Faculty Time Away for Professional Activities

Date: November 5, 2020
Number: 1.200
Status: Final

Director of Faculty Affairs
PO Box 8007937
phone: 434-243-4078

Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Faculty Affairs
PO Box 80079312
phone: 434-924-9030

All academic faculty at the rank of Assistant Professor or above with a primary paid appointment in the School of Medicine.

The policy clarifies the guidelines for a reasonable amount of time that faculty may be away from the School of Medicine to carry out professional activities related to their responsibilities at the School of Medicine.

Consulting activities:
Except for honoraria or per diem, as noted in the definition of professional activities, these are external professional activities for which compensation is offered, including activity in an entity in which the faculty member holds a financial or ownership interest. See SOM policy 2.000, External Consulting and Professional Activities.

Professional activities
Public service or activities in professional organizations that are directly related to a University appointment, as determined by the dean, and are therefore considered a normal part of the responsibilities of a faculty member. These include but are not limited to:

• Peer review and addresses at universities and other educational or not-for-profit institutions, for which the faculty member may receive a per diem allowance or honoraria.
• Service on study sections, other review groups, program coordination meetings or other related activities, of the federal or state government or other appropriate non-commercial funding agencies.
• Participation in aspects of research studies that cannot be conducted at UVA facilities, e.g., when equipment is at another location.
• Participation as either presenter or learner in activities related to Continuing Medical Education or scientific meetings.

Supervisor
The individual who may approve or disapprove time away. For department chair, center directors, and senior associate deans, this is the dean. For faculty, it will be the department chair or, if assigned to a center, the center director.

The primary purpose for allowing faculty members professional time away from the University is to allow participation in professional activities that enhance the individual’s ability to carry out the responsibilities which s/he assumed by accepting an appointment to the faculty, and to enhance the professional and public stature of the faculty member and the University.

Each department and center shall have its own policy that clearly states the amount of time permitted, with supervisor approval, for time away for professional activities. The amount of time permitted may be less than, but not more than, the School of Medicine limit of 40 days total.

Time away for professional activities may not jeopardize the ability of an individual to carry out the responsibilities s/he assumed by accepting an appointment to the faculty. Clinical faculty must meet expectations consistent with their negotiated clinical effort before additional time away for professional activities can be approved. It is the supervisor’s responsibility to ensure that the total time a faculty member is away–including annual leave, illness, consulting, professional activities, or any other reason–does not endanger the department’s ability to carry out its work and fulfill its mission.

Time away for professional activities does not include vacation or holidays. If a supervisor wishes to approve time away for part-time faculty, the allocations are adjusted on a pro-rata basis.

This policy does not release a faculty member from responsibility from reporting or disclosure requirements as stipulated by other University or SOM policies, federal or state law, or the policies of granting or other agencies.

Time away for professional activities shall be reported for the period July 1 through June 30. As part of the annual review, each faculty member will provide their supervisor with a summary of all of their time away for professional activities.

As long as time away for professional activities does not exceed 40 days, the faculty member will follow the departmental approval process and university travel policies. If time away exceeds 40 days, the faculty member must obtain the chair’s approval prior to making travel or other commitments. The department chair will report annually to the dean on all faculty members whose time away for professional activities exceeded 40 days.

Faculty who report directly to the dean, e.g., chairs, associate deans, and center directors, must obtain approval from the dean prior to making commitments that will require time away for professional activities in excess of the annual 40-day allotment.

Provost Policy HRM-038: Faculty Leaves
Provost Policy on Consulting by Faculty of the University of Virginia
SOM Policy 2.000: External Consulting and Professional Activities
HS Policy BEH-002: Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment

June 2017

Policy established November 1, 2001.
Revised 2/1/06, 7/1/14; administrative updates 7/28/20; 11/05/20

Nancy E. Dunlap, MD, PhD, MBA July 1, 2014

Faculty Time Away for Professional Activities