University Policy 4700
Effective Date
November 03, 2020
Last Revision Date
June 05, 2025
Responsible Party
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, (208) 426-1202
Scope and Audience
This policy applies to full-time faculty who teach, including tenured and tenure-track faculty, librarians, clinical faculty, teaching faculty, research faculty, lecturers, and instructors. This policy does not apply to non-teaching administrative faculty.
Additional Authority
- University Policy 4340 (Tenure and Promotion Guidelines)
- University Policy 4215 (Part-Time Tenure Eligible Faculty)
1. Policy Purpose
To support faculty as they balance professional and family duties before and after the birth, adoption, or foster care or kinship placement of a child.
2. Policy Statement
Boise State University recognizes the needs of faculty who teach and must balance research, teaching, and parental obligations. The University, as well as the individual, benefits from arrangements that help faculty pursue their academic careers while raising a family. A Faculty Workload Release Plan provides continuation of pay and benefits for faculty during times of birth, adoption, or foster care or kinship placement of a child.
3. Definitions
3.1 Workload Release
An exemption from teaching available to eligible faculty. During this release, faculty will attend to other reduced workload responsibilities as per department/unit policy.
4. Eligibility
Workload Release is available to full-time faculty who teach, including tenured and tenure-track faculty, librarians, clinical faculty, teaching faculty, research faculty, lecturers, and instructors who are the parent of a newborn child, have adopted a child under the age of eighteen (18) or are seeking to adopt a child after the birth of that child but the adoption has not yet been finalized, or are approved to provide foster care or kinship placement and have an active an ongoing role in parenting the child in their care. Surrogates and sperm donors do not meet the eligibility criteria.
a. Faculty will return to full workload for a period of at least one (1) year after utilizing a Workload Release.
b. The University will grant a Workload Release for two (2) parents of the same child, if eligible.
c. This policy may be utilized in conjunction with leave taken under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in consultation with Human Resources and Workforce Strategy.
5. Workload Release
a. A faculty member with teaching responsibilities who meets the eligibility requirements in section 4.1 of this policy is entitled to relief from teaching responsibilities with no loss of pay or benefits.
b. Workload Release includes a release from all teaching or librarianship responsibilities during one (1) single semester. It may also include a reduction of other duties (such as advising, departmental service, and committee work) for the equivalent time frame, as determined by the unit head or direct supervisor.
6. Workload Release Timing
The faculty member must work with their department and Dean to determine whether the Workload Release is applied to the semester in which the birth, adoption, and/or kinship placement occurs or in the following semester.
7. Other Considerations
a. Teaching that would otherwise be carried out during the Workload Release period may not be shifted to other semesters against the wishes of the person taking such paid leave.
b. The University will continue to pay the employer’s share of the cost of fringe benefits such as health care insurance, group life insurance, etc., on behalf of the employee.
c. Optional Part-time Status: Tenure-track faculty may request a temporary part-time appointment under exceptional circumstances due to administrative caregiving responsibilities (e.g., time spent dealing with insurance companies, healthcare systems, and doctors’ offices, etc.). See University Policy 4215 (Part-Time Tenure-Eligible Faculty) for the requirements of such a request.
8. Tenure Clock
When a Workload Release is granted for non-tenured tenure-track faculty, a one (1)-year extension of the tenure probationary period will be automatically granted. Faculty may opt out of the automatic extension by requesting to seek tenure and promotion on the original timeline.
9. Sabbatical Eligibility
Any Workload Release utilized under this policy will not interrupt the service eligibility requirement for sabbatical leave.
10. Administration of Workload Release
a. It is the Department’s responsibility to create a written plan for staffing the period of Workload Release. The development of this plan should be done proactively and in consultation with Human Resources and Workforce Strategy.
b. When possible, the plan should be submitted in advance of the semester in which the birth, adoption, or foster care or kinship placement is anticipated to occur. The plan must be approved by the college/school Dean.
c. Ultimately, the faculty member’s supervisor, in partnership with Human Resources and Workforce Strategy, and not the faculty member, is responsible for developing the staffing plan for the period of the Workload Release.
d. The Dean’s office will maintain a file of the Workload Release plans for reference and to ensure consistency over time.
11. Related Information
University Policy 4440 (Faculty Sabbatical Leave)
University Policy 7220 (Donated Leave)
University Policy 7230 (Family and Medical Leave)
University Policy 7610 (Paid Parental Leave)
Revision History
June 05, 2025