802.0806 LEAVE/EDUCATIONAL
LEAVE WITHOUT PAY
Institutions may
grant educational leave without pay to full-time employees for periods not to
exceed one year at a time for the purpose of encouraging professional
development. Such approved leave shall
allow the employee the right to elect to continue group insurance benefits with
institutional participation (c.f. Section 803.14). See Application for Educational Leave without Pay (available in
the Human Resources Department).
It is the policy of
Georgia Perimeter College to provide employees with opportunities for career
growth and development. The leave
offers employees an opportunity to engage in educational activities that will
result in career enrichment and improved performance at the College. Although there may be exceptions, this leave
is ordinarily granted for pursuit of a degree at a regionally accredited
institution of higher education.
Even if all criteria
are met, eligible employees should understand that the College reserves the
right to approve or deny the request based upon the College’s operational needs
or financial considerations.
All
full-time employees who have been employed at the College full-time for at
least three years are eligible to apply for a leave of one to two
semesters. All full-time employees who
have been employed at the College full-time for at least five years are
eligible to apply for a leave of three semesters in a year. An individual may not receive more than one
leave of one-to-two-semesters within a five-year period, nor more than one
leave of three-semesters in a year within a seven-year period.
All full-time fiscal
year employees who have been employed at the College full-time for at least
three years are eligible to apply for a leave of six-months. All full-time fiscal year employees who have
been employed at the College full-time for at least five years are eligible to
apply for a leave of one year. An
individual may not receive more than one leave of six months within a five-year
period, nor more than one leave of one year within a seven-year period.
Eligible
employees will follow the procedures listed below in applying for Educational
Leave without Pay:
A.
Eligible employees
must secure an application form from the Human Resources Department.
B.
The application form
must be accompanied by a resume, a proposed educational plan, and a statement
illustrating how the employee and the College may benefit from the employee’s
leave.
C.
The application form
must be completed and submitted to the applicant’s Department Chair/Immediate
Supervisor at least six months in advance of the time for which leave is
requested.
D.
The Department
Chair/Immediate Supervisor will make a recommendation, provide appropriate
comments and forward a copy of the application to the Human Resources
Department.
E.
The appropriate
Dean/Provost/Vice President makes a recommendation to the President. The President makes the final decision and
forwards the application to the Human Resources Department.
All
eligible applications will be judged upon the following factors:
A.
The nature of the
proposed leave and its value to the employee, his or her department, and the
College.
B.
The years of service
an applicant has accrued at the College, and the applicant’s work performance
during this service.
C.
The ability of the
College to get a replacement or handle the employee’s workload.
D.
The ability of the
College and the department to assure the employee of a comparable job at the
conclusion of the leave.
While on such leave,
the individual is considered to be in the employ of Georgia Perimeter College
and entitled to continue to participate in group insurance benefits with
institutional participation. An
employee will not receive merit pay nor accrue sick leave or vacation leave
while on Educational Leave without Pay.
Any accrued vacation may be requested at time of leave. It is the employee’s responsibility to
notify the College if they are unable to complete their professional
development program.
Upon return from
leave, the employee will provide his/her supervisor with a written report
detailing the professional development experience and how it will benefit the
college.
Revised 4/00 and
7/27/00
Approved by College Advisory Board 7/27/00