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CUL Procedure #44
Research/Professional Development Leaves
August 21, 2001

Research/Professional Development Leaves

1. Eligibility. After three years of continuous service in the Cornell University Library, librarians at the rank of Senior Assistant Librarian are eligible to apply for Research/Professional Development Leaves of up to three months at full pay.

   After three years of continuous service in the Cornell University Library, librarians at the rank of Associate Librarian or Librarian are eligible to apply for research leaves of up to six months at full pay. In exceptional circumstances, especially if outside funding is available, leaves of seven to twelve months at half pay may be granted.

   Leaves may be taken in single blocks, be part-time in nature, or spread out over time to accommodate the needs of the applicant or his/her department. There should be an interval of at least three years between Research Leaves granted to an individual under Procedure #44.

2. Eligible Projects. Research/Professional Development Leaves are designed to provide periods of time for concentrated research or formal investigation of substantive topics of professional interest and concern. Eligible projects include: those to conduct scholarly research in areas served by the applicant's position at Cornell; those designed specifically to improve technical or library-oriented activities, such as internships and exchanges; and those that serve the interests of the broader profession. Projects in these areas will be accorded equal weight. Additionally, the project must be designed so as to improve the individual's professional competence as well as directly benefit his/her department and/or the CUL system. The documentation supporting the Research/Professional Leave application should include a statement from the Department Head or appropriate AUL on the benefit of this research project to the department or CUL. Research leaves will not be granted for the purpose of obtaining a graduate degree or to prepare course-related papers, with the possible exception of final work on dissertations.
3. Application Procedure. Letters of application and supporting documentation should be submitted to the University Librarian at least six months prior to the intended leave. An ad hoc Review Committee, consisting of three librarians at the rank of Senior Assistant Librarian or above and recommended by the Committee on Academic Personnel Policy, will be appointed by the University Librarian. The committee will screen the proposals according to the criteria set out in the Research/Professional Development Leave policy and will submit their recommendation for approval/disapproval to the University Librarian. The number of proposals approved may be limited in a given year by available funding and staffing needs. Any proposal not approved in a given year may be resubmitted.

4. Outside Funding. All librarians who wish to take a research leave are encouraged to apply for outside funding to support their salary and fringe benefits during the period of the leave.

5. Benefits. If salary is reduced during the leave period, some benefits (i.e. retirement contributions, life insurance, and vacation leave) are pro-rated. Anyone who expects to have his/her salary reduced for any period should check carefully with the appropriate OHR Benefits Specialist.

6. Written Report. A written report, describing the research or project, must be submitted to the University Librarian within three months of the resumption of duties at Cornell. Evidence documenting the research or project undertaken should be appended. Librarians are encouraged to share their findings with appropriate colleagues by means of a workshop or informal seminar.

7. Resumption of Duties. Librarians who have received a paid Research/Professional Development Leave must agree in writing to resume their duties at Cornell for a period equivalent to their leave.

* Note: Procedure #44 applies to Librarians and Archivists. The term "Librarian(s)" includes Archivist(s) wherever the latter are not specifically named.

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