Request for Leave
This procedure is to be used when a faculty member is asking for leave from the instructional budget or leave without pay (i.e., to perform research). The form must also be completed when a faculty member receives a research leave from URI (Faculty Research Assignment). (Faculty Leave – HOP Sec. 3.10, see attached)
1. Department procures appropriate form “Faculty Request for Leave” from Provost’s Office for their faculty members. (http://www.utexas.edu/provost/policies/leave/index.html) Letters from faculty are not acceptable – The University will accept only the forms.
2. Faculty member completes the form, indicating whether it is for:
a) Request for Leave Without Pay (LWOP) –in which the faculty member is off of the UT payroll with funding provided from an off campus source or not at all.
b) Request for Leave from the Instructional Budget—in which the faculty member is generally released part-time to conduct research which is funded by a research contract. Generally, the faculty member continues to receive full-time pay from UT from combined teaching funds and research funds. This leave can be for 100%, however.
3. Leave period may be September 1 – January 15, January 16 – May 31 or Sept. – May only. The Provost’s Office have set due dates for the forms: Aug. 5 for fall and year long leave requests, Dec. 16 for spring requests. Approval of leave is only for one academic year. If a faculty member has a 2-year assignment, they must submit a new leave request each year.
4. The Faculty Request for Leave form must be complete. It must include an account number under source(s) of stipend and a contract/grant title. If the request is contingent upon receiving funding, the faculty member must state this on the form and later forward a letter confirming that funding was approved. If LWOP, no account number is needed, however a statement indicating “personal funds” is needed.
5. If a contract/grant is being used for funding the leave, the title must be given under question 2a on the form (make sure you have the full name of the grant spelled out, not just the initials).
6. There must be a well-written statement as to why the leave is in the best interest of the University. How the leave will improve the faculty member’s teaching and scholarly activities is a good explanation.
7. The department chair must sign the form before the dean’s office processes it.
Note: To cancel a leave request, a letter must be submitted via the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs to the Provost’s Office requesting the cancellation of the previously approved leave. Reference the approval letter date and by whom and reason for cancellation. The Provost’s Office will then send a letter back confirming cancellation.