UC Davis administrators say they are moving quickly to consistently apply faculty family leave and modified duty policies, after dozens of professors signed a petition charging that the policies were not equitable across campus.
After a committee addresses the faculty policies, Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef said another group will develop a campuswide "family-friendly" policy, ensuring that UC Davis supports students, faculty and staff trying to balance work and family demands.
Not only are they "the right thing to do," Vanderhoef said, but these actions will help make UC Davis even more competitive when it comes to hiring and retaining a diverse faculty, particularly women.
According to current UC regulations, a faculty member's department chair or dean determines how long - beyond the federally mandated six weeks - a new mother or father can take leave, or can be placed on "modified duty." That generally allows a professor to receive his or her full salary but be freed from some teaching or committee duties.
But with some smaller departments unable to fund or find teaching replacements, and some chairs and deans better informed on maternity policies than others, leaves have been granted "in an ad hoc and uneven manner," according to the petition letter. It was signed by 89 faculty members, female and male, from across the university's colleges and divisions.
Barry Klein, vice provost for academic personnel, said the broad base of faculty support in the petition showed that family leave was an important issue to the campus.
"It was very clear from the petition that something was wrong," he said.
Policy goals outlined
Several signers of the petition recently met with Klein, Vanderhoef and Provost Robert Grey to discuss their goals and how the campus can go about making changes in its policies.
"They made their case very well," Vanderhoef said. "We had been unaware of the discrepancies in the policy and appreciate having it brought to our attention.
"We will act promptly to correct the problem," he continued.
Associate Professor of Political Science Emily Goldman met with the administrators. She said, after the birth of her son and daughter, the department followed family leave policies "in a fair and reasonable manner." When she returned from a six-week maternity leave, she didn't teach during the remaining four weeks of the quarter.
But Goldman has also heard of some who haven't had any of their class load reduced. That can hurt new parents, she said
"You are incredibly sleep-deprived. You are getting up all through the night," Goldman said. "You don't have the focus to concentrate on your teaching. It's also an important time to bond with your child."
Pool of leave funds
At the petitioners' request, a committee - soon to be selected by faculty members and Vanderhoef - will first discuss creating a pool of funds that should enable all departments to offset the costs of a faculty member going on family leave or having modified duties.
Assuring all professors they have an opportunity for leave or a teaching break "is a win-win situation," said John Hall, a sociology professor who signed the petition. "It will create a capacity for faculty to be that much more effective."
The centralized fund, managed by the vice provost's office, should be in place by the end of the academic year, Klein said.
"We're not going to 'committee' this to death," he said. "We want to make sure things happen quickly."
The faculty, Goldman said, also hopes the committee will recommend a policy allowing tenured professors caring for a newborn child to have more time to prepare for their merit reviews and promotions. Current UC policy allows assistant professors in a tenure track "to stop the clock" after the birth of a child. Assistant professors are typically given seven years to receive tenure.
Klein said if that policy were to change, it would have to be approved by the Academic Senate.
Education on issue important
As the campus works to form its family leave committee, Klein will be talking to department chairs and deans to make sure they understand the issues.
That's important, said Hall, the father of a 4-month-old daughter, Phoebe.
"One of the things that needs to be stressed is education among the deans," he said. "They need to understand that (leave) is a right written into the personnel manual."
The development of a family-friendly policy should also be on a quick timeline, Vanderhoef said. The guidelines should be written by the end of the academic year.
Implementing its recommendations could take longer, depending on whether it affects the campus budget, or whether a portion must go through the Academic Senate, he said. The issue, however, is a priority for UC Davis, he said.
"There are, to be sure, important details to be addressed, some of which may be difficult," Vanderhoef said. "But it is important that we take the appropriate steps to ensure that members of our faculty and staff have both a fully satisfying career and time for their families."