Disability Leave Due to Child-Bearing

(Effective date: First day of month following six months of service;
Carrier: Self-funded. Administered by Reliance Insurance Company)

Periods of disability related to pregnancy and/or childbirth are treated like any other disability. Generally, an employee who gives birth without complications would be eligible for six (6) weeks of paid disability leave and benefits under the College’s Short-term Disability Leave policy. Should medical complications arise before or after the birth, the employee would be eligible for additional paid leave beyond the six weeks, subject to medical certification by a licensed physician.

Faculty who give birth are also entitled to receive a three-course reduction in teaching responsibilities with no loss of pay or benefits. If the timing of disability requires that a faculty member take the three-course teaching reduction during that semester of disability, a complete reduction of duties (such as advising, departmental service, and committee work) will be granted to the faculty member for the entire semester.

If the three-course reduction is taken all at once and during the semester following birth, faculty have the option, wholly at their discretion, of extending complete reduction of duties for the entirety of the semester in which the course releases occur. This option will entail a commensurate reduction in salary of 20% for the semester (either from the September through February paychecks for the fall semester or from the January through August paychecks for the spring semester).

Faculty members who anticipate disability due to pregnancy should promptly notify the Provost and Department Chair of the anticipated disability date. A written plan for staffing the period of leave must be formulated in consultation with all three parties and approved by the Provost, and should be formulated and approved in advance of the semester in which the birth is anticipated to occur. The Office of the Provost shall maintain a file with these plans for reference and to ensure consistency over time.

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