Danforth Campus Policy on Parental Leave for Full-Time Faculty

Revised January, 2022

This policy is also available to print (PDF).

Anytime a full-time faculty member, or that faculty member’s spouse or domestic partner,       becomes a parent by childbirth or adoption of a minor, the faculty member shall, upon written  request to their Department Chair or Dean, be eligible for a paid parental leave of 15 consecutive weeks. This leave can be taken within one semester, or split across semesters if needed based on the timing of the childbirth or adoption. In order to facilitate coverage of work duties, the faculty member must provide reasonable advance notice of the need for leave. Parental leave must be completed within the  first year of the child’s birth or adoption.

If the faculty member’s spouse or domestic partner also is a full-time Danforth Campus faculty member, both will be eligible for parental leave under this policy. In such cases, the leaves can be taken simultaneously, consecutively, or partially overlapping.

A faculty member on parental leave will receive the same base salary (exclusive of stipends and additional administrative pay) and benefits that they would have received if not on  leave. The faculty member will not be expected or encouraged to engage in their job responsibilities (including research, teaching, supervision, advising, and service) during the leave, although they may choose to engage in work-related duties if desired.

For faculty members in their tenure probationary period, time spent on parental leave under this policy shall not count toward the probationary period. To avoid the administrative difficulties that may result from deviations from the ordinary tenure review schedule, the tenure clock will be paused for one year. There will be a maximum of a one-year pause per birth or adoption event (inclusive of the parental leave and any other leaves). The timing of any intermediate or major reviews during the probationary period will be adjusted as appropriate and consistent with the revised tenure review schedule.

To the extent that the circumstances giving rise to leave under this policy also qualify the faculty member for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, the leaves will run concurrently. This policy does not preclude a Department Chair or Dean from providing additional, unpaid leave consistent with other University policies.