Office of the Provost

Professional Development Leave,

Personnel Policies, SIUE, II 9-10

1. Professional development leave will be considered when demonstrable benefits would accrue to the employee and the University by the grant of such leave. Such benefits may include, but are not limited to increasing the effectiveness or efficiency of the higher education processes of the University; improving the professionalism of the employee in the performance of assigned responsibilities; and, retraining and reorienting employees for new roles within the University.
2. The length of a professional development leave with pay shall be determined by legitimate requirements of a proposal submitted, but shall not exceed a maximum of one calendar year.
3. Application for professional development leave must include a precise statement indicating the purpose of the leave and the benefits to be derived therefrom. Application for professional development leave shall be submitted, in the case of faculty members, to the departmental chairperson, the dean or comparable administrative officer, and the appropriate Vice Chancellor. Application for professional development leave shall be submitted, in the case of professional/administrative staff members, to the immediate supervisor of the employee, the dean (if appropriate), and the appropriate Vice Chancellor, or the Chancellor for those employees not reporting to a Vice Chancellor.
4. The application shall include a statement that the applicant recognizes an obligation to return to the University for a period of service at least equal to the length of the professional development leave granted.
5. A written report summarizing what was accomplished during the leave shall be submitted to the appropriate Vice Chancellor or the Chancellor, as applicable, within six months following the completion of a professional development leave.
6. A recipient of a professional development leave shall be permitted to receive additional financial assistance from sources other than the University, provided that specific arrangements concerning such assistance have received administrative approval by the Chancellor prior to the granting of the leave.
7. The Chancellor, SIUE, shall be responsible for implementation of this policy and for determinations to be made under this policy in a manner not inconsistent with the policies and practices of the Southern Illinois University System.
8. Individual leaves awarded under this policy shall be reported to the Board of Trustees for ratification along with the other personnel matters.