Responsible Body: Office of the Provost
Date of Last Review: June 25, 2021
A non-tenured faculty member teaching at ACU for at least three years may apply for a leave of absence for further graduate studies. In addition, because of unique circumstances, the provost may negotiate an agreement of support for an individual who will join the faculty in the future. Whether the leave is granted will depend on the following: 1) the need for additional terminal degrees in the faculty member’s department/school; 2) the probability that the faculty member can carry the program to a successful conclusion; and 3) the availability of funds in the academic budget. Any leave will be granted on certain conditions. Typically, leaves function in these ways:
- The faculty member and the provost will reach agreement on the terms of support for pursuit of a terminal degree. Support may include some level of compensation and/or reimbursement for a portion of tuition expenses. If the faculty member is enrolled in a traditional program he or she will be expected to take a full load of classes or be working full time on the dissertation; if a full load is not maintained the pay will be reduced proportionally.
- The faculty member and the provost will reach agreement on a teaching commitment that the faculty member must fulfill upon completion of the terminal degree, and upon an amount that the faculty member will be obligated to pay to the university if he or she does not complete the teaching commitment.
- If the faculty member is maintaining employment with the university while pursuing a terminal degree, the faculty member and the provost will reach agreement on the teaching load while enrolled in graduate classes; and continued employment is not guaranteed by the university, but will be reviewed annually as a part of the faculty member’s yearly contract.
- The provost and faculty member will sign an “Agreement Regarding Leave of Absence” that specifies the responsibilities of each party.