Common use of Professional Improvement Leave Clause in Contracts

Professional Improvement Leave. A. Any full-time member who shall have been employed by the College for no less than three consecutive years prior to the application, may apply for an unpaid leave of absence for professional improvement. 1. Such leave shall be for not more than two years and shall commence only after the member taking the leave has completed their current yearly contract. 2. The College shall not be obligated to honor the absence on professional leave of more than two (2) persons at any one (1) time. B. Any full-time member who may intend to apply for such leave must first give preliminary notice of such possibility to the College no later than December 1 prior to the intended commencement of the leave. Formal application for such leave must be made no later than April 1 prior to the intended commencement of the leave. In the event of an excess of applications, the Association shall designate the priority to be attached to any such application. Any application that is not allowed prior to the intended commencement of the leave shall be deemed to have expired. C. Unpaid professional improvement leaves shall normally be taken only for the following reasons: 1. Exchange teaching programs in other states, territories, or countries 2. Foreign or military teaching programs 3. Full-time participants in the Peace Corps, Teacher Corps, or Job Corps 4. Cultural travel related to the member's professional responsibility 5. Work program related to their professional responsibility 6. Study at an accredited college or university full time, in subjects related to their professional responsibilities. D. During the leave, the member shall not accumulate nor receive from the College or under this contract, any benefits, remunerations, seniority, leaves or other emoluments. The member may, however, elect to personally pay for continued coverage under the group insurance program. The College shall assume no responsibility for continuing such coverage if the full premium payment is not timely received at the College. E. The taking of such leave shall be deemed the member's unconditional and irrevocable agreement to return to employment with the College at the beginning of the fall term commencing next after expiration of the leave; subject, however, to the following termination rights: 1. If no later than April 15 notice is given by the College to the Association that there will exist, as of the following fall term, no position in the unit, vacant or occupied by anyone of less seniority, which is similar or substantially similar to the position occupied by the member on leave, then the College shall not be obligated to reemploy or reinstate the member on professional leave. 2. The member will waive any reinstatement rights by failure to deliver to the College by April 2, notice in writing to the effect that they will be returning to employment at the beginning of the following fall term. Failure by a member to provide such notice or failure by a member to return to employment after having given such notice as above provided will be deemed a breach of the member's contract and shall subject the member to all available legal remedies that the College may pursue. F. Upon the member's actual return to employment at the commencement of the said fall term, the member shall: 1. Be reinstated at the pay level at which the member was paid at the time the leave commenced, as that level may have increased, if any, by collective bargaining during the leave. 2. Be credited with the number of accumulated sick leave days belonging to the member at the time of commencement of the leave. 3. Be deemed to have the same seniority as possessed by the member at the time of the commencement of the leave.

Professional Improvement Leave. A. Any full-time member who shall have been employed by the College for no less than three consecutive years prior to the application, may apply for an unpaid leave of absence for professional improvement. 1. Such leave shall be for not more than two years and shall commence only after the member taking the leave has completed their his/her current yearly contract. 2. The College shall not be obligated to honor the absence on professional leave of more than two (2) persons at any one (1) time. B. Any full-time member who may intend to apply for such leave must first give preliminary notice of such possibility to the College no later than December 1 prior to the intended commencement of the leave. Formal application for such leave must be made no later than April 1 prior to the intended commencement of the leave. In the event of an excess of applications, the Association shall designate the priority to be attached to any such application. Any application that is not allowed prior to the intended commencement of the leave shall be deemed to have expired. C. Unpaid professional improvement leaves shall normally be taken only for the following reasons: 1. Exchange teaching programs in other states, territories, or countries 2. Foreign or military teaching programs 3. Full-time participants in the Peace Corps, Teacher Corps, or Job Corps 4. Cultural travel related to the member's professional responsibility 5. Work program related to their his/her professional responsibility 6. Study at an accredited college or university full time, in subjects related to their his/her professional responsibilities. D. During the leave, the member shall not accumulate nor receive from the College or under this contract, any benefits, remunerations, seniority, leaves or other emoluments. The member may, however, elect to personally pay for continued coverage under the group insurance program. The College shall assume no responsibility for continuing such coverage if the full member's premium payment contribution is not timely received at the College. E. The taking of such leave shall be deemed the member's unconditional and irrevocable agreement to return to employment with the College at the beginning of the fall term commencing next after expiration of the leave; subject, however, to the following termination rights: 1. If no later than April 15 notice is given by the College to the Association that there will exist, as of the following fall term, no position in the unit, vacant or occupied by anyone of less seniority, which is similar or substantially similar to the position occupied by the member on leave, then the College shall not be obligated to reemploy or reinstate the member on professional leave. 2. The member will waive any reinstatement rights by failure to deliver to the College Vice President of Instructional Services by April 2, notice in writing to the effect that they he/she will be returning to employment at the beginning of the following fall term. Failure by a member to provide such notice or failure by a member to return to employment after having given such notice as above provided will be deemed a breach of the member's contract and shall subject the member to all available legal remedies that the College may pursue. F. Upon the member's actual return to employment at the commencement of the said fall term, the member shall: 1. Be reinstated at the pay level at which the member teacher was paid at the time the leave commenced, as that level may have increased, if any, by collective bargaining during the leave. 2. Be credited with the number of accumulated sick leave days belonging to the member at the time of commencement of the leave. 3. Be deemed to have the same seniority as possessed by the member at the time of the commencement of the leave.

Professional Improvement Leave. A. 1. Any full-time member who shall have been employed by the College for no less than three consecutive years prior to the application, may apply for an unpaid leave of absence for professional improvement. 1. a. Such leave shall be for not more than two years and shall commence only after the member taking the leave has completed their his/her current yearly contract. 2. b. The College shall not be obligated to honor the absence on professional leave of more than two (2) persons at any one (1) time. B. 2. Any full-time member who may intend to apply for such leave must first give preliminary notice of such possibility to the College no later than December 1 prior to the intended commencement of the leave. Formal application for such leave must be made no later than April 1 prior to the intended commencement of the leave. In the event of an excess of applications, the Association shall designate the priority to be attached to any such application. Any application that is not allowed prior to the intended commencement of the leave shall be deemed to have expired. C. 3. Unpaid professional improvement leaves shall normally be taken only for the following reasons: 1. a. Exchange teaching programs in other states, territories, or countries 2. b. Foreign or military teaching programs 3. c. Full-time participants in the Peace Corps, Teacher Corps, or Job Corps 4. d. Cultural travel related to the member's professional responsibility 5. e. Work program related to their his/her professional responsibility 6. f. Study at an accredited college College or university full time, in subjects related to their his/her professional responsibilities. D. 4. During the leave, the member shall not accumulate nor receive from the College or under this contract, any benefits, remunerations, seniority, leaves or other emoluments. The member may, however, elect to personally pay for continued coverage under the group insurance program. The College shall assume no responsibility for continuing such coverage if the full member's premium payment contribution is not timely received at the College. E. 5. The taking of such leave shall be deemed the member's unconditional and irrevocable agreement to return to employment with the College at the beginning of the fall term commencing next after expiration of the leave; subject, however, to the following termination rights: 1. a. If no later than April 15 notice is given by the College to the Association that there will exist, as of the following fall term, no position in the unit, vacant or occupied by anyone of less seniority, which is similar or substantially similar to the position occupied by the member on leave, then the College shall not be obligated to reemploy or reinstate the member on professional leave. 2. b. The member will waive any reinstatement rights by failure to deliver to the College Vice President of Instructional Services by April 2, notice in writing to the effect that they he/she will be returning to employment at the beginning of the following fall term. Failure by a member to provide such notice or failure by a member to return to employment after having given such notice as above provided will be deemed a breach of the member's contract and shall subject the member to all available legal remedies that the College may pursue. F. 6. Upon the member's actual return to employment at the commencement of the said fall term, the member shall: 1. a. Be reinstated at the pay level at which the member teacher was paid at the time the leave commenced, as that level may have increased, if any, by collective bargaining during the leave. 2. b. Be credited with the number of accumulated sick leave days belonging to the member at the time of commencement of the leave. 3. c. Be deemed to have the same seniority as possessed by the member at the time of the commencement of the leave.