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Application for Leave of Absence Without Salary
(also reference HR-16)

Faculty wishing to take unpaid leaves should fill out this brief form: Application for Leave of Absence Without Salary.

  1. Unpaid leaves may be granted for personal or professional activities. As interpreted by the College, if the faculty member is going on leave primarily for the purpose of doing research or for some pedagogical reason, we would typically classify it as a formal study leave even if the faculty member is not being granted a fellowship.  If the leave is primarily for personal reasons, then it is classified as a personal leave.
  2. Indicate on the application form if you are applying for a personal or formal study leave. If the leave is a formal study leave, the university continues to pay its share of the faculty member’s benefits.  If the leave is a personal leave, the faculty member must pay his or her share plus the university’s share.  Although the faculty member may choose not to have university benefits for the year, it is important  to retain them in most cases. The reason is that if the faculty member does not continue benefits, it is considered a break in service, and when the faculty member returns, the years of credits toward taking health benefits into retirement starts over at one.    
  3. Leaves can be for one semester, one academic year, or in unusual circumstances, two academic years. Unless the faculty member has taken a high public position (ambassador, member of cabinet, and so on), leaves are granted for a maximum of two years. The College does not grant unpaid leaves for faculty to try out other jobs.

Department heads should discuss the reasons for the leave with the faculty member. It is the head’s decision, with the dean’s concurrence, whether a leave will be granted. If the department head thinks that the leave is justified, and the department can find the resources to cover the faculty member’s instructional responsibilities (the department automatically receives 50% of the faculty member’s salary during the leave), then the following steps should be taken:

  1. If the department head is willing to approve the leave, ask the faculty member to fill out the “Application for Leave of Absence Without Salary" form.
  2. Make sure the faculty member understands the benefits issues as outlined above.
  3. After the faculty member completes his or her part of the form and submits to the department head (and the second department head if a joint appointment),  the head completes the second part of the form, including the recommendation regarding whether the faculty member should be granted a formal study or personal leave.
  4. Send the form to Nicola Kiver in the Dean's office at nmk17@psu.edu
  5. The department head and faculty member will be notified if the leave is approved.  When the next semester or year’s appointments are processed, IBIS forms putting the faculty member on leave will be processed in the Dean's office.