Child Bearing and Parental Leave

    [Faculty Handbook Category #1]

    When faculty, regardless of gender, become new parents, whether by birth or adoption, a parental leave may be available under the FMLA, the Minnesota Pregnancy and Parenting Leave Law, or both. Whenever possible, leave under the FMLA and the Minnesota Pregnancy and Parenting Leave will run concurrently with all other rights to leave for employees who are eligible.

    Faculty considering any leave should communicate with Human Resources and the Associate Provost to understand the potential impact on salary, benefits, and future sabbaticals.

    Unpaid Parental Leave

    Parental leave governed by the FMLA is described in the Family and Medical Leave Act policy. Under the Minnesota Pregnancy and Parenting Leave Law, employees of the college, regardless of how long they have worked at the college, are entitled to a maximum of 12 weeks of unpaid leave for prenatal medical care, pregnancy, birth or adoption of a child. 

    Standard Paid Parental Leave

    Subject to the requirements of the FMLA and the Minnesota Pregnancy and Parenting Leave Law, the college offers paid leave as follows: 

    • Faculty of the college who are giving birth, and who have worked one year or more and at least half time (but fewer than 1250 hours, which is the threshold for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act policy) during the 12 consecutive months preceding a leave, will receive six weeks (for a vaginal birth) or eight weeks (for a Cesarean section) of paid Child Bearing Leave under Salary Continuation for Sick Time and Medical Leave for exempt employees, PLUS an additional six weeks of paid Parental Leave for a total of 12 weeks of paid leave (for a vaginal birth) or 14 weeks of paid leave (for a Cesarean section). 
    • Faculty of the college who have worked one year or more and at least half time during the 12 consecutive months preceding a leave, and who are new parents and are not a parent giving birth, are eligible for six consecutive weeks of paid Parental Leave.  
    • A Child Bearing Leave must begin on or before the birth of the child. A Parental Leave must be completed within one calendar year after the birth, adoption or placement with adoption pending.
    • Employees giving birth must provide a doctor’s note before taking leave and a Fitness for Duty form signed by their physician before returning to work. 
    • If both parents are employed by the college, and if both are eligible for paid Parental Leave, only one parent may take the six-week paid Parental Leave. 
    • Whenever possible, a faculty member’s course schedule should be designed to minimize the impact on courses caused by a leave.
      • Reasonable attempts should be made to ensure the course load during an interrupted semester is equal to or less than the course load during the uninterrupted semester.
      • When the leave overlaps with the January Term for any amount of time, faculty should not be scheduled to teach during the January term.
    • A faculty member who wishes to take a Parental Leave should submit their request at least three months in advance of the beginning of the semester in which the leave will occur (unless circumstances make such notice impossible).
    • Benefits elected prior to the leave will continue during the leave, with the employee paying the employee’s share of college-provided benefits during the leave. 
    • Faculty on part-time appointments anytime during the year prior to the leave will receive prorated pay negotiated on a case-by-case basis.

    Optional Parental Semester Leave

    Full time faculty members who are eligible for a paid Parental Leave can choose to receive instead a Parental Semester Leave that includes one paid course release. This parental leave is in addition to the Child Bearing Leave for a birthing parent. For either a birthing parent or a non-birthing parent, the Parental Semester Leave leave would replace the Parental Leave. 

    • The Parental Semester Leave must take place within one calendar year after the birth, adoption or placement with adoption pending. 
    • A birthing parent whose Child Bearing Leave overlaps with a Parental Semester Leave and/or the January Term will receive an additional course release of ⅙ CE per week of overlap up to a maximum of 1.0 CE
    • A faculty member who wishes to take a Parental Semester Leave should submit their request at least three months in advance of the beginning of the semester in which the leave will occur (unless circumstances make such notice impossible).
    • Benefits elected prior to the leave will continue during the leave, with the employee paying the employee’s share of college-provided benefits during the leave. 
    • Part-time tenured or tenure-track faculty members are eligible for this benefit, prorated to their appointment level.

      Revised November 3, 2023