, scholarships, and/or research, teaching or similar fellowships paid to recipients while on leave will not result in a reduction of college salary.
  3. Long term leave recipients who normally maintain other employment on an ongoing basis, provided that the recipient was actively employed outside of the college prior to accepting the long-term leave, will not have their college salary reduced by the amount of remuneration paid to recipients for that employment while on leave.
  4. Employees awarded long term leave who fail to complete the approved leave program or, for voluntary, non-emergent reasons do not fulfill their current contract/appointment for the ongoing academic or fiscal year agree to repay any costs incurred as a result of his or her absence through payroll deduction within the first year after returning to service. The College Board may excuse repayment for emergency or extenuating

Process

  1. Employees must submit an Application for Long Term Professional Development Leave to the appropriate Vice President through their supervisor at any time prior to the last business day of January. If the activity is not approved and signed by the supervisor, the individual may appeal to the College President for
  2. Recommendation by the Cabinet shall be based on the applicant’s proposal and the needs of EWC. The applicant shall be informed of this recommendation and affirmed applications forwarded to the College President by the first business day of March for action by the Board of Trustees.
  3. Final approval of long-term leave is contingent upon availability of necessary replacement personnel and final budget approval in Replacement personnel will be approved, and associated costs will be funded through the normal budget process. After final approval, no major changes in the recipient’s leave program may occur without mutual agreement between the recipient, the direct supervisor, and the appropriate Vice President.
  4. Within sixty days after a leave recipient returns to duty, he/she is required to submit a written report to the appropriate Vice President and present a minimum of a one-hour seminar open to the general public covering the period of leave. Accompanying the report should be a transcript or other evidence of completion of the planned program.

 

Original Adoption Date: 7/20/05                             

Revision Date(s): 11/8/05(RF), 8/13/13(RF), 6/25/18

Date reviewed, no change: