Policy on Faculty Absences From Campus
Effective Nov. 29, 2010
Faculty members are expected to be on campus to teach their scheduled classes, except in cases of personal or family crises, family bereavement issues, short-term medical issues and professional meetings or other scholarly obligations, the timing of which is outside the faculty member's control.
Personal Medical or Family Emergencies
Absences of one week or less due to personal medical or family emergencies are handled informally. The faculty member should inform her/his chair or dean, and make appropriate arrangements to cover or reschedule the missed classes. The death of a family or household member is covered by the bereavement policy posted by the Office of Human Resources, with faculty expected to make appropriate arrangements to have their classes covered in such instances. Absence of more than one week due to personal or family illness normally requires initiation of the Family and Medical Leave process. Procedures for invoking FMLA are available from Human Resources or the deans' offices.
Planned Absence for Professional Reasons
Absences related to professional meetings or other scholarly obligations should not be planned for more than a week of classes per course during any given semester. Absences involving a single class session per course may be handled informally, with notice to the appropriate chair or dean and arrangements made to cover or reschedule the missed classes. If a faculty member wishes to be absent from more than one class session per course, prior approval must be secured from the chair and/or dean, under procedures established for each school by the dean. For approved absences, faculty should give reasonable advance notice and make appropriate arrangements for missed classes.
If a class session is rescheduled to accommodate a faculty member's absence, it must be rescheduled at a time when all students are able to attend.