11.10 Reduced Teaching Load

Faculty who request this option should not be required to engage in classroom teaching during the quarter in which birth takes place or the following quarter. They should not be required to assume extra burdens of teaching when they resume full-time work in subsequent quarters. Continuation of research, advising and committee duties is expected after the period of maternity leave.

For most women faculty in Clinical Departments, the closest analogy to classroom teaching with respect to time and effort is clinical service. It is the policy of the School of Medicine that a faculty member, on request, will be excused from clinical responsibilities (as well as classroom teaching, if any) for ninety days following the end of her maternity leave. (During maternity leave, the faculty member is not on duty at all; as noted above, the period of maternity leave may be up to four months.) During these first ninety days following the end of maternity leave, the expectation is that she is responsible for her duties other than clinical responsibilities (e.g., continued research and scholarship, student training, committee and departmental work, etc.) and that she will remain on full salary during this time. If the faculty member wishes to return to her clinical responsibilities sooner, she may do so, but this should be a free choice on her part. If advanced planning efforts of the faculty member and department indicate the need temporarily to hire a physician to provide clinical coverage, funds for this purpose will be provided by the Stanford Faculty Practice Plan. Justification for such a request will be required.

Additional relevant sections of the University Faculty Handbook referring to family and medical leave policies are:

  • Maternity Leave and Child Care Leave for Ranks in the Tenure Line
    See Chapter 2, Section 2.5 for the possible effect on the tenure clock
  • Maternity Leave and Child Care Leave for Ranks in the Research and Teaching Lines
    See Chapter 2, Section 2.5 for the possible effect on the appointment end date
  • Maternity Leave and Child Care Leave for Ranks in the Medical Center Line
    See Chapter 2, Section 2.5 for the possible effect on the appointment end date