Professional Leaves of Absence

Professional Leave of Absence Application

Approvals of applications for a professional leave of absence supported by university funds and for professional leaves of absence supported by outside funds are subject to the discretion of the department head, the dean of the college, and the provost based upon a variety of factors, including:

• the merits of the project to be undertaken by the faculty member
• the resources of the department, college, and university

University supported professional leave generally may be taken for one semester at full salary or one academic year at half salary.

A faculty member who receives a leave supported by Carnegie Mellon funds must make a commitment to return to the university for at least one year following the leave and agree to reimburse the university if they do not return.

A Professional leave supported by outside funds is generally granted for a one year period (or less). Faculty members may request a one year extension (for a total of two years of leave supported by outside funds).

Faculty members without indefinite tenure may request that the period of leave be excluded from the term of the academic appointment, subject to approval by the dean and department head.

For both types of professional leaves, periods of leave greater than one year and/or extensions beyond the first year must be approved by the Provost.