Faculty Parental Leave Policy
Adopted, January 7, 2026
These guidelines expand upon and govern the implementation in the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) and the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (Hajim) of the Faculty Parental Leave Policy, as stated in the University of Rochester Faculty Handbook.
Overview
The School of Arts & Sciences (SAS) and the Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences (Hajim) are committed to providing world class education for their students, along with an environment conducive to outstanding faculty work. We support our faculty members who are caregivers following the birth or adoption of a child. If both parents are faculty in SAS and/or Hajim, both parents can request to be designated as caregivers. We especially seek to allay the concern that the needs and timing of a highly active academic career may be seen to conflict with those of parenting. As part of our commitment to a culture and policies that support our faculty in their pursuit of work-life balance, SAS and Hajim provide this guidance for modified duties related to the birth or adoption of a child. SAS and Hajim also provide an automatic extension of the tenure clock (if applicable) for the birth or adoption of a child (up to two extensions), and will, upon request of the faculty member, add a statement of this policy to requests for external evaluation letters.
Deans and chairs of SAS and Hajim departments should make every effort to promote the equitable use of these guiding principles. Chairs with any questions or concerns about the implementation of these policies should confer with their school dean as soon as the questions emerge.
Please contact your school dean or faculty affairs officer with any questions or concerns.
Who is eligible?
Per the Faculty Handbook, all “full and part time benefits-eligible faculty” are eligible for modified duties related to the birth or adoption of a child under the age of 18. In SAS and Hajim this includes tenured and tenure track, instructional track, and other full-time teaching faculty who are serving as the child’s caregiver. Faculty who become parents within 6 months of starting their appointment at the University of Rochester are also eligible for modified duties.
How do SAS and Hajim define modified duties?
A faculty member who is the caregiver of a newborn or adopted child is entitled, with no loss of pay, to a reduction in teaching duties amounting to a 50% exemption in a given 12-month period. This reduction may be either one semester of 100% teaching relief, or one academic year of 50% teaching relief, at the request of the faculty member seeking the benefit. The reduction must commence within 12 months of the child’s birth or arrival into the home.
What happens to service responsibilities and research during modified duties?
During the period of modified duties, faculty are excused from teaching (as described above) and from serving on committees. They are, however, expected to make themselves available for student advising and to continue their research or other scholarly endeavors, including required commitments to funded research projects. Faculty who serve in leadership roles (director, chair, etc.) should consult with the relevant dean to determine how best to meet the needs of that unit.
How does a faculty member request modified duties?
When possible, the faculty member requesting modified duties should notify the department chair in writing preferably at least five months ahead of the time for which they are requesting modified duties so that appropriate arrangements can be made to cover the faculty member’s teaching responsibilities. Additionally, the faculty member should specify their preferred form of modified duties (e.g., a semester of 100% teaching relief or two semesters of 50% teaching relief each semester).
What happens if both parents are SAS or Hajim faculty members?
Should both parents be members of the SAS or Hajim faculty, both parents can request to be designated as caregivers.
What happens if one parent is a faculty member in SAS or Hajim and the other is a faculty member in a different UR school?
Should one parent be a faculty member in SAS or Hajim and one in another URochester school, the SAS/Hajim faculty member will remain entitled to this benefit. The appropriate school dean(s) outside of SAS/Hajim should be consulted regarding the availability of modifications of the other parent’s responsibilities.
What happens if one parent is a faculty member in SAS or Hajim and the other is a staff member in SAS or Hajim or elsewhere in the University?
This rule applies only to faculty in SAS or Hajim. Parents who are staff in any school or unit of the university should refer to: