Leaves of Absence (LOA)

General Leave Guidelines for Academic Employees

• If you need to be off work for longer than five consecutive workdays for reasons other than vacation, please contact the appropriate office to discuss your leave of absence options, eligibility for disability pay, and to ensure your absence does not jeopardize your insurance benefits.
• It is critical that leaves of absences are requested in a timely manner to avoid problems with overpayments, benefits, retirement savings program distributions, and other deductions.
• No leave will be approved beyond an employee’s current appointment end date.

Who to Contact

Different offices on campus are responsible for processing leave requests. To expedite your leave request, please email the appropriate contact based on the type of leave you’re requesting and the title you hold.

Staff (non-academic) employees should contact the designated Leave Coordinator for your department.

Senate & Non-senate Leaves Managed by APO

• Family & Medical Leave (illness/medical procedures, pregnancy/parental, family illness/medical procedures/care, military/exigency, etc.)

Information about family and medical leaves specific to your job title can be found here.

To start the leave request process, email apoleave@ucsc.edu.

Non-senate Leaves Managed by the PBSci Academic Personnel Office

• Personal (non-medical/family) leaves of absence
• Professional Development
• Extended Jury Duty

To start the leave request process, email Kiyana Kemayo at kkemayo@ucsc.edu.

Senate Faculty Leaves Managed by the PBSci Academic Personnel Office

SABBATICAL (APM 740, 740-94(A thru E), 740-18,19, and APM 025) – This is leave from all regular duties to enable a faculty member to devote their time fully to research and/or study to become more effective teachers and scholars and to enhance their service to the University.

COURSE BUYOUT – A faculty member may use extramural funds to be compensated for research or professional activities in lieu of teaching one course. Buyout requests are subject to funding approval. (NOT A LEAVE, but requested on Faculty Leave Form)

PROFESSIONAL LEAVE WITH PAY (APM 752) – A faculty member may be granted leave with pay to attend a professional meeting or for University business. Leaves of 1-15 days may be granted by the department chair. The chair, in conjunction with the faculty member (per departmental protocol), will determine what constitutes adequate replacement during the period of leave. 

CHANGE OF DUTY STATION (CAPM 902.000) – A change of duty station is appropriate when a faculty member’s regular, ongoing, University duties must be carried out at a location other than the campus. The request must have some time aspect; e.g., the facilities or the material to be studied are only available at certain periods of the year. The faculty member is not relieved of teaching, research, or service duties, but carries out these responsibilities at a different location. Change of Duty Station does not affect sabbatical accrual or merit eligibility. 

OTHER LEAVE WITH PAY (APM 750, 751, 758) – Leaves of absence with full pay for other good cause may be granted to faculty members. Leaves of absence to perform service for an outside agency (including corporations, individuals and institutions) when such service is compensated by the outside agency are not granted with pay. 

OTHER LEAVE WITHOUT PAY (APM 759) – Leaves of absence without pay for other good cause may be granted to faculty members.

Your department manager will provide you with the divisional Faculty Leave Request Form as part of the annual curriculum & leave planning process. For leaves requested outside of this process, please contact Laura Lopez at laural@ucsc.edu.