Career-line and Tenure-line Faculty at the University of Utah are eligible for various types of leaves and other benefits. Processes to request a leave of absence are specific to the type of leave:
Faculty Leaves of Absence
The University’s policy governing the terms and conditions of faculty sabbatical leaves, academic leaves, and administrative leaves and temporary releases from duty is Policy 6-314.
Temporary leaves of absence for reasons of disability, military service and training, political candidacy, election to public office, service as a juror or witness, and for special personal reasons, are governed by Policy 5-200 and 5-201.
Faculty
Sabbaticals
Sabbatical Leaves are granted to tenured faculty members only for purposes that will improve the ability of the recipient to discharge effectively their teaching, research, or service obligations to the university, including:
1. Research and writing in the recipient’s field of specialization
2. Regular attendance at classes or laboratories of a university or institution of higher learning
3. Pursuance of an advanced degree in the recipient’s field of specialization
4. Other specifically defined purposes which would clearly further the objectives of the sabbatical leave plan
Expand the box below for information about the process and to access the most current sabbatical application forms:
For more information, see University Policy 6-314. Please note:
1. Faculty members who began their career at the U on or prior to July of 2019 may be eligible for a sabbatical as follows:
a. Tenured faculty members who have not previously taken a sabbatical or whose last sabbatical leave was in or prior to academic year 2018-2019 are eligible for (but not guaranteed) another sabbatical starting with the 2025-2026 academic year.
b. Pre-tenure faculty members who are currently undergoing tenure review are eligible for (but not guaranteed) a sabbatical starting with the 2025-2026 academic year, contingent on a positive outcome of the review.
2. Other types of leaves taken since that year may be taken into consideration when deciding whom to recommend for sabbatical.
Process for AY25-26 Sabbaticals:
Step 1: Faculty applicants complete the AY2025-26 Sabbatical Leave Application and submit the form to their department chair.* (The sabbatical leave application consists of four parts, with an addendum for those who have joint/shared/administrative appointments.)
Step 2: Department chairs review the submitted applications and forward them (along with their ranking and brief explanation of support) to the dean of the college. At the same time the department chair forwards their materials to the dean, the department chair should also notify any faculty members for whom they are not recommending sabbatical.
Step 3: By December 2, 2024, each college dean reviews the applications and forwards them (along with their own ranking and brief explanation of support or non-support) to the Office for Faculty. At the same time the dean forwards materials to the Office for Faculty, the dean should also notify any faculty members for whom they are not recommending sabbatical.
Note that department chairs and deans might create earlier internal deadlines for faculty applicants in order to meet the final deadline. Faculty applicants should be cognizant of and meet any internal deadlines.
Step 4: Faculty members who have been awarded a sabbatical will be notified in February or March.
Step 5: A faculty member who is awarded a sabbatical completes an AY2025-26 Awarded Sabbatical Compensation Summary and submits the completed form to their department by May 31, 2025.
Step 6: Prior to the start of the 2025-26 fiscal year, Departments submit two separate ePAFs: (1) to adjust the salary (2) to adjust the leave status for the faculty member.
Step 7: Within 90 days of the conclusion of the sabbatical, the faculty member submits a report to both the college dean and the Office for Faculty highlighting the activities they have conducted during their sabbatical leave and the extent to which the purposes of the leave were met.
Note that faculty members on sabbatical receive a salary reduction for the full academic year in which the sabbatical occurs.
*Applications by faculty members holding appointments in more than one department or college “shall be submitted to and be the subject of a recommendation from each cognizant chairperson, dean, and vice president.” (see Policy 6-314)
Click here to access the AY2025-26 Sabbatical Application Forms
Faculty Retirements
The HR Benefits Office should be notified by the department head at least 90 days prior to an individual's proposed retirement date in order to facilitate initiation of retirement plan benefit payments and other arrangements relating to retired status.
At least 90 days prior to the proposed retirement date, the department head should notify the HR Benefits Office to facilitate initiation of retirement plan benefit payments and other arrangements relating to retired status.
We encourage Chairs and Deans who are interested in various retirement programs for their faculty to reach out to the Office for Faculty.
Individual faculty members may reach out to the Benefits Office for counseling regarding retirement, social security, Medicare, and continuation or conversion of insurance coverage. Faculty members interested in retirement should speak to an HR Representative early in the process, so as to avoid any potential complications with their transition into retirement.
HR Representative for Faculty Retirements:
retiree@utah.edu
**Departments should not initiate Retirement ePAFs –the HR Retirements Team will collect the required information/paperwork and initiate the Retirement ePAF.**
- Faculty members interested in retirement should speak to an HR Representative as early as possible in the process
- Find out more about Retiree Benefits here
Emeritus Status
The process to receive Emeritus status typically takes between 2-4 months. If there is a specific date by which you would like to have an emeritus certificate in-hand, please submit the request as early as possible. (To guarantee that a certificate is received in time for May graduation ceremonies, we recommend the request be submitted to the Office for Faculty by mid-February)
**Note that if a retirement becomes effective while waiting for Emeritus approval, the faculty member will lose their University accesses. The use of additional employee records in an attempt to continue faculty members' accesses is not permitted.
- Click here to find the Emeritus Faculty Nomination Form –updated Spring 2023
- Emeritus Faculty Appointment Procedure & ePAF information can be found here – updated August 2024
- Specific Benefits for Emeritus Faculty are enumerated in Policy 5-112
Faculty Unpaid Leave of Absence
Faculty members, including academic librarians, may be entitled to a leave without pay for periods up to one academic calendar year. Circumstances for a leave of absence without pay may include exploration of other academic employment, temporary outside employment, or a fellowship or similar position.
Part-time Status for Tenure-line Faculty
The University permits tenure-line faculty positions to be less than full-time in appropriate specific circumstances -- where part-time status both (1) accommodates the needs of the individual faculty member (such as family care responsibilities or other similarly important personal needs), and (2) serves the institutional needs of the University.
Find the Part-Time Status MOU Template here
Click here to find the AY2023-24 Awarded Sabbatical Compensation Summary
Submit this document to your department prior to May 31, 2023. This will allow your department to set up your pay reduction properly.
Faculty Partial Paid Leave of Absence
Faculty members, including academic librarians, may request a partial leave of absence entailing release from a portion of normal full time duties, with a corresponding reduction in regular full-time salary.
A request for a leave of absence with partial pay should be submitted and reviewed for possible final approval using the form below:
FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) or Other Medical Leave (MLOA)
An eligible employee may take leave under the FMLA to care for a Parent, Child, Spouse, and/or the employee’s Domestic Partner. And under certain circumstances, the University may permit an employee who has exhausted all of their available FMLA leave or an employee who is not eligible for FMLA leave, to take a medical leave of absence for the employee’s own serious health condition.
For faculty to begin the process to request either an FMLA Leave or a Medical Leave of Absence (MLOA) they must first fill out the Faculty Leave Request form found below. Approval from HR will happen once the Faculty Leave Request form is approved.
Faculty Leave Request Form: Word or PDF
Find more information about FMLA or MLOA through Human Resources, here
Click here to find the AY2023-24 Sabbatical Leave Application
Please submit this application to your department/college, according to your college's sabbatical procedures. The dean of each college must submit all of the college's sabbatical applications to the Office for Faculty prior to December 2, 2022.
Tenure-line Faculty Parental Leave
The University provides faculty parental benefits (paid parental leaves of absence, and extensions of the pre-tenure probationary period) for the birth or adoption of children by Tenure-line faculty, including academic librarians.
Tenure-line Faculty Parental Leave Request Form: PDF
For Information on School of Medicine Faculty Parental Leave, click here
Temporary Release from Duty
A temporary release from regular duty may be granted by the president of the university to any university officer or employee upon such conditions as the president determines are in the best interest of the university.
Early Retirement
- Early Retirement Incentive Program Policy 5-306
- Find out more about Retiree Benefits here
Administrator Leave
University Administrators with faculty appointments may be eligible for Administrator Leave at the conclusion of their term of service.
Upon successful completion of three years of administrative service, faculty administrators will be eligible for one semester of paid administrative leave. After five years, faculty administrators will be eligible for two semesters of administrative leave. Under University Policy, an administrator who takes administrative leave is not eligible for a sabbatical until the individual has accumulated six years of service after the administrative leave.
Information regarding administrator leave is outlined in the SVPAA Guideline - Appointments of Faculty to Administrative Positions and University Policy 5-202
To request an Administrator Leave at the end of your service term, please submit a Faculty Leave Request: Word or PDF
Phased Retirement
- Phased Retirement Program Policy 5-309
- Guide for Phased Retirement
- Find out more about Retiree Benefits here
Career-line Faculty Parental Leave
The University provides faculty parental benefits (paid parental leaves of absence and extensions of formal reviews) for the birth or adoption of children by Career-line faculty, including academic librarians.
Career-line Faculty Parental Leave Request Form: PDF
For Information on School of Medicine Faculty Parental Leave, click here