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Annual Leave for Faculty (Policy 4410)

University Policy 4410

Download a Printable Version of Policy 4410


Effective Date

July 1978

Last Revision Date

December 19, 2022

Responsible Party

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, (208) 426-1202
Human Resources, (208) 426-1616

Scope and Audience

This policy applies to faculty members serving in twelve (12) month appointments that are more than one-half time. Adjunct faculty, affiliate faculty, faculty in twelve (12)-month appointments that are less than one-half time, and faculty members serving in less than twelve (12)-month appointments (i.e., faculty members on academic year appointments of 9, 10, or 11 months) are not eligible to accrue annual leave.

Additional Authority

  • Idaho Code § 59-1606
  • Idaho State Board of Education Policy, Section II.G.
  • University Policy 9270 (Communicable Disease)

1. Policy Purpose

To outline the accrual rates and acceptable usage of annual leave for eligible faculty.

2. Policy Statement

Boise State University recognizes that annual leave provides employees with an opportunity to rest and/or tend to personal affairs and to return to the job with renewed interest and vitality and therefore, encourages its employees to use their annual leave. Eligible faculty members accrue, use, and are paid for annual leave according to the provisions of this policy.

3. Eligibility and Leave Accrual

a. Faculty members serving in twelve (12)-month appointments that are more than one-half time accrue annual leave at a rate of .0924 hours for every one (1) hour worked (i.e., two (2) days for each month, or major fraction thereof, for full-time faculty).

b. Faculty who move from a less than twelve (12)-month appointment to a twelve (12)-month appointment that is more than one-half time begin to accrue leave on the first day of their twelve (12)-month appointment.

c. Faculty may accrue annual leave up to a maximum of two-hundred and forty (240) hours and will not earn further leave until the faculty member reduces their accrual below the maximum.

4. Use of Annual Leave

Faculty must request and receive approval of leave in advance from their immediate supervisor. While annual leave is normally scheduled according to the faculty member’s wishes, the immediate supervisor reserves the right to schedule the faculty member’s annual leave in accordance with the needs of the University. It is recognized that in certain emergency situations a faculty member may not be able to request leave in advance, and the supervisor should give such a request fair and reasonable consideration. Faculty must report the use of annual leave in excess of one-half day using the appropriate time reporting system. Because annual leave is accrued at the end of the pay period, it cannot be taken until the pay period following the date in which it was accrued.

4.1 Use for Illness

a. Faculty may elect to charge their time off work due to illness to annual leave rather than to sick leave.

b. A faculty member on approved annual leave who becomes ill should work with their immediate supervisor to substitute their annual leave for sick leave.

4.2 Use for Observance of a Religious Holiday

A faculty member who requests time off to observe a religious holiday that is not a recognized paid University holiday must be allowed to take annual leave, or leave without pay if the faculty member does not have enough accrued leave, unless granting the request would cause significant disruption to the business of the department or otherwise cause undue hardship for the department or the University.

4.3 Use for Emergency Conditions

A faculty member who is unable to report to their central workplace (i.e., the place of work where the faculty member normally performs their official position duties with the university) because of severe weather, road, or other related emergency conditions may use accrued annual leave to cover their period of absence from work.

4.4 Sponsored Project Activity

A faculty member funded through a Sponsored Project Activity may be required to use their annual leave within the year in which the leave is earned as determined by the University.

5. Transfer to Another State Agency

A faculty member serving in a twelve (12)-month appointment who transfers to another state of Idaho agency will have their accumulated annual leave balance transferred to the new agency provided there is no break in service (i.e., a period of one day, not including Saturday and Sunday, in which the faculty member is not employed by either the University or the agency to which the faculty member is transferring).

6. Payment for Unused Annual Leave

a. A faculty member serving in a 12-month appointment who returns to an appointment where annual leave does not accrue will have their accrued annual leave balance paid out to them as a lump sum payment.

b. A Faculty Member will receive a lump sum payment for earned but unused annual leave (not to exceed 240 hours) at the time of contract termination.


Revision History

July 1995; December 19, 2022