Overview – Leaves for Academic Appointees
Indiana University Indianapolis recognizes that faculty and academic appointees may need time away from work for a variety of personal, family, medical, military, professional, or public-service reasons. University policies, particularly BOT-17: Leaves for Academic Appointees, provide a range of leave options designed to support employees while maintaining continuity in teaching, research, service, and other university responsibilities.
This page summarizes the leave options available to academic appointees and provides guidance on eligibility, benefits, documentation, and approval processes. Because leave policies can vary based on appointment type, length of service, and individual circumstances, faculty are encouraged to consult their school Human Resources representative early in the process.
We understand that leave requests often arise during significant life events. Our goal is to help faculty understand available options and connect them with the appropriate resources and support.
The HR Business Partner in each school or unit is the primary contact for faculty considering a leave. Most leave documentation is managed within the school or unit.
Questions regarding academic appointment leave policies may be directed to acadhr@iu.edu.
Please note: Certain leave policies and procedures differ for faculty in the Indiana University School of Medicine. Where applicable, those differences are identified below.
In addition to the leave options described on this page, faculty may wish to review:
- Partial Leave guidance
- Sabbatical Leave information
- Reasonable Accommodation resources
- Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) information
Who is Covered by These Leave Policies?
Most of the leave programs described below apply to full-time academic appointees (AC1 employees), including:
- Tenure-track and tenured faculty and librarians
- Clinical-rank faculty
- Lecturer-rank faculty
- Professors of Practice
- Research Scientists
- Research Associates
- Academic Specialists
- RSP Postdoctoral Fellows
Some leave benefits vary by appointment type. Visiting faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and student academic appointees may be subject to different eligibility requirements. Individual sections below describe specific eligibility criteria for each leave category. FLP postdoctoral fellows are not considered employees of Indiana University and must adhere to the leave policies of their funding agency.
The following appointees are not eligible for medical leave or vacation:
- Adjuncts (AC2), per-course instructors not otherwise employed by IU
- Student Academic Appointees (AC3) (see this document for leave options for SAAs.)
Guidance by Leave Type
Vacation Leave
Twelve-month academic appointees receive vacation leave as part of their appointment. Ten-month faculty do not accrue vacation leave because their appointment schedule already includes academic break periods during the year.
- Eligible employees may use up to 22 working days of vacation per calendar year.
- Vacation is prorated for partial-year appointments.
- Vacation time does not carry forward from year to year.
- Vacation may be used, with appropriate approval, before a separation from the university.
- Campus holidays and official university closures are separate from vacation leave.
Vacation scheduling is managed within the school or unit and should be coordinated with supervisors and departmental needs
Medical Leave
Faculty and librarians sometimes need extended time away from work because of a serious health condition, injury, pregnancy-related medical needs, or recovery from surgery. IU offers paid medical leave benefits to eligible academic appointees during these periods.
Informal Medical Leave (less than 3 weeks)
Who may use this leave?
10- and 12-month full-time academic appointees (AC1 employees).
What does the leave provide?
- 15 days per calendar year.
- One year of employment eligibility doesn't apply for this leave type.
- If during the initial three weeks it becomes obvious that more than three weeks are necessary, the employee applies for formal medical leave, and the start date for that is the start of the informal medical leave.
How to request the leave?
Contact your school's HR Business Partner. This leave is managed within office/department/unit. There is no campus form and no eDoc coding.Formal Medical Leave: 3 weeks or more.
Who may use this leave?
10- and 12-month full-time academic appointees (AC1 employees).
What does the leave provide?
- Up to six weeks at full pay.
- Up to nine additional weeks at half pay.
- Leave may be taken on a partial basis when appropriate and supported by medical documentation. Please see guidance on Partial Leaves for AC1s.
- Pregnancy-related medical leave generally does not require medical certification for the initial six-week recovery period.
- A second leave may not occur until the person has returned to work for at least four weeks.
- Option to pause tenure clock for pre-tenure facutly.
How do I request the leave?
Contact your school's HR Business Partner as soon as possible. They will help you understand available options and complete required forms, including:
- Forms:
medical leave form and
FMLA Form 2E completed by faculty member and/or healthcare provider, processed by the school HRBP.
- The FMLA 2E is not needed for pregnancy-related medical leave.
- In the case of partial leaves, the school should use the "essential job functions" document (librarians, all others);
- Return to work form completed before the faculty member returns (must be completed by both the faculty member and the health care provider -- download the form before completing it).
Important Note:
- If applicable, all faculty with 1,250 hours of service may take unpaid FMLA leave: 12 weeks per calendar year.
Family Formation Leave
Who may use this leave?
10- and 12-month full-time academic appointees (AC1 employees) (except visiting or postdocs), with at least 1 year service in an eligible position.
What does the leave provide?
- Up to twelve weeks at full pay, taken within 6 months of the child’s birth or arrival.
- Leave may be taken on a partial basis when appropriate and supported by medical documentation. Please see guidance on Partial Leaves for AC1s.
- Paid leave can be used up to 2 times per every 5 years (with at least one semester or 5 months in-between).
- Can be added with medical (pregnancy-childbirth) leave.
- Option to pause tenure clock for pre-tenure faculty.
How do I request the leave?
Contact your school's HR Business Partner as soon as possible. They will help you understand available options and complete required forms, including:
- family formation leave form; processed within the school (eDoc AFF) unless a partial leave; no documentation other than child’s birth (or adoption) date needed.
Important Note:
- According to BOT-17: Leaves for Academic Appointees, if a family formation leave prevents an academic appointee from carrying out regular teaching responsibilities for two consecutive terms, the appointee and school must reach an agreement that meets the needs of both. The agreement must be in writing and approved by the campus chief academic affairs officer (submit to ude[dot]ui[at]rhdaca). See BOT-17 Procedures B.7.a-b.
- There must be at least one semester (five months) of full return to work between any two family formation or family support leaves.
Family Support Leave
Who may use this leave?
10- and 12-month full-time academic appointees (AC1 employees) (except visiting or postdocs), with at least 1 year service in an eligible position. School of Medicine uses its own policy and procedures.
What does the leave provide?
- Up to twelve weeks at full pay as documented by medical necessity to care for eligible family member with a serious health condition. Eligible family members are the spouse, domestic partner, parent, dependent child, or dependent child of the appointee’s spouse or domestic partner.
- Maximum per calendar year and 2 times per every 5 years;
- Leave may be taken on a partial basis when appropriate and supported by medical documentation. Please see guidance on Partial Leaves for AC1s.
- Paid leave can be used up to 2 times per every 5 years (with at least one semester or 5 months in-between).
- Option to pause tenure clock for pre-tenure faculty.
How do I request the leave?
Contact your school's HR Business Partner as soon as possible. They will help you understand available options and complete required forms, including:
- family support leave form as well as IU FMLA form 2F. The family support leave form is attached to the Leave of Absence eDoc (AFF) and the FMLA form is saved within the school.
Important Note:
- Base pay over $125,000 / year is reduced by 1% for every $2,000 over $125,000.
- Visiting and post-doctoral academic appointees are not eligible for paid family support leave, but they are eligible for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave.
- According to BOT-17: Leaves for Academic Appointees, if a family formation leave prevents an academic appointee from carrying out regular teaching responsibilities for two consecutive terms, the appointee and school must reach an agreement that meets the needs of both. The agreement must be in writing and approved by the campus chief academic affairs officer (submit to ude[dot]ui[at]rhdaca). See BOT-17 Procedures B.7.a-b.
- There must be at least one semester (five months) of full return to work between any two family formation or family support leaves.
Funeral/Bereavement Leave
Who may use this leave?
10- and 12-month full-time academic appointees (AC1 employees).
What does the leave provide?
- Up to three days at full pay per qualifying event. A qualifying event includes the following family members: spouse, domestic partner, child, grandchild, parent (or an individual who stood in loco parentis to the academic appointee prior to the age of 18), sibling, grandparent, in-law relative of the same degree, step-relative of the same degree; or other relative of whom the appointee is the sole survivor.
- The three days will not be counted in the total of medical leave days or vacation days (for 12-month employees) per year
How do I request the leave?
Contact your school's HR Business Partner. This leave is managed within office/department/unit. There is no campus form and no eDoc coding.
Leave without Pay (LWOP)
Who may use this leave?
10- and 12-month full-time academic appointees (AC1 employees), not visiting.
What does the leave provide?
- IU will continue the faculty member's benefit plans, including life and health insurance. See: https://hr.iu.edu/bcc/status/leave_of_absence.htm
How do I request the leave?
Contact chair/supervisor and dean to begin the request. Final approval from the Provost/Chancellor is required, email acadhr@iu.edu. Only one year of leave may be authorized at any time; a second year is rare.
Important Note:
- The university will not make contributions to an academic appointee’s retirement funds while on LWOP.
- Consult with Office of the Provost about how time on leave counts towards IU benefits, retiree status, and sabbatical eligibility.
- If faculty member is moving to a non-IU job, consider an ACNP to maintain connections until all tasks are completed.
Prestigious Leave
- Eligible: All full-time faculty.
- See application details: https://provost.indianapolis.iu.edu/Faculty-Affairs/Honors-Awards/prestigious-award-leave-program
Sabbatical Leave (Brief summary only)
Who may use this leave?
Tenure-track librarians and tenure-track faculty after 6 years of IU service.
What does the leave provide?
- Up to one semester (half year) at full pay or one year at half pay.
How do I request the leave?
See application details here: https://provost.indianapolis.iu.edu/Faculty-Affairs/Sabbaticals.
Military Leave
- Eligible: All IU employees. Implemented according to federal law; see IU policy HR-05-60.
Leave for Jury Duty
Who may use this leave?
All 10- and 12-month full-time academic appointees (AC1 employees).
What does the leave provide?
- Fully paid time off while serving as a witness.
How do I request the leave?
Contact your school's HR Business Partner and supervisor to notify the unit of times of duty, no eDocs needed.