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Faculty of Arts Academic Staff Leave Policy

The following is an edited version of the policy approved by the Faculty's Standing Committee of Heads of Department (4/03 - 30 May 2003).

Heads of Departments/Directors of Centres should be aware of the practices prescribed in this policy when considerating requests from academic staff for Teaching Relief, SSP (Short), SSP (Long), Long Service Leave, Annual Leave and other forms of leave.

Key points of policy

• No time away from the University is granted automatically. All leave must be applied for, and discussed with Heads of Department/Directors of Centres. Blocks of time away from normal duties must be arranged, co-ordinated in advance, and discussed at annual appraisals. It is also advised that procedures for leave applications are made transparent at Departmental planning days.
• Departments must ensure a continuity of teaching programs and supervision. Often it is not in the best interest of the department for academic staff members to be absent for long periods of time and especially during semester. Small departments have added constraints, as it is often difficult to ensure a continuity of programmes and supervision.
• Excess leave balances are unacceptable. Faculty requires Annual Leave balances to be below 40 days, and Long Service Leave, below 19.5 weeks.
• Good practice in relation to granting leave from academic duties is premised on timely discussions between the Head of Department/ Director of Centre and the staff member involved.

Conditions which govern the granting of academic staff leave within the Faculty are provided below.

1. ARC teaching relief

• Heads of Department need to be aware that where teaching relief is given by the ARC it must be taken.
• In signing the Certification Form of an ARC grant application a Head of Department/ Director of Centre is approving the ARC application, including any requests for teaching relief. The expectation is that the Chief Investigator will be allowed to take teaching relief as outlined in the application and as awarded. The funds specified by the ARC for teaching relief cannot be used for any other purpose and must be expended in the year awarded (although, in exceptional circumstances eg. government travel warnings, funds may be carried forward to another year).
• It is expected that there will be discussion between the Head of Department/ Director of Centre and Chief Investigators of an ARC grant when an application for teaching relief is to be made, including the implications this might have on the departmental programmes and post-graduate supervision. This would pertain especially to small departments.
• At the time of applying for teaching relief, the staff member must nominate a suitable replacement in consultation with the Head of Department/Director of Centre.
• When on teaching relief, a staff member must be readily available to perform their other prescribed duties such as postgraduate supervisions and otherwise assist in the good functioning of the Department.
• It should be noted that some departments stipulate that staff cannot use teaching relief to “buy out” of Honours subjects or lecture program commitments either in first, second or third year subjects. In special cases fractional or full-time replacement appointments to cover lecturing loads may be approved by the Head of Department/Director of Centre.

2. Non-ARC teaching relief

• Where it is not ARC supported, teaching relief is not an entitlement and will not be granted if the Head of Department/ Director of Centre deems that the taking of teaching relief would be inimical to the good functioning of the Department.
• A staff member will not normally be granted full or partial teaching relief in consecutive semesters.

3. Special Studies Program (Short)

• Applications are considered on merit.
• Faculty approval is contingent on academic staff ensuring continuity of supervision.
• If the proposed absence is more than one month in duration, it is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the arrangements made for the supervision of their postgraduate students is approved by the Head of Department/Director of Centre, endorsed by the Associate Dean (Research & Research Training) and is conveyed to the students involved.
• For more information on the scheme, visit the SSP (Short) page.

4. Special Studies Program (Long)

• Each SSP(L) application is considered for approval by the Dean of Faculty on the recommendation of the Head of Department.
• Approval to undertake a program is based upon a number of factors, including the programs' merit. Approval of a program should not be considered to be automatic even when the applicant satisfies the basic eligibility requirements. Normally a SSP (L) should be arranged to cause the least possible disruption to a department's teaching program and should not cross semesters.
• Consideration of applications
• Before approving a SSP(L) the Dean must be satisfied that:
  1. the planned specific outcomes of the SSP(L) will enhance the contributions of the member of staff to research, teaching or scholarship and provide significant benefit to the University
  2. the planned program will substantially add to the expertise and knowledge of the staff member

  3. the applicant has a proven and sustained record of productivity in research, teaching and scholarship or shows considerable promise. The Committee will take into account the applicant's recent publication record and the demonstrated outcomes of previous study programs.

     The Faculty's SSP (Long) Committee agreed in 2002 to recommend the following:

     1. research performance should be taken into account in any decision to approve SSP (Long);
     2. the Faculty's SSP (Long) Committee be used as a measure of research activity of academic staff;
     3. an applicants past record of research activity, over a period of six years, will be taken into consideration by Faculty when assessing applications for SSP (Long.

     The above recommendations were approved by RAGS (5/02) and subsequently SCHD (7/02).

  4. the proposed program justifies the period requested and that it could not be undertaken at this University (e.g. through rearrangement of duties in the Department).
• Please note that there is no category of 'internal' leave. SSP (Long) consists of 'funded leave' (travel to go overseas) and 'unfunded leave' (staying in Melbourne).
• For more information, visit the SSP (Long) page.

5. Other Approvals for Leave

Heads/Directors have the authority to approve such absences as 'Other Approvals' (ie, this may include leave to take up short term Fellowships interstate or overseas)

Arrangements for such leave (not in excess of 2 months) in either a teaching or non-teaching period, must be approved by the Head of Department/ Director of Centre and forwarded to the Faculty for endorsement by the Dean or Assoc Dean (Research & Research Training)

Such leave will be recorded by Faculty and reported to Human Resources. Such periods of leave should preferably be taken in a non-teaching period, and with minimum disruption to teaching and supervision. Annual leave on a pro-rata basis, must be taken during this period of leave.

In the case of attending conferences during the teaching semester, staff must ensure that appropriate arrangements have been made so as not to impose an unreasonable burden on tutors and colleagues in relation to teaching commitments. Again, this needs to be discussed with the Head of Department/ Director of Centre.

Leave in examination periods would not ordinarily be approved by the Head of Department.

6. Long Service Leave

Applications from academic staff for long service are approved by the Dean, on the recommendation of the Head of Department.

The University's current policy on excessive LSL is as follows:

Annual leave and long service leave accumulate at prescribed rates, and staff members are required to take appropriate leave to keep their leave balances to within maximum limits. Leave balances should be monitored by departments, and the University has developed processes to assist with reducing excessive leave balance (see Section 9.7.3.3 (for annual leave) and Section 9.8.3.6 (for long service leave).

Applications to reduce excessive LSL balances should be made in consultation with the Head of Department.

Long service leave balances must be reduced to less than 19.5 weeks before departing on SSP (L) programs.

7. Annual Leave

Applications to reduce excessive annual leave balances should be made in consultation with the Head of Department.

Annual leave balances must be reduced to 40 days or less before departing on SSP (L) programs.

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