I. POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
F. INSTRUCTOR ATTENDANCE POLICIES
Instructor Absences | Leave of Absence | Family and Medical Leave | Pregnancy and Disability Leave | Jury Duty
Instructor Absences
If you are unable to meet your class at any time, due to illness or unavoidable conflicts, you must contact your school dean or department chair and make arrangements to cover your class. Should your school dean or department chair be unreachable, contact the department assistant and the area dean or Vice Provost immediately above the chair.
Leave of Absence
Leaves of absence may be granted to part-time faculty members at the sole discretion of the University. This general policy summarizes the provisions generally applicable to all types of leaves. There are, however, variations on certain issues depending on the type of leave. Please see the specific type of leave for details.
To be eligible for a leave other than pregnancy disability, a faculty member, at the time of the request, must be employed by the University in a benefits-eligible position--at least a half-time appointment--for a minimum of 12 continuous months prior to the start of the leave.
The time periods related to leaves begin on the first day of leave, regardless of when the leave is approved. All time off which qualifies as family and medical leave will be counted against the faculty member’s total state and federal family and medical leave entitlements.
When returning from a medical or pregnancy disability leave, the faculty member must present a doctor’s certificate showing fitness to return to work. Certification and application forms are available in the Office of Human Resources.
The faculty member who has been granted a leave of absence will return to the same or comparable job if they are able to perform the essential functions of that job with or without reasonable accommodation. The faculty member will be credited with the full employment status which existed prior to the start of the leave. Subject to normal evaluation processes, the time spent on leave will not be counted for purposes of future salary adjustments.
This section provides a brief overview of leaves of absence. Detailed information is available from the Office of Human Resources.
Family and Medical Leave
An unpaid family leave, up to 12 workweeks in a 12-month period, may be requested for the following purposes: (1) to care for a newborn, newly adopted, or new foster child of the employee; (2) to care for the employee's dependent child, spouse, or parent with a serious health condition; or (3) to care for oneself when the employee has a serious health condition. The 12-month period will begin on the first day of absence. The entitlement to leave for the birth, adoption, or placement of a child expires 12 months after the birth or placement has occurred. All faculty members who are disabled by pregnancy are also entitled to a pregnancy disability leave, separate and apart from their right to take family and medical leave under state law. See Pregnancy Disability Leave Policy.
Although the family and medical leave is unpaid, the part-time faculty member may be eligible for State Disability Insurance (SDI) benefits if the leave is due to the faculty member’s own serious health condition. SDI benefits provide for partial salary replacement. Additional information is available in the Office of Human Resources.
Apart-time faculty member requesting a family leave must notify their area dean of his or her need for the leave, the date the leave is expected to commence, and the estimated duration of such leave at least 30 days in advance of the commencement date, if possible. When the leave is due to a serious health condition, the faculty member must also provide medical certification, signed by the health care provider, in support of the leave. Certification and application forms are available in the Office of Human Resources.
While a faculty member is on an approved family and medical leave, the University will continue to pay its normal contribution for health and other insurance benefits that are ordinarily provided by the University for 12 workweeks. During this time the part-time faculty member is responsible for making the normal contribution. When a faculty member is no longer eligible (after 12 workweeks) to receive the University's normal contribution, (s)he may self-pay the full premiums under the provisions of COBRA coverage by submitting the payment to the Office of Human Resources on or before the first day of each month.
Pregnancy and Disability Leave
Part-time faculty members who are disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions are entitled to an unpaid leave of absence for the period of disability, up to a maximum of four months. Time off needed for prenatal care, severe morning sickness, doctor-ordered bed rest, childbirth, and recovery from childbirth will all be counted against the pregnancy disability leave entitlement.
Although the pregnancy disability leave is unpaid, the part-time faculty member may be eligible for State Disability Insurance (SDI) benefits. SDI benefits provide for partial salary replacement. For a normal pregnancy without complications, SDI usually approves benefit payments for up to four weeks pre-delivery and six weeks post-delivery (eight weeks for cesarean). Additional information is available in the Office of Human Resources.
A faculty member requesting a pregnancy disability leave must notify their area dean of the date the leave is expected to commence and the estimated duration of such leave at least 30 days in advance of the commencement date, if possible. The request for leave must be supported by a medical certification of disability. In addition, before a faculty member will be returned to her job or a comparable job, she must provide a medical certification of fitness for duty that she is able to resume her original job duties. Certification and application forms are available in the Office of Human Resources.
Leave provided for pregnancy disability is treated separately from leaves required by the state family and medical leave law. However, the first 12 workweeks of a pregnancy disability leave will be treated concurrently as a leave pursuant to the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.
Jury Duty
Point Loma Nazarene University encourages its faculty to fulfill their civic responsibility. However, faculty are requested to postpone their jury duty service to a time when classes are not in session.
