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Professional Leaves

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UMKC offers faculty three types of professional leave to conduct research, pursue professional development, or write a book

Types

For tenured, tenure track and full-time, ranked non-tenure track faculty members, development leave is for the purpose of pursuing personal, professional, instructional, or administrative development for up to one year. (CRR 340.070 A.2.) Development Leave is considered a “Professional” leave and requires the faculty member to submit a Report of Accomplishment to the Provost office within 45 days of the leave end date.

Intended for tenured, tenure-track, and full-time ranked non-tenure track research faculty with established scholarly, artistic or research records to conduct research for up to one year.  (CRR 340.070 A.1.)  Research Leave is considered a “Professional” leave and requires the faculty member to submit a Report of Accomplishment to the Provost office within 45 days of the leave end date.

Sabbatical is intended for tenured faculty members only.  Sabbatical has come to mean, in recent times, any extended absence in the career of an individual in order to achieve something.  In the modern sense, one takes sabbatical typically to fulfill some goal, e.g., writing a book or traveling extensively for research. If approved, tenured faculty members may only receive up to one-half their annual salary while on Sabbatical Leave.  Sabbatical Leave is considered a “Professional” leave and requires the faculty member to submit a Report of Accomplishment to the Provost office within 45 days of the leave end date.  (CRR 340.070 A.3.)

Application for Professional Leave

Professional Leave Request documentation must be received in the Provost Office no less than 90 days in advance of requested leave effective date. All Faculty members who accept a paid leave must state their intention to return to the University for the same amount of time they plan to be gone.

  1. Candidate should review CRR 340.070 Faculty Leave policy to determine the type of leave for which to apply. Candidate should discuss the most suitable leave type with their department chair, and/or contact the Provost Office (popoolac@umkc.edu x2721).
  2. Candidate should work with unit Human Resource Facilitator (HRF) to complete the Request for Leave of Absence Form UM108.  Form UM108 is required for all professional leaves.
  3. Candidate creates and attaches appropriate documentation for the selected leave type.  
  4. Candidate forwards completed, signed form with all necessary documentation to the department chair for approval.
  5. Department chair reviews leave form and documentation, then signs the original form if approved. Department chair sends memo of support to the dean with the original form and all documentation.
  6. Dean reviews leave form and documentation, then signs original UM 108 form if approved. Dean writes a memo of support to the Provost. Please note that deans are responsible for arranging coverage of the candidate’s duties and responsibilities during the leave period.
  7. Dean sends the original form with all documentation to unit HRF for final review and processing.
  8. Unit HRF is responsible for ensuring Leave form is complete and accurate, and that all necessary documentation is attached (Original Leave form, Dean Memo, Chair Memo, followed by any additional documentation appropriate to the selected Leave type as required in the CRR Faculty Leave policy.  
  9. Unit HRF sends signed, original documentation via email to: Chris Popoola (popoolac@umkc.edu).
  10. Provost reviews all leave request documentation, then issues a letter of approval or denial to the candidate.
  11. Provost retains all original documentation; a scanned copy of all signed documentation is returned via email to the candidate, chair, dean, and unit HRF.
  12. Unit HRF attaches a copy of approved Request for Leave of Absence Form UM108 to candidate’s leave of absence PAF three weeks prior to leave effective date and sends to Provost Office via campus mail for processing (Attn: Susan Hankins  hankinss@umkc.edu).
  13. Candidate reports back to work, in person, to department chair on or before stated professional leave end date.
  14. Department chair notifies unit HRF of the date the candidate has returned to work.
  15. Unit HRF prepares return from leave of absence PAF with a copy of approved Request for Leave of Absence Form UM108 and sends to Provost Office via campus mail for processing (Attn: Chris Popoola, popoolac@umkc.edu).
  16. Candidate prepares Leave Accomplishments Report as required by CRR 340.070 Faculty Leave policy and submits to Department Chair and Provost Office (Attn: Chris Popoola popoolac@umkc.edu) within 45 days of the Leave end date.

  • The Provost Office suggests a minimum period of seven years between Professional and Sabbatical Leaves, unless fully funded from external resources.
  • Faculty must return to the university from any paid professional leave to perform their standard duties as assigned (in-house) for, at minimum, the same amount of time they were on leave before they are eligible to apply for any other type of paid professional leave.

Report of Accomplishment

All Research, Development, and Sabbatical Professional Leaves require the employee to submit a written Report of Accomplishment to the Provost Office within 45 days of the leave period end date.

There’s no form or format to the Leave Report of Accomplishments, other than it is a summary report that should reference the faculty member’s name, title, department & unit, leave period and type,  and compare the original purpose of the leave to the actual leave accomplishments, explaining any variances from the original leave plan.  Highlight any benefits to yourself and the university resulting from the work accomplished during the leave period.

Leave reports can be beneficial in demonstrating the productivity and value of the Research, Development, or Sabbatical Leave benefit to our faculty, departments, academic units, the university, and our community.

Please send Research and Development Leave Reports of Accomplishment via email to Chris Popoola.