Fall

Work Life

Academic Work Life Program

 

UC Davis recognizes the necessity of supporting faculty in honoring their often-competing commitments to both family and career. To recruit and retain the best faculty, the campus established a Work Life program in January, 2003 (see then Provost Virginia Hinshaw's January 2003 (Work Life Balance Directive). This program provides enhancements to existing systemwide policies as described below. Also in support of the directive, the Office of the Provost--Academic Affairs has developed language for faculty members to use when submitting a request to not go forth with an advancement (i.e., defer) due to the birth or placement of a child.

In January, 2006, the UC Office of the President updated the systemwide Academic Personnel Manual (APM) 760, "Family Accommodations for Childbearing and Childrearing," which expands the previous policies regarding childbearing leave, Active Service Modified Duty (ASMD), and other family friendly policies.

The following information provides a summary of both the campus's Academic Work Life Program and the systemwide policy on Family Accommodations for Childbearing and Childrearing (APM 760) for academics and faculty. While the policy and program are very similar, we thought it would be helpful to see the specific differences. Note that the campus program applies to all Senate faculty, plus those faculty covered by the Unit 18 MOU; the systemwide policy applies to all academic appointees.

Effective Fall 2023, Academic Work Life requests that are not completed ahead of the affected quarter/semester may not be approved by Academic Affairs. Requests are considered complete when they have been approved by all reviewers in the review process.

If you have any questions about the options below, please contact our Faculty Relations and Development team at vpaa_frd@ucdavis.edu.

  • Paid Leave
  • Campus Program:
     

    Up to one quarter/semester of paid leave is available for an eligible academic appointee who gives birth. Up to one quarter/semester of paid leave is also available for the primary parent in the case of placement for adoption or foster care.

    Leave must be taken in the quarter/semester in which the birth or placement occurs or in the quarter/semester immediately following, depending on when the event occurs within the quarter/semester. Individual cases should be discussed as far in advance as possible with Faculty Relations and Development.

    In the event of a summer birth or placement, the academic appointee is eligible for a total period of ASMD of three quarters (or two semesters) in lieu of leave.  However, if the summer birth or placement occurs close to the start of Fall quarter/semester (within approximately eight weeks), the academic appointee is eligible to take leave in the Fall quarter/semester immediately following the birth or placement.

    For academic year appointees, summer provides a significant opportunity for recuperation and adjustment to a birth or placement occurring during the Spring quarter/semester.  As a result, leave may be taken during Spring quarter; or the appointee may choose to take three quarters/two semesters of Active Service Modified Duties (ASMD) instead. 

    Replacement teaching costs during the leave quarter/semester are paid through central funds, generally for up to two courses scheduled for the affected faculty member.

    Please note: Effective Fall 2023, requests that are not completed ahead of the affected quarter/semester may not be approved by Academic Affairs. Requests are considered complete when they have been approved by all reviewers in the review process.

    Please contact our Faculty Relations and Development team at vpaa_frd@ucdavis.edu or (530) 754-1375 as far in advance as possible to discuss the options that apply in an individual case. 

    Note: If the birth or placement involves two UC Davis faculty members as parents, special provisions apply. Please consult as noted above.

    Systemwide Policy, APM 760:
     

    Eight weeks of leave for the academic appointee who gives birth. For the remainder of the quarter/semester this faculty member can be on Active Service Modified Duties (ASMD). Replacement teaching costs are paid through central funds for all courses scheduled for the affected faculty member during this quarter of combined leave and ASMD.

    Parental leave may be taken by eligible academics, in accordance with the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), as noted in APM 715, for the purpose of caring for a newborn child or a child newly placed for adoption or foster care. FMLA leave is generally unpaid.

  • Active Service Modified Duties (ASMD)
  • Campus Program:
     

    ASMD is not a leave, but a period during which normal duties are reduced so that an academic appointee may prepare for and/or care for a newborn child or a child under age five newly placed for adoption or foster care.

    An eligible academic appointee who gives birth may take two quarters (or one semester) of modified duties in addition to paid leave as described above.  If the birth occurs during the summer or an off-duty term, they may choose to take three quarters/two semesters of modified duties, or a period of leave and two quarters/one semester of modified duties.

    Other parents are eligible for one quarter (or semester) of modified duties if they have 50% or more responsibility for the care of the newborn or newly placed child or children under age 5. 

    As part of their written request for ASMD, the academic appointee must provide a statement certifying that they have 50% or more responsibility for the care of the child(ren) to their department chair or unit head, and this request should be made as far in advance as possible to allow for adequate planning.

    All modified duties must be taken within the period of 3 months prior to, and 12 months following, the birth or placement of a child or children.

    If needed, replacement teaching costs are covered by central funds, generally for one course during each ASMD quarter/semester.

    Please note: Effective Fall 2023, requests that are not completed ahead of the affected quarter/semester may not be approved by Academic Affairs. Requests are considered complete when they have been approved by all reviewers in the review process.

    Please contact our Faculty Relations and Development team at vpaa_frd@ucdavis.edu or (530) 754-1375 as far in advance as possible to discuss the options that apply in an individual case. 

    Note: To see how ASMD interacts with Pay for Family Care and Bonding (PFCB), please see the PFCB section on this page.

    Systemwide Policy, APM 760:
     

    An academic appointee who is a birth mother and who has a full-time appointment for at least one full academic year (three quarters or two semesters) is eligible for a total period of childbearing leave plus active service-modified duties of three quarters (or two semesters) to enable her to recover fully from the effects of pregnancy and childbirth and to prepare for and/or care for the newborn child.

    If she gives birth during the summer or an off-duty term, she is eligible for a total period of active service-modified duties of three quarters (or two semesters).*  

    All other academic appointees are eligible for a total period of childbearing leave plus active service-modified duties of one quarter (or one semester).*

    (*This does not apply to Health Sciences Compensation Plan faculty members.)

    An academic appointee shall provide notice to the department chair or unit head of the need for a period of active service-modified duties. The notice must include a written statement by the appointee certifying that he or she is responsible for 50 percent or more of the care of a newborn child or a child under age five newly placed for adoption or foster care.

  • Pay for Family Care and Bonding

  • Systemwide Policy, APM 760:

    UC Davis is committed to supporting academic appointees who need time off to care for a family member or to bond with a new child. The Pay for Family Care and Bonding (PFCB) program provides eligible appointees with paid leave while on an approved Family and Medical Leave (FML) or leave under the California Family Rights Act (CFRA). Eligibility requirements for leave under FML and/or CFRA may be found in APM 715.

    Beginning January 1, 2023, PFCB will provide income replacement of 100% of eligible earnings for up to eight (8) workweeks each calendar year. This is an increase from the 70% income replacement previously offered through December 31, 2022.

    To learn more about PFCB and qualifying reasons, please visit the UC Pay for Family Care and Bonding page and APM 760. For represented academic appointees, please refer to your collective bargaining agreement for guidance on the PFCB option. 

    Interaction of PFCB and ASMD

    PFCB and ASMD can occur in the same quarter/semester, however, they cannot run simultaneously. During the weeks of the quarter/semester the academic appointee is on leave, they cannot work. And during the weeks of the quarter/semester the academic appointee is working, while on ASMD their duties will be modified in accordance with their ASMD request.

    The Academic Work Life Program can provide teaching replacement funding for one course during the quarter/semester an appointee is using both ASMD and PFCB. If an appointee opts to use both ASMD and PFCB during the same term, they will not receive additional terms or weeks of ASMD or teaching replacement funding.

    When requesting to use both ASMD and PFCB in the same term, appointees should upload both the approved leave request and their certification (an email or letter confirming they are responsible for 50% or more of the care of their child) to their ASMD request form. It is also helpful to note on the electronic form that PFCB and ASMD will be used during the same term.
     

  • Extension of the Clock (for titles with an eight-year limit)

  • Academic appointees with an eight-year limit in their title at the Assistant rank including Assistant Professors of Teaching (LPSOE series) may request to extend their clock for personal reasons may request to extend their clock for personal reasons (see below), including childbearing, childrearing, serious health condition, disability, bereavement, or a significant circumstance or event. Clock extensions are for a period of one year, with up to a maximum of two years for any reason. (Please see below if requesting a third clock extension.) An academic appointee must submit any clock extensions before July 1 of the academic year in which a promotion review is to occur. Requests to extend the clock should also be submitted as soon as the need becomes apparent. Reasons for requesting a Clock Extension are outlined in APM 133 and synopsized below:

    1. Childbearing or Childrearing (See APM 760-30). Academic Appointees automatically receive an extension of the clock for one year per birth/placement event, with up to a maximum of two years for any reason. Extending the clock for childbearing or placements are without prejudice.
    2. Serious Health Condition Including Disability or Bereavement. An academic appointee may request to extend the clock when the faculty member’s ability to pursue University duties is significantly disrupted by a serious health condition or disability, by the need to care for a close family member who is seriously ill, or by the death of a close family member. This may also include COVID-related reasons if the appointee was here during the COVID pandemic. Faculty requesting a clock extension for this reason will need to provide supporting documentation. 
    3. Significant Circumstance or Event. An academic appointee may request to extend the clock for reasons due to a significant circumstance or event beyond the faculty member’s control that disrupts the faculty member’s ability to pursue University duties. This may also include COVID-related reasons if the appointee was here during the COVID pandemic. Faculty requesting a clock extension for this reason will need to provide supporting documentation. 

    Requesting a Third Clock Extension
    Eligible academics are limited to two clock extensions. However, academic appointees with an eight-year service limit in their academic title may request a third clock extension for the qualifying reasons listed above including COVID-related reasons. Requests for a third clock extension, regardless of the reason, can only be approved by the University of California Office of the President. Extending the clock is without prejudice.
  • Pre-Tenure Postponement
  • Campus Program:

    Academic appointees with an eight-year limit in their title at the Assistant rank including Assistant Professors of Teaching (LPSOE series) may request to both extend the tenure clock and postpone a merit. (At UC Davis, Academic Work Life Program merit deferrals are referred to as postponements.) Note that the clock extension cannot, in total, be more than two additional years (one year per birth/placement event). Merit postponements do not affect clock extensions and because they are requested due to childbearing/childrearing issues, there should be no prejudice associated with these requests (e.g., an off-scale salary would not be affected). These requests must be accompanied by a note from the faculty member that indicates that they have (or had) responsibility for 50% or more of the care of the new child. A faculty member is not required to take either formal leave or ASMD to be eligible to extend the clock or postpone a merit action.
     

    Additionally, appointees may request to postpone an appraisal by exception request and should contact their department for more information about the process. 

    The postponement option allows for a non-prejudicial review, with no penalty for the time allowed. Postponements should be requested in the next eligible review cycle for advancement following the qualifying event. A postponed action entails that, upon the next eligible advancement, the academic record will be considered in standard time rather than decelerated time. The length of postponement may not exceed one year per event. According to systemwide policy on childbearing and childrearing benefits, an "event" constitutes the birth or placement of one or more children at the same time. Only two postponements may be used pre-tenure.

    Requests for a Third Postponement

    A third postponement, either pre-tenure or post-tenure, is exceptional and may be requested for a qualifying event, including COVID-related reasons.

     
  • Post-Tenure / Post-Promotion Postponement
  • Campus Program:
     

    Faculty in the affected titles may apply for postponement of post-tenure merits and promotions to accommodate childbearing or childrearing, serious health conditions including disability and bereavement, and significant circumstances or events, without prejudice or penalty.

    According to systemwide policy on childbearing and childrearing benefits, an "event" constitutes the birth or placement of one or more children at the same time. The length of postponement may not exceed one year per event. Only two postponements may be used post-tenure.

    The postponement option allows for a non-prejudicial review, with no penalty for the time allowed. Postponements should be requested in the next eligible review cycle for advancement following the qualifying event. A postponed action entails that, upon the next eligible advancement, the academic record will be considered in standard time rather than decelerated time. In circumstances where an appointee would normally be eligible for a five-year review, if a postponement was granted in the preceding five years, the appointee will be required to submit a five-year review no sooner than six years. Postponements for medical circumstances may be requested on an exceptional basis.

    Requests for a Third Postponement

    A third postponement, either pre-tenure or post-tenure, is exceptional and may be requested for a qualifying event, including COVID-related reasons.

    Systemwide Policy:
     

    An academic appointee at the Associate level or above may request deferral of a personnel review to accommodate family needs in accordance with campus policies.

    Academic appointees shall not be arbitrarily disadvantaged in their promotion, advancement, or compensation because they have elected to take a childbearing or parental leave, to extend the clock, or to defer a personnel review. Personnel reviews that are deferred due to a family accommodation as defined in APM 760 should be treated procedurally in the same manner as personnel reviews conducted at the usual intervals. The file shall be evaluated without prejudice as if the work were done in the normal period of service and so stated in the department chairs or unit head letter.

  • Part-Time
  • Systemwide Policy, APM 760-29:

    Academic appointees may be eligible for appointment to a part-time position or may be eligible to reduce their percentage of time of an appointment from full time to part time for a specified period of time or permanently to accommodate family needs. The Chancellor has authority to approve such appointments. APM 220, Appendix B consists of the Guidelines For Part-Time Appointment And Reduction In Percentage Of Time Of An Appointment To Accommodate Family Needs.
     
  • Language Supporting Deferrals/Postponements for Childbearing, Childrearing, and Other Eligible Reasons
  • Recommended Language for Department Solicitation Letter to External Reviewers (include in all solicitation letters) (updated May 2023): 
     

    We strongly recommend including the following language in the department solicitation letter to external reviewers for all advancement actions that require external letters:.

    "UC Davis encourages its faculty members to consider extensions of the (pre-tenure/review) period under circumstances that could interfere significantly with development of the qualifications necessary for (tenure/advancement). Examples of such circumstances may include birth or adoption of a child, extended illness, care of an ill family member, significant alterations in appointment, and impacts of COVID-19. Please note that under UC Davis policies and guidelines the overall record of productivity and scholarly attainment forms the basis of your evaluation. Time since appointment is not a factor in this review -- the materials in the file should be evaluated as if they were completed during the usual normative time and not according to the actual elapsed time."


    Suggested language for when a faculty member is requesting of the Vice Provost -- Academic Affairs not to go forward with an advancement action due to the birth, adoption or placement of a child or one of the reasons cited above:
     

    "In accordance with APM 760, I request a one-year postponement in submitting materials for and proceeding with my advancement. This request is submitted due to the birth/adoption/placement of my child in [month/year]."

    For other reasons:

    “In accordance with Academic Affairs guidelines, I request a one-year postponement in submitting materials for and proceeding with my advancement. This request is submitted due to ___________ [extended illness, care of an ill family member, significant alterations in appointment, or impacts of COVID-19] that occurred in [months/year]."


    Suggested language for the department chair to use when the faculty member submits a request for advancement after the one-year delay:
     

    "Professor [name] received approval from the Vice Provost for a one-year postponement in submitting an advancement dossier during the academic year 20__ - 20__, in accordance with APM 760 and/or Academic Affairs guidelines."