[Moderate revision–posted 6/13/25 (replaces 1/5/24 edition)]
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Operating Policy and Procedure

OP 32.29: Faculty Development Leaves

DATE: June 13, 2025

PURPOSE: The purpose of this Operating Policy/Procedure (OP) is to provide a standardized approach for faculty development leaves.

REVIEW: This OP will be reviewed every two years after publication by the Vice Provost for Faculty Success with substantive revisions presented to the Provost and Senior Vice President (PSVP).

POLICY/PROCEDURE

1.  General Information

a.    Sections 51.102–51.108 of the Texas Education Code provide for faculty development leaves (referred to in the Code as faculty development leaves of absence), and this OP conforms to the legislative directive.

b.    The Board of Regents may grant a faculty development leave for study, research, writing, field observations, or other suitable purposes to a faculty member within the constraints of the legislation.

c.    Not more than 6 percent of the tenured faculty members of the university may be on faculty development leave at any one time.

2.  Procedures

a.    A faculty member interested in applying for development leave must discuss the matter with their department chairperson, school director, or area coordinator (henceforth, chairperson) at least four (4) weeks in advance of the deadline to submit an application. This is to ensure that chairpersons’ and deans’ offices are aware of the number of applications from a single academic unit likely to be submitted in any given cycle.

b.    A chairperson may request that a faculty member postpone their faculty development leave by a semester or longer due to staffing constraints but cannot deny a faculty member’s application. The chairperson may complete a Faculty Development Leave Addendum: Unit with Multiple Applications (Attachment C) to explain their staffing concerns. Faculty members who believe that the delay would be detrimental to their leave may continue to prepare and submit their leave application.

c.    The chairperson of the faculty member requesting a development assignment will complete the Faculty Development Leave Rating Form (Attachment B) and indicate on the rating form if an addendum (Attachment C) is associated with the application. The chairperson will forward the application, rating form, and, if applicable, addendum to their dean to provide input on the Faculty Development Leave Rating Form, who will forward the entire package to the Office of the Provost.

d.    The university Faculty Development Leave Committee elected by the general faculty should receive applications by faculty members for faculty development leaves (see Attachment A). The committee reviews these applications and makes recommendations to the PSVP pursuant to published criteria for selection and announced availability of such leaves.

e.    The committee reviews eligibility, criteria for selection, and the extent of availability and makes appropriate recommendations. Criteria for eligibility include tenure status at TTU, number of consecutive academic years of employment at TTU, and (as applicable) length of time since previous faculty development leave. Criteria for selection include the following:

(1)    The provision of clear objectives for the requested leave;

(2)    The provision of clear reasons why the objectives cannot be achieved within the faculty member’s allocation of effort to creative activity/research;

(3)    Description of how the faculty member is prepared to meet the proposed objectives of the leave;

(4)    The provision of a schedule, including anticipated travel and general timeline;

(5)    Articulation of how the proposed project will benefit the faculty member and the unit, college, and/or university; and

(6)    The proposed merit of the project as evaluated by the chairperson, dean, and external letter-writers.

f.    The PSVP makes recommendations to the President, who then makes recommendations to the Board of Regents on which applications should be granted.

g.    The PSVP will notify the candidate, dean, and chairperson that the leave has been granted. The candidate will also be reminded that any funding requirements associated with the faculty development leave are the responsibility of the faculty member and are not the responsibility of the university, college, or department (or school or area).

h.    Once a leave has been granted, the PSVP will award to the college funding for the leave semester to help offset the costs of retaining additional support to fulfill the duties of the faculty member on leave. The college will award the full amount of those funds to the department, school, or area impacted by the leave. The Chief Financial Officer, in consultation with the PSVP, shall determine the amount that will be provided to an academic unit to support each faculty member on leave. The amount shall be no less than $5,500 per faculty member per semester.

i.    The Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development Center (TLPDC) will, with the Faculty Development Leave Committee, develop programming designed to assist faculty members with preparing applications for faculty development leave.

3.  Eligibility

a.    A faculty member is eligible by reason of service when that person has served as a member of the faculty of Texas Tech University for at least five academic years, two of which must have been consecutive. This service may be as an assistant, associate, or full professor, librarian, or archivist, and must be full-time academic duty, but need not include teaching.

b.    The faculty member must be tenured at the beginning of the leave in order to receive the leave. A pre-tenure faculty member may submit an application for development leave prior to the award of tenure. Should tenure not be awarded to a pre-tenure faculty member who applied for and was awarded leave, the leave will be rescinded.

c.    Faculty members at all ranks of non-tenure-acquiring positions (lecturers, professors of practice, research professors, visiting professors) are not eligible for faculty development leave.

d.    A faculty member may not be awarded a standard faculty development leave if fewer than eight long semesters have passed since the completion of a previously awarded leave.

e.    A faculty member awarded a “highly prestigious external award” is eligible for expedited faculty development leave. Expedited faculty development leaves are not reviewed by the Faculty Development Leave Committee and do not factor into the timeline referenced in this policy.

4.  Regulations

a.    Faculty development leave may be granted for either one academic year (fall term followed by spring term) at one-half regular salary or for one-half academic year (either fall term or spring term) at full regular salary.

b.    A faculty member on faculty development leave may accept a grant for study, research, or travel from any institution of higher education; from a charitable, religious, or educational corporation or foundation; from any business enterprise; or from any federal, state, or local governmental agency. An accounting of all grants shall be made to the PSVP by the faculty member, and a copy will be sent to the granting body. A faculty member on faculty development leave may not accept employment from any other person, corporation, or government unless the governing board determines that it would be in the public interest to do so and expressly approves the employment.

c.    A faculty member on faculty development leave continues to be an active participant of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas or the Optional Retirement Program just as any other member of the faculty on full-time duty. Deposit and membership dues required to be paid to the Teacher Retirement System or the Optional Retirement Program and any other amounts required or authorized to be deducted from the compensation paid any faculty member will be deducted from the compensation of those faculty members on leave.

d.    A faculty member on faculty development leave is a faculty member for purposes of participating in the programs and receiving the benefits made available by or through the institution or the state to full-time faculty members. Health insurance benefit premiums may be affected by selecting a full year’s leave at half pay; therefore, faculty members interested in applying for a full year’s development leave are encouraged to contact Human Resources prior to submitting an application.

e.    A faculty member on faculty development leave is a faculty member for purposes of participation in departmental business and may, but is not required to, vote on such matters as hiring, tenure and promotion, etc.

f.    A faculty member on faculty development leave shall not be penalized for the period of faculty leave in the calculations of service and teaching for the purposes of promotion, merit raises, or future duties.

g.    Faculty returning from development leave must report to the chairperson and the college dean on the accomplishments of the leave. This report must be submitted by the last date of the spring term (for fall leaves) or by the first date of the fall term (for spring leaves and for full academic year leaves). This report should also be filed with the TLPDC.

h.    Each college must submit a summary report of all accomplishments across all faculty development leaves to the Office of the Provost by September 15 annually.

 

Attachment A: Faculty Development Leave Application Form

Attachment B: Faculty Development Leave Rating Form

Attachment C: Faculty Development Leave Addendum: Unit with Multiple Applications

OP Categories

• 01 Chancellor
• 02 Development
• 04 Audit Services
• 10 President
• 30 Academic and Student Affairs – General
• 32 Academic Policies – Faculty
• 34 Academic Policies – Students
• 36 Academic Programs
• 40 Equal Opportunity
• 48 Communication Services
• 52 Information Technology
• 60 Environmental Health and Safety
• 61 Facilities Management
• 62 Financial and Accounting
• 63 General Services
• 64 Graduate Programs (Faculty and Students)
• 65 Research Accounting
• 66 Libraries
• 67 Mail Services
• 68 Communications and Marketing
• 69 Payroll and Tax Services
• 70 Human Resources
• 72 Purchasing, Contracting, and Payables
• 73 Data Management
• 74 Research
• 76 Security
• 77 Student Services and Registrar
• 78 Traffic and Parking
• 79 Travel
• 80 Vehicles