Faculty Leaves of Absence II.E.2. The two main types of leaves of absence available to the Faculty of the University of Pennsylvania are scholarly leave and leave for employment elsewhere.
All leaves require the approval of the relevant department chair and dean and of the provost.
A scholarly leave is a means of recognizing a faculty member's high academic performance while at the University, future potential for growth, and opportunity to make a major contribution to knowledge. It is intended to extend and to accelerate intellectual growth and to enable a faculty member to pursue without distraction a project designed to this end including the advancement of personal knowledge or competence in the faculty member's current or potential areas of specialty. A scholarly leave is also intended to benefit the general academic community and the University. Therefore, a scholarly leave normally will be granted only to a faculty member who will have a continuing appointment with the University after the end of the leave and who, at the time of notification of approval for the leave, has not made a commitment inconsistent with return to the University. A scholarly leave is granted only to a faculty member who has presented an appropriate private program of study or research.