SECTION CONTENTS

1202.00  Definitions

1210.00  Leaves
1211.00   Annual Leave for Faculty with Academic Rank
1212.00   Educational Leave for Extension Service and Experiment Station Field Staff
1213.00   Administrative and Professional Development Leave
1214.00   Leave Without Pay
1215.00   Other Leave Policies

1220.00  Sabbatical Assignment
1221.00   Board of Regents Policy
1222.00   Opinion of the Attorney General
1223.00   Peace Corps Sabbaticals
1224.00   Application Procedures
1225.00   Special Conditions

1230.00  Other Benefits
1231.00   Liability Coverage
1232.00   Enrollment in Classes/Programs
1233.00   Identification Cards
1234.00   Athletic Tickets
1235.00   Physical Education, Recreation, and Intramural Facilities

1202.00 Definitions

"Field staff members" are professional Extension Service and Experiment Station staff members who are located off-campus from Montana State University-Bozeman.

"Sabbatical assignment" is A CHANGE OF DUTIES WHICH NEITHER DIMINISHES [N]OR INCREASES THE EXTENT OF THE PERSON'S EMPLOYMENT WITH THE UNIVERSITY. THE RECIPIENT REMAINS EMPLOYED BY THE UNIVERSITY DURING THE ENTIRE TERM OF THE SABBATICAL TO THE SAME EXTENT HE OR SHE WAS EMPLOYED WHILE ON REGULAR ASSIGNMENT, REGARDLESS OF THE COMPENSATION AGREED UPON FOR THE TERM OF THE SABBATICAL.

1210 Leaves

1211 Annual Leave

Annual leave is to be taken at the mutual convenience of the department and the employee and should be arranged in advance with the department head.

1211.01 Annual Leave for Faculty with Academic Rank

[MUS Policy 801.14.1 December 1999]

1. THE COMMISSIONER OF HIGHER EDUCATION SHALL DETERMINE WHICH POSITIONS SHALL BE ENTITLED TO RECEIVE BOARD OF REGENTS CONTRACTS.
   
2. FACULTY MEMBERS WITH ACADEMIC RANK WHO ARE APPOINTED ON ACADEMIC YEAR CONTRACTS SHALL ACCRUE NO VACATION LEAVE.
   
3. FACULTY MEMBERS WHO ARE APPOINTED FOR TEACHING, RESEARCH AND/OR PUBLIC SERVICE FOR SUMMER SESSIONS SHALL ACCRUE NO VACATION LEAVE.
   
4. STAFF MEMBERS WHO HOLD ACADEMIC RANK AND ARE APPOINTED ON FISCAL YEAR CONTRACTS MAY ACCUMULATE VACATION LEAVE AT THE RATE OF 1-3/4 DAYS PER MONTH (21 DAYS PER YEAR) OF ACTUAL EMPLOYMENT.
   
5. ANNUAL VACATION LEAVE MAY BE ACCUMULATED AS OF THE LAST DAY OF ANY CALENDAR YEAR TO A TOTAL NOT TO EXCEED 42 DAYS.
   
6. UNUSED VACATION LEAVE MAY BE COMPENSATED UPON TERMINATION
   
7. IF A STAFF MEMBER'S STATUS IS CHANGED FROM A FISCAL-YEAR CONTRACT TO AN ACADEMIC-YEAR CONTRACT, THAT STAFF MEMBER MAY ELECT TO RECEIVE COMPENSATION FOR UNUSED ACCRUED VACATION LEAVE AT THE TIME OF THE CHANGE OF STATUS AND/OR TO CARRY THE ACCUMULATION LEAVE AT THE TIME OF THE CHANGE OF STATUS AND/OR TO CARRY THE ACCUMULATION.

1211.02 Professional Staff

[ MUS Policy 708.1]

Professional employees shall be granted annual leave in accordance with Section 10102 of Personnel Policy and Procedures Manual.

1212 Educational Leave for Extension Service and Experiment Station Field Staff

1. Field staff members may be eligible for educational leave.
   
   
2. The term "field staff members" shall include all professional cooperative extension service and experiment station staff members who hold off-campus full-time appointments from Montana State University.
   
   
3. Educational leave shall not be deemed annual leave time nor become a vested right of interest. Neither shall it be or become an implied provision of any contract; and the right shall remain vested in the board of regents of higher education to amend or rescind said leave policy at any time.
   
   
4. Field staff members taking advantage of educational leave must enroll in an accredited college or university and must carry a course load of at least nine quarter credits of course work acceptable toward a graduate degree. Exceptions to this requirement may be made for attendance at short courses which are applicable toward a graduate degree. The course work taken shall be such that it will contribute to the effectiveness of the staff member as an extension or station employee.
   
   
5. Applications for educational leave by field staff members must be made at least three (3) months in advance of the effective date of said leave. All extension applications must be filed with the extension personnel & training officer. All station applications must be filed with the director of the experiment station.
   
   
6. All applications by extension field staff members for educational leave shall have the approval of their area program coordinator, the director of the Montana cooperative extension service, and the president of Montana state university. Experiment station applicants must have the approval of their immediate supervisor, the director of the experiment station, and the president of Montana State University.
   
   
7. Approval of each experiment station and extension educational leave application shall be subject to budget limitations that may exist with the organization for whom the employee works.
   
   
8. Request for educational leave by field staff members will not be accepted where granting of leave would cause impairment of the experiment station or extension service program because of the applicant's absence. In the case of extension, satisfactory arrangements for carrying on the work must be made and agreements must be reached with the boards of county commissioners involved and/or the extension service administration before educational leave will be approved.
   
   
9. Determination of priority for approval of requests for educational leave will be guided by the following provisions.
   
   A. length of service with the Montana cooperative extension service or experiment station;

   B. previous educational leave granted the applicant;

   C. job performance and promise of such leave contributing to continuing high productivity;

   D. type and quality of the proposed educational plan; and

   E. urgency of completion of the graduate program.
    

10. Field staff members may apply for educational leave at half pay for one quarter out of each eight quarters worked. No more than four quarters of educational leave eligibility may be accumulated by an individual.
    
11. Compensation arrangements involving funds from other than institutional sources must be agreed upon and approved in keeping with the following conditions:
    
    A. Compensation paid during an educational leave may differ from that paid for regular assignment because it may involve funding from sources other than regular university funds such as fellowships, assistantships, or other sources of limited income, including funds available from grants or contracts administered by the institution;

    B. Before beginning an educational leave, the faculty member must make arrangements with the appropriate university officials regarding his or her financial commitments to the retirement system covering him/her;
    
    C. Funds from other sources may be used to supplement institutional funds to increase the compensation up to, but not in excess of, that amount which the individual would have earned on regular assignment during the same period;

    D. Compensation in excess of that which could have been earned on regular assignment may be approved only if all institutional funds have been replaced by funds from other sources.

    E. The staff member may not be employed under an assistantship or other form of assistance to a degree that interferes with his or her ability to complete the proposed educational program within the educational leave period granted. In no case shall the staff member be employed more than half-time.
     

12. Persons on educational leave will usually continue to be eligible for employee benefits. However, before beginning the leave, the person should contact the appropriate university officials as to eligibility in their particular circumstance.
    
13. The employee must agree, in writing, to return to work at the conclusion of his or her leave period for at least one (1) calendar year or to repay the money received from Montana state university while on leave.
    
14. Upon completion of the educational leave, the employee must arrange to have an official transcript of completed course work delivered to his or her employer. The transcript will be filed in the employee's official personnel folder.

[MUS Policy 801.2 April 2004]

Vice presidents, deans, directors of schools, other administrative personnel and supervisory personnel are eligible for administrative and professional development leave under the terms established by the Board of Regents.

Senior level administrators of the Montana University System are eligible for Professional Development Leave in accordance with the rules established by the Board of Regents. A copy of Regents policy is available in the Montana University System Policy and Procedures Manual.

[Section 2-18-620, M.C.A.; MUS Policy 801.3]

Faculty, administrators and professional supervisory personnel are eligible for a leave of absence without pay after two (2) years of continuous service, in accordance with the rules established the Board of Regents. A copy of Regents policy is available in the Montana University System Policies and Procedures Manual. See also Section 1035 of the Personnel Policy and Procedures Manual.

There are other leaves policies which pertain uniformly to all employees by law or by Regents directive. Sick leave, military leave, jury and witness duty, civic duty, disaster leave, maternity leave, and parental leave policies are included in Section 1000.00 of the Personnel Policy and Procedures Manual.

Any faculty, administrative or professional staff member with seven (7) or more years of service in Montana without a sabbatical shall be eligible for sabbatical assignment in accordance with the rules established by the Board of Regents.

[MUS Policy 801.1, April 2004]

1222.00 Opinion of the Attorney General

[Vol. 37, Opinions of the Attorney General, Opinion No. 80, October 17, 1977.]

SECTION 75-6213, R.C.M. 1947 DOES NOT PROHIBIT A FACULTY MEMBER FROM ACCRUING CREDITABLE SERVICE AND RECEIVING THE EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION FOR RETIREMENT BENEFITS DURING THE PERFORMANCE OF A SABBATICAL PROGRAM.

Peace Corps sabbatical assignment applicants must provide a copy of the Peace Corps application to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs with a cover memo addressing the purpose of the sabbatical. The cover memo must be endorsed by the head of the faculty member's department and college dean.

Peace Corp headquarters usually require an application by early November. At the time of submission of the application to Peace Corps, the faculty member will file a copy of that application with the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs to indicate intent to request a sabbatical assignment. Usually in early January the Peace Corps will advise the applicant of a preliminary decision. The Provost should make a decision at that time whether a sabbatical assignment will be awarded if the applicant is successful in the final Peace Corps review.

A. Time spent on leave from Montana State University-Bozeman does not earn service toward eligibility for sabbatical assignment.

B. Eligibility for sabbatical assignment is earned while on an academic year or a fiscal year contract only.

C.The seven years of service required for sabbatical assignment eligibility must be completed by the time the leave is started, not necessarily by the time the application is filed.

The faculty member makes application which describes the purpose of the sabbatical. The schedule below gives the approximate deadlines which will be followed. Exact times will be announced each year.

October 1	Reminder to academic faculty from Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
November 30	Application to Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
January 15	Faculty Affairs Committee review completed.
February 15	Administrative action by Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Corrected, July 1, 1999.

Applications will be screened first by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and those which meet all eligibility criteria (except for Peace Corps applicants) will be forwarded to the Faculty Affairs Committee.

The Faculty Affairs Committee will review applications (except for Peace Corps sabbaticals) and recommend a priority list for sabbatical assignments to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. The general criteria, as per the Board of Regents policy are value to the faculty member and the University. Specific criteria are listed in  the "Application for Sabbatical Assignment" available from the Office of the Provost.

Revised July 1, 1999.

The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will determine the amount of institutional resources which will be allocated to sabbatical assignments and make this know at the time of the October 1 reminder to academic faculty. Applications approved for funding, subject to the approval of the Regents, will be published for the information of the faculty.

The approval of the sabbatical assignment by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs denotes acceptance of the proposed service as being at a level of merit at least equal to average performance.

Revised July 1, 1999.

Department heads shall develop a clear, written understanding with those faculty going on sabbatical assignment concerning what the department expects of them while on that assignment (e.g., manuscripts, progress reports) and what criteria the subsequent year's salary increase recommendation will be based upon. For Peace Corps sabbatical assignments the written understanding will relate only to the subsequent year's salary.  Because the approval of the sabbatical by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs indicates acceptance of the proposed service as being at a level of merit at least equal to average performance, the faculty member on assignment will normally receive a percentage of salary increase at least equal to the average of colleagues of equal rank and longevity in the department.

Revised July 1, 1999.

Every staff member on sabbatical assignment from Montana State University-Bozeman must inform the President's office in writing by February 1 of the date on which she or he proposes to return. Failure to do this may result in the lapse of the contract and loss of all tenure rights. The following interpretations of the Board of Regents sabbatical policy apply to sabbatical assignments at Montana State University-Bozeman.

Where no other support is available, a minimum sabbatical salary of 50 percent of the base salary (except for Peace Corps sabbatical assignments) is established for a sabbatical assignment. No direct salary support will be provided to Peace Corps sabbatical recipients.

For employees on Peace Corps Sabbatical, MSU-Bozeman will pay both the employee's and employer's contributions to the Montana Teachers' Retirement System and will continue full medical/disability/life insurance coverage for the individual during the period of the sabbatical assignment.

There are other personnel policies which pertain uniformly to all employees by law and by Regents directive, including paid holidays, retirement contributions and benefits, participation in tax deferred annuities, group insurance, industrial accident insurance, unemployment insurance, and fee waivers. These policies are compiled in the Personnel Policy and Procedures Manual.

In addition, the University provides liability coverage for its employees and provides educational benefits under certain conditions.

As employees of the State of Montana and Montana University System, faculty members and professional employees of Montana State University-Bozeman are entitled to immunization, defense and indemnification if sued civilly for actions taken within the course and scope of their employment. An employee who is served with notice of a civil suit for matters within the scope of his or her employment must notify the University Legal Counsel.

A faculty member who is on a tenurable appointment and who holds the rank of assistant professor or above may not be a candidate for a graduate degree at MSU-Bozeman. These policies do not apply to persons on adjunct appointments or to members of the ROTC staff stationed at Montana State University-Bozeman.

Any staff member may take courses for undergraduate or graduate credit, however, and these credits may be transferred toward a degree at another institution, depending on the regulations of the institution involved. Faculty members (0.75 FTE or more) may register for a total of not more than six credits per semester with the approval of the head of the department and the dean of the college in which the member is employed.

Board of Regents policy authorizes the waiver of incidental fees for faculty and staff members who are at least 3/4 time salaried employees on the date of registration and who enroll in a course of instruction for credit. Rules for faculty and staff fee waivers are established yearly by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and are dependent upon the availability of funds budgeted for that purpose.

All faculty members are encouraged to broaden their knowledge by sitting in on as many classes as can be arranged without interfering with their University obligations. Such class attendance should be with permission of the instructor, subject to space in the classroom, and with the intent that credits for the subject would never be sought at Montana State University-Bozeman by the challenge method. Such class attendance would not require the payment of an auditor's fee.

This policy does not apply to Continuing Education courses.

Identification cards are available to the faculty. They are issued to new employees at the time of hire and must be returned upon terminating employment with the institution.

The faculty are encouraged to attend athletic contests in men's and women's sports. Season tickets are available in general admission and reserved categories as well as single-event admissions. Faculty and staff receive reductions on season reserved ticket purchases.

Faculty are encouraged to use physical education, recreation, and intramural facilities. Faculty are welcome at any time the facilities are not scheduled. A user fee is charged, which includes a locker and towel service. Faculty may schedule racquetball, handball, squash, and tennis courts 24 hours in advance by calling the Intramural Office.

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