Promoting Academic Excellence at UNL

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has a number of policies and resources that promote work-life integration. The University wishes to be supportive of faculty who need time off for personal reasons, approved professional development, or academic reasons.

1. Work-Life Integration Brochure (in pdf format)

   This brochure describes policies and resources for faculty members and their families.

2. ADVANCE-Nebraska

   This program seeks to create an environment where all faculty in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) thrive.
   
   
3. Work-Life Integration Policies
   1. Leaves Available to Faculty (see leave-related forms)
      1. Temporary Disability - This leave refers to a period during which the employee is incapacitated or unable, due to illness or injury, to perform the regularly assigned duties of his or her position. Such leave is to be paid up to six months. These leaves may be extended beyond six months without pay upon recommendation of the chancellor to the Board of Regents.
      2. Maternity/Adoption Leave - An eight-week paid leave period for pre-partum and post-partum care and recovery, during which time the birth mother will be excused from all duties, will be considered normal. A newly adoptive parent who is the primary caregiver is also entitled to eight weeks of paid leave upon adoption of a child.
      3. Parental Leave - Faculty members who are non-primary caregivers and wish to take leave upon the birth or adoption of a child may take up to five days paid leave. (see Board of Regents Policies)
      4. Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) - Under the terms of FMLA, an additional 12 weeks of unpaid family/medical leave for one of the qualifying events is available to all faculty. Qualifying events include giving birth or caring for a newborn, newly adopted, or foster children, caring for seriously ill family members, or for personal serious health conditions. See the Revised Family Medical Leave Act policy on the Human Resources web site.
      5. Funeral and Bereavement Leave - In the event of a death within the immediate family, faculty are entitled to receive paid leave of up to five consecutive work days. In the event of death of friends or other persons not defined as immediate family, paid leave of up to one full day may be granted at the discretion of the department.
      6. Faculty Development Leaves - Faculty who have been at UNL for a minimum of six years may apply for a paid faculty development leave.  FDLs provide full salary for one semester or half salary for one academic year. See our Faculty Development page for more information and the application forms.
      7. Academic, Professional and Personal Leaves of Absence - The Board of Regents may grant unpaid or partially paid leaves of absence not to exceed one year to faculty and such leaves may be extended for one additional year with approval of the Board of Regents.
         
         
   2. Flexible Work Arrangements
      1. Tenure Clock Interruptions - Any tenure-track faculty member may request a one-year extension of the probationary period in cases where an individual may be unable to meet the usual demands of the job while experiencing high demands in other aspects of life. Additional interruptions may be granted based upon individual circumstances.
      2. Modified Duties - In order to assure continuity of instruction of students, a female faculty member will normally be excused from instructional duties during the semester or other instructional period that medical maternity leave, or a majority of said leave, occurs. A primary caregiver adoptive parent with instructional duties will normally be excused from such duties during the semester or other instructional period that adoption leave, or a majority of said leave, occurs.
      3. Part-time tenure appointments and modified duties - Part-time tenure appointments and modified duties may also be available to help faculty members successfully balance professional pursuits and responsibilities when dealing with ongoing family and medical issues.
4. Additional Support for Integrating Work and Life
   1. Dual Career Support

      The University is proactive in attempting to help spouses or significant others seeking academic and professional positions within the University. Students, alumni, faculty, and their significant others may take advantage of the many services and business contacts maintained by the University Career Services department in seeking employment in the Lincoln area.
      

   2. Employee & Dependent Scholarship Program

      The University provides each full-time faculty member or family member a tuition scholarship for up to 15 undergraduate credit hours per year.

   3. Child Care
      1. New UNL Children's Center - The University opened a new state-of-the-art child development center in August.
      2. The Ruth Staples Child Development Laboratory on East Campus provides development programs for young children.
      3. Other Child Care Resources in Lincoln and Lancaster County. Contact Child Care Connection at 402-441-8026.
         
         
   4. Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
      This program provides confidential assessment, short-term counseling, and referral to UNL faculty and their immediate family members.
      

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