Parental Leave Policy
The College recognizes that faculty members may need to be absent from work to care for a newborn child or newly adopted or foster child (referred to as parental leave in this policy). As such, the College provides parental leaves of absence to all eligible employees in accordance with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and any applicable state law.
Guidelines
1. All full-time faculty members are eligible for parental leave as outlined in this policy. Paid parental leave runs concurrently with FMLA leave. The faculty member must be a continuing full-time faculty member who does not accrue sick leave or vacation/PTO time.
2. When more than two weeks of absence will fall within a single long term (non-Centre term) an eligible faculty member is entitled to a paid two-course load reduction (typically not to exceed six credit hours) during the term in which the child is born, adopted or placed into a home via foster care. If the birth, adoption or placement of a child does not result in more than a two-week absence, or the child will be born or adopted during the summer months, the faculty member may elect how to utilize the two-course reduction during the following academic year. The leave must be completed within one year of the birth of the child. All leave runs concurrently with FMLA.
3. The College will consider requests for additional time beyond the two-course load reduction without pay on a case-by-case basis.
4. Spouses or co-parents that are both employed as faculty members at the College during a birth, adoption or placement via foster care are eligible for a two-course load reduction for each birth, adoption or placement. If one parent is a faculty member and the other is a Centre staff member, the parents are eligible for the two-course load reduction and 8 week paid leave, as applicable to their roles.
5. If you need to take parental leave for the birth of a child or to care for a newly adopted or foster child, you must provide advance notice in writing to the VP for Academic Affairs. When possible, you should provide five to six months’ notice of your request for leave to allow sufficient time to review course arrangements, provide for adequate replacement, etc. The VP for Academic Affairs will respond to all requests for parental leave in writing, copying the Human Resources Office.
6. Unless the faculty member makes a specific written request to the VP for Academic Affairs that the tenure date be altered, parental leave will not alter his or her tenure date.
7. The request for or use of parental leave does not count against the timing or eligibility of sabbatical or other leaves, and no faculty member will be subject to any adverse employment action based upon the exercise of any rights under this policy or applicable law.