New Paid Parental Leave Policy for Faculty Takes Effect June 1

American Association of University Professors (AAUP)-represented faculty expecting babies or adopting young children can start planning now to determine how to use the University of Cincinnati’s new Paid Parental Leave Policy. The policy takes effect June 1, 2015.

“This new, family-friendly policy demonstrates our commitment to the well-being of our faculty’s families and our dedication to remaining competitive for the world’s top academic talent,” said Matt Serra, vice provost for academic personnel and lead negotiator for the administration.

The policy was a required piece of the 2013-2016 collective bargaining agreement between the university and the AAUP UC Chapter, he noted. It addresses and reflects, in part, differences between faculty who work on two-semester contracts and who are not eligible for vacation days and other types of employees who are eligible for vacation days.

Only 18 percent of colleges and universities offer a gender-neutral Paid Parental Leave, according to a

survey by the University of Virginia

. Most of those were private schools ranked elite or “very difficult.” A 

survey by the Congressional Research Service

concluded that just 8 percent of private sector workers receive Paid Parental Leave; and the U.S. is one of the only developed nations in the world without mandated Paid Parental Leave.  

“Per the negotiated agreement, a joint committee including University and AAUP representatives worked together to develop the policy,” Serra said. “That group worked diligently through last summer and fall to come up with a plan that made sense for our faculty, our departments, our students and our educational mission. We are grateful for the committee’s hard work and are confident we now have a progressive policy that puts us among the leaders in higher education on this issue.”

“The AAUP-UC Chapter has worked for many years to achieve a paid parental leave policy like this,” Chapter President Greg Loving said. “Thanks to a renewed spirit of cooperative problem-solving, we now have something in place. We’re especially pleased with the innovative ‘teaching relief’ element of this new policy, because it makes so much sense for faculty work life.”

Key details of the AAUP-represented Faculty Paid Parental Leave (PPL) include

•    Faculty have up to six weeks of paid leave for primary caregiving that applies to birth or adopted children up to seven years old;

•    Faculty have full release from all duties during the six-week leave, as well as release from assigned teaching duties for the same academic semester during which the leave is taken (research and service duties continue during the non-leave period);

•    Faculty have up to six months after the birth or adoption of the child to utilize the teaching release benefit;

•    Dual-career faculty couples who are both AAUP-represented faculty members can take consecutive semester releases from teaching;

•    Use of paid parental leave by tenure-track faculty in the probationary period cannot count against them when they are being considered for reappointment, promotion or tenure.

The effective date of this new policy is June 1, 2015, meaning that AAUP-represented faculty members who welcome a newborn child or adopted child on June 1, 2015 or later are eligible to access this benefit.

Further details will be published soon. Questions may be directed to any of the following:

•    Liz Aumann/HR-Benefits – aumannes@ucmail.uc.edu

•    Debby Herman/ AAUP-UC Chapter – deborah.herman@uc.edu

•    Matt Serra/Provost’s Office of Academic Personnel – matt.serra@uc.edu