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An academic staff member carrying equivalent responsibilities to those holding appointments as Department Head or Associate Dean may qualify for an administrative leave, determined at the discretion of the Provost. This must be advised in writing at the time of the appointment to the administrative position. This must be indicated as ‘Head Equivalent’ on the Recommendation for Administrative Appointment (AE4) form.  

For additional information on eligibility, please see Article 17 of the Collective Agreement and the Eligibility and Qualifying Service section of this website.  

Qualifying service is verified by People and Culture following the submission of the Intent to Apply during the application period. 

Qualifying service for administrative leave is determined based on the length of an academic staff member’s appointment as Department Head or in an equivalent role. Periods of leave (with or without pay), such as maternity, parental, or sick leave, may interrupt and reduce the accumulation of qualifying service for administrative leave.  

Time served in an administrative appointment counts toward administrative leave but does not contribute to service toward Research and Scholarship Leave (RSL) until the individual returns to their regular academic rank. Staff members cannot accrue service toward administrative leave and RSL concurrently and overlapping administrative appointments do not result in double accrual. 

For additional information on qualifying service, please see Article 17 of the Collective Agreement and the Eligibility and Qualifying Service section of this website.  

Examples can be found in the Qualifying Service Reference Guide. 

No, it is not possible to retroactively protect qualifying service time.  

Protected service applies when a research and scholarship or administrative leave application is denied by the Dean (or equivalent) specifically for teaching or operational reasons. In these circumstances, the service time accumulated between the proposed start date of the denied leave and the start date of the next approved leave is retained as protected service. A formal letter from the Dean will confirm the designation of protected service. 

When a future RSL or administrative leave is taken, qualifying service will first be drawn from the academic staff member’s regular service balance. Protected service will only be used once regular qualifying service has been exhausted. 

Please refer to the Qualifying Service Reference Guide for examples and additional information. 

Academic staff members must submit their Intent to Apply to confirm eligibility for their proposed leave (qualifying service). 

The Intent to Apply should be submitted no later than September 30 to ensure adequate time for eligibility review and submission of the full application in Academic Portfolio. 

For additional information on cycle deadlines, please refer to the timeline. 

Administrative leave will normally commence on July 1. However, alternative start dates may be considered based on the conclusion of the administrative appointment. Academic staff members should consult with their Dean (or equivalent) to determine the most appropriate start date in alignment with their individual circumstances and faculty needs. 

Academic staff members interested in pursuing consecutive RSL or administrative leaves should contact their Dean or equivalent, as well as People and Culture, to discuss next steps. A deviation request may be required. 

If you are unable to locate your previous RSL or administrative leave report, please contact your Dean’s office for assistance. 

If you plan to travel during your Administrative Leave, please consult the Risk Management & Insurance Travel website for up-to-date information on travel restrictions, guidelines, checklists, and available support. 

If an academic staff member is interested in retirement at the conclusion of their administrative leave, they must submit a separate notice of retirement to the Dean, as early as possible, but usually after the time the administrative leave is approved and no later than three months before the commencement of the leave. 

Article 16.21 applies to academic staff members and administrators: 

1. who are sixty (60) years of age or older with at least fifteen (15) years of continuous service; or
2. who are sixty-five (65) years of age with at least three (3) years of continuous service in a full-time, Continuing, Contingent Term or Limited Term appointment by the end of the research and scholarship leave or administrative leave. 

Further information and resources to support retirement planning are available on the Retirement website for Academic Staff.  

Deferral (Change of Dates) 

To request a change to the dates of an approved Administrative Leave within the same application cycle, academic staff members must contact their Dean to confirm the revised dates. Once approved, the change will be formally documented in a letter from the Dean. Qualifying service will be recalculated based on the new leave dates, with any applicable carry-forward service applied in accordance with Article 16.3.1(d) and 17 of the Collective Agreement. 

If an academic staff member wishes to defer their approved leave to new or unspecified dates in the next RSL cycle, the leave will be cancelled for personal reasons, and a new application will be required in the subsequent cycle. All service time will be restored as if the application had never been submitted. 

For more information on rescheduling an Administrative Leave, see Article 17. 

Personal Cancellation 

Academic staff members who wish to cancel an approved Administrative Leave for personal reasons must contact their Department Head (or equivalent) and Dean to request and confirm the cancellation. Once approved, the cancellation will be formally documented in a letter from the Dean. 

In cases of personal cancellation, the leave will be considered withdrawn, and the academic staff member will be required to reapply in a subsequent application cycle. All qualifying service will be fully restored as if the original application had not been submitted. 

If a leave is cancelled part-way through, qualifying service corresponding to the unused portion of the leave will be credited toward future eligibility, subject to the provisions of Article 17.6 of the Collective Agreement. 

Your current group benefit and pension arrangements will continue through your period of Administrative Leave. For more information on benefits and pension during leave click here. 

If travelling outside of Canada during your leave, review the RSL Benefits Information Guide from Alberta Blue Cross. 

For specific questions regarding your coverages while on leave, contact  o°ù totalrewards@ucalgary.ca. 

Academic staff members holding Continuing, Contingent Term, and Limited Term appointments are eligible to submit reimbursement for professional expenses. Staff members on Research and Scholarship or Administrative Leaves remain eligible. 

To access your PER account, log on to the . Navigate to My work> Finance & Supply Chain > PER Statement 

Submissions of Claim 

Staff members on leave may continue to submit PER (Professional Expense Reimbursement) claims while on leave. Claims for the current academic year must be submitted online no later than two months by following the end of the academic year (by August 31st) or September 30th for a Staff Member returning from leave. 

• To submit a PER expense claim, log on to the . Navigate to My work> Finance & Supply Chain > Manage Expenses 

For more information on Professional Expense Reimbursement, see the PER Website and the PER Handbook. 

Return to Service Requirement 

Following a period of administrative leave, a staff member is required to return to the University and render regular full-time or part-time service according to the staff member's appointment equal to the number of months of the administrative leave (or reimburse the University for the amount of research and scholarship leave assistance received during the leave period).  

RSL Report to the Dean 

Following a period of administrative leave a staff member is required to, within three (3) months of the date on which the administrative leave expires, submit a written report to the Dean which provides an outline of the staff member's activities during the leave period. 

For more information, see Article 17.8. 

Within three (3) months of returning from RSL, an academic staff member must provide the Dean with a written report summarizing their activities during the leave. For guidance on report content, please consult your Dean or equivalent. 

Senior Leadership Team (SLT) staff members may be eligible for administrative leave as outlined in their individual employment contracts with the University. This entitlement is not governed by the Collective Agreement. 

To inquire about or apply for administrative leave following an SLT appointment, please contact your Reports To manager’s office or the Provost’s Office for further information. 

Please note that SLT administrative leaves are not administered through Academic Portfolio. 

Qualifying service is verified by People and Culture following the submission of the Intent to Apply during the application period. 

Qualifying service for administrative leave is determined based on the length of an academic staff member’s appointment as Department Head or in an equivalent role. Periods of leave (with or without pay), such as maternity, parental, or sick leave, may interrupt and reduce the accumulation of qualifying service for administrative leave.  

Time served in an administrative appointment counts toward administrative leave but does not contribute to service toward Research and Scholarship Leave (RSL) until the individual returns to their regular academic rank. Staff members cannot accrue service toward administrative leave and RSL concurrently and overlapping administrative appointments do not result in double accrual. 

For additional information on qualifying service, please see Article 17 of the Collective Agreement and the Eligibility and Qualifying Service section of this website.  

Examples can be found in the Qualifying Service Reference Guide. 

An academic staff member carrying equivalent responsibilities to those holding appointments as Department Head or Associate Dean may qualify for an administrative leave, determined at the discretion of the Provost. This must be advised in writing at the time of the appointment to the administrative position. This must be indicated as ‘Head Equivalent’ on the Recommendation for Administrative Appointment (AE4) form.  

For additional information on eligibility, please see Article 17 of the Collective Agreement and the Eligibility and Qualifying Service section of this website.  

If an academic staff member is interested in retirement at the conclusion of their administrative leave, they must submit a separate notice of retirement to the Dean, as early as possible, but usually after the time the administrative leave is approved and no later than three months before the commencement of the leave. 

Article 16.21 applies to academic staff members and administrators: 

1. who are sixty (60) years of age or older with at least fifteen (15) years of continuous service; or
2. who are sixty-five (65) years of age with at least three (3) years of continuous service in a full-time, Continuing, Contingent Term or Limited Term appointment by the end of the research and scholarship leave or administrative leave. 

Further information and resources to support retirement planning are available on the Retirement website for Academic Staff.  

Deferral (Change of Dates) 

To request a change to the dates of an approved Administrative Leave within the same application cycle, academic staff members must contact their Dean to confirm the revised dates. Once approved, the change will be formally documented in a letter from the Dean. Qualifying service will be recalculated based on the new leave dates, with any applicable carry-forward service applied in accordance with Article 16.3.1(d) and 17 of the Collective Agreement. 

If an academic staff member wishes to defer their approved leave to new or unspecified dates in the next RSL cycle, the leave will be cancelled for personal reasons, and a new application will be required in the subsequent cycle. All service time will be restored as if the application had never been submitted. 

For more information on rescheduling an Administrative Leave, see Article 17. 

Personal Cancellation 

Academic staff members who wish to cancel an approved Administrative Leave for personal reasons must contact their Department Head (or equivalent) and Dean to request and confirm the cancellation. Once approved, the cancellation will be formally documented in a letter from the Dean. 

In cases of personal cancellation, the leave will be considered withdrawn, and the academic staff member will be required to reapply in a subsequent application cycle. All qualifying service will be fully restored as if the original application had not been submitted. 

If a leave is cancelled part-way through, qualifying service corresponding to the unused portion of the leave will be credited toward future eligibility, subject to the provisions of Article 17.6 of the Collective Agreement. 

Return to Service Requirement 

Following a period of administrative leave, a staff member is required to return to the University and render regular full-time or part-time service according to the staff member's appointment equal to the number of months of the administrative leave (or reimburse the University for the amount of research and scholarship leave assistance received during the leave period).  

RSL Report to the Dean 

Following a period of administrative leave a staff member is required to, within three (3) months of the date on which the administrative leave expires, submit a written report to the Dean which provides an outline of the staff member's activities during the leave period. 

For more information, see Article 17.8. 

Senior Leadership Team (SLT) staff members may be eligible for administrative leave as outlined in their individual employment contracts with the University. This entitlement is not governed by the Collective Agreement. 

To inquire about or apply for administrative leave following an SLT appointment, please contact your Reports To manager’s office or the Provost’s Office for further information. 

Please note that SLT administrative leaves are not administered through Academic Portfolio.