Miami University

Senate action

University Senate Jan. 12 approved minutes of the Dec. 1 meeting and heard a report from Jerry McClure and Elizabeth Rogers, Miami University emeriti, regarding proposed changes in the Ohio State Teachers’ Retirement System (STRS). As a result of this discussion, Senate voted to have executive committee of Senate, with the assistance of Randi Thomas, director of institutional relations, draft a resolution on behalf of Senate. This resolution is to be forwarded to the Ohio House of Representatives, the Ohio Senate and published in The Miami Report.

Senate also approved a new major in journalism.

The next meeting will be at 3:05 p.m. Jan. 26 in 111 Harrison Hall.

Senate passed three resolutions; SR 04-07, a revision to Section 4 of the Miami University Policy and Information Manual (MUPIM), is set forth below. Due to space limitations in this week’s Report, SR 04-06 and SR 04-09 will be printed in the Jan. 22 edition.

SR 04-07

BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED that Senate adopt amendments to the Miami University Policy and Information Manual, Section 4, Compensation and Benefits; 4.5, Sick Leave – Unclassified Administrative and Instructional Staff; Section 4.6, Personal Leave – Unclassified Administrative and Instructional Staff; and Section 4.7, Family and Medical Leave as set forth below:

5.5 Sick Leave - Unclassified Administrative and Instructional Staff

4.5.A General

Sick leave is the authorized absence of an employee from regular duties because of illness, injury, pregnancy, exposure to contagious disease, family health situations requiring attendance of the employee, health care appointments, and death in the immediate family. Immediate family members are the employee’s mother, father, brother, sister, child, spouse, grandparent, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, grandparent-in-law, and legal guardian or another person who stands in place of a parent.

Leave for the non-medical care of a newborn child must be requested and will be approved without pay for up to six months, during which time the University will continue to provide applicable benefits. See Section 4.6 for specific details on family and medical leave, including eligibility and options for paid and unpaid parental leave.

Each full-time unclassified administrative or instructional staff member who works nine (9) or more months per year earns fifteen (15) days of sick leave per contract year. Staff members who work less than nine (9) months earn sick leave at the rate of 1-1/4 days per month. Staff members who work less than full-time earn sick leave on a pro rata basis. Unused sick leave entitlement is cumulative without limit.

The vice presidents shall be responsible for implementing this policy and for authorizing modifications for unusual circumstances. The appropriate personnel units shall be responsible for the establishment of accrued sick leave balances for employees and for the maintenance of sick leave records.

4.6 Family and Medical Leave

4.6.A Eligibility

1. In accordance with federal law, employees are eligible for family and medical leave after 12 months of employment and provided the employee has performed at least 1,250 hours of work during the previous 12-month period. (Full-time faculty are deemed to meet the 1,250-hour requirement.) All eligible employees are entitled to a total of 12 workweeks of leave during the 12-month period of July 1 through June 30, for one or more of the following reasons:

* because of the birth of a child and to care for the newborn (Reason 1);

* because of the placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care (Reason 2);

* to care for the employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent with a serious health condition (Reason 3); and

* because of a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of his or her position (Reason 4).

2. Miami requires employees to substitute accrued paid leave (e.g., vacation, sick leave, personal leave) for family and medical leaves whenever permitted by law (i. e., 29 C.F.R. 825.207-208). If the employee does not have available sufficient paid leave for the entire 12 weeks, the employee may take the balance of the leave as unpaid leave. If the employee has available more than 12 weeks of paid leave, the employee may use all of the paid leave that applies to the employee’s situation.

A family and medical leave may run concurrently with a worker’s compensation absence when the injury is one that meets the criteria for a serious health condition. As the worker’s compensation absence is not unpaid leave, the provision for substitution of accrued paid leave is not applicable.

4.6.B Parental Leave Policy

Unclassified and instructional staff use accumulated sick leave to take time off for the birth or adoption of a child. Unclassified and instructional staff can arrange for an absence of up to 12 workweeks using accumulated sick leave (see MUPIM Sections 4.5 and 4.6.A). For details about this policy and for guidance through the process, contact the appropriate personnel office.

Tenure-track instructional staff members who have care-taking responsibilities associated with the birth or adoption of a child may request an extension of their probationary period (i.e., the tenure clock). The maximum number of years of extension to the tenure clock is two, whether the extension is claimed under Section 4.6.B or Section 7.4.D.3.a.

4.6.C Notice and Approval

The employee must provide the appropriate personnel office with a minimum of thirty (30) calendar days advance notice before the date the leave is to begin. Employees should contact the appropriate personnel office for more detailed information and to arrange family and medical leave, including parental leave. Personnel office staff can assist employees and their supervisors in arranging suitable coverage of the employees’ responsibilities while on leave. Employees are required to complete the forms and return them to the appropriate personnel office for approval of leave within a minimum of thirty (30) calendar days advance notice before the date the leave is to begin. However, if the date of the birth, placement of the child, or serious health condition of the employee or family member requires leave to begin in less than thirty (30) days, the employee must provide as much notice as is practicable. Failure to give notice may result in a delay of leave.

Employees must request family and medical leave in writing and submit the request to the appropriate personnel office. A medical certification form will be provided. Medical certification must be received in the personnel office prior to approval of the leave.

4.6.D Substitution of Paid Leave
…renumbered only

4.6.E Intermittent Leaves and Reduced Leave Schedules
…renumbered only

4.6.F Certification
…renumbered only

4.6.G Restoration to Position and Continuation of Benefits
…renumbered only

4.6.H Failure to Return from Leave
…renumbered only

4.6.I Other Employment
…renumbered only

4.7 Personal Leave – Unclassified Administrative and Instructional Staff
…renumbered only

Twenty-five members of Faculty Assembly can challenge the resolutions by filing a petition with the secretary of the university within10 class days after their publication in this issue of The Miami Report. Absent a challenge by Faculty Assembly, these policies will be forwarded to the president and the board of trustees for consideration.

Date Published: 01/15/2004
Volume: 23   Number: 20