University Times

Pitt has doubled to four weeks the amount of paid time off faculty may take for the birth or adoption of a child.

The University has updated its faculty medical and family leave policy to reflect recommendations approved last fall by Faculty Assembly. (See University Times Oct. 7, 2007.) Policy 02-11-01, last revised in 2003, establishes leaves of absence for faculty for medical, parental and other family-care purposes. (Pitt has a separate family and medical leave policy for staff, Policy 07-07-02.)

The latest update, effective Aug. 29 according to the web page where the policy is posted (www.bc.pitt.edu/policies/policy/02/02-11-01.html), includes two revisions that apply to both male and female faculty parents:

• The allowable period of paid parental leave associated with the birth or adoption of a child has been expanded from two weeks to four weeks.

• The academic year in which a birth or adoption occurs automatically would not be counted as a year toward mandatory tenure review. Faculty could choose a one-year suspension of the “tenure clock” or they could opt to count that year as normal progress toward consideration for tenure, whether or not a leave is taken. Formerly, the tenure clock did not stop unless a request for a suspension was approved by the provost.

A clarifying statement also has been added to the revised policy noting that implementation of the policy may vary by a faculty member’s term and nature of appointment. Faculty members are directed to contact their dean’s office for additional information.

Pitt’s faculty policy is designed to be consistent with the 1993 federal Family and Medical Leave Act, which entitles eligible employees to take unpaid family care and/or medical leaves of up to 12 workweeks in any 12-month period and protects the employee’s employment and medical benefits during authorized family and medical leaves.

The modifications to Pitt’s policy, approved by Chancellor Mark Nordenberg over the summer, are directed at the family leave provisions, Section IV-A and Section VI-C; the policy’s medical leave provisions remain unchanged.

Faculty members eligible for leave under this policy are full-time faculty and faculty librarians, and part-time tenure-stream faculty and part-time faculty librarians who are employed at least half-time. Married faculty members who both are employed at the University each are eligible for parental leave.

Under the policy, faculty would have to take their four weeks of paid leave within one calendar year of the birth or adoption of a child. Such leave may be taken as full time or as equivalent prorated part time as determined by the faculty member and his or her department chair. The paid leave would be in addition to accrued vacation time.

Prior to the approval of Faculty Assembly, the changes also garnered unanimous endorsement of the Council of Deans and were approved unanimously by the University Senate benefits and welfare committee, Pitt officials said.

—Peter Hart