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Home HOME – OFFICE FOR FACULTY Faculty Leaves, Sabbaticals, & Retirements

Faculty Leaves, Sabbaticals, & Retirements


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
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:

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.

  • 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


Emeritus status is an honor given to retired faculty members and certain administrative officers who have served meritoriously during the span of their careers. Appointments to emeritus status are made by the Board of Trustees on the recommendation of the faculty, department chair, dean, cognizant Senior Vice President, and the President.

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.

Faculty Leave Request Form: Word  or  PDF

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:

Faculty Leave Request Form: Word  or  PDF

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

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