Family Friendly Policies and Resources for Faculty

September 18, 2026

We would like to remind faculty and department chairs of the campus’s Family Friendly Resources and policies, which are designed to support faculty at various stages of their careers and throughout important life experiences, including such significant events as starting or expanding one’s family. To promote the success of our faculty and help them to balance family life and professional achievements, the University of California and UC Santa Barbara provide opportunities for leaves and other accommodations that will allow flexibility in scheduling and work assignments, consistent with UC policy and state and federal law.

The Academic Personnel website provides information on Family Friendly Resources including:

Systemwide Personnel Policies:

• Family Accommodations for Childbearing and Childrearing - APM 760
• Stopping the Tenure Clock for Care of a Child or Children - APM 133-17-h
• Family and Medical Leave - APM 715
• Pay for Family Care and Bonding (PFCB) - APM 715-20-a
• Sick Leave - APM 710

UCSB Policies and Procedures:

• Childbearing Leave, Parental Leave - RB VI-4
• Active Service-Modified Duties (ASMD) - RB VI-5

Pay for Family Care and Bonding (PFCB) and Active Service-Modified Duties (ASMD) are available to new parents to accommodate a birth or adoption with adjustments to their regular teaching and service assignments. PFCB replaces 100% of an academic appointee’s salary for up to 8 weeks per year while they are on leave for the purpose of caring for a family member with a serious health condition or bonding with a child after birth or adoption. To qualify, the appointee must be eligible to take Family and Medical Leave (FML), and will receive PFCB while taking their FML.

ASMD allows faculty who have responsibility for at least 50% of the care of a child to reduce their regularly assigned duties while still receiving full pay. For academic year appointees, it is taken in full-quarter increments, and can be taken any time from 3 months before the birth or adoption of a child, up to 12 months after. Under ASMD, eligible academics other than the childbearing parent may receive modified duties for one quarter per qualifying event. The childbearing parent is eligible to receive a combined maximum of three quarters of childbearing leave and modified duties arrangements. Specific modifications of regular duties often include a reduction in teaching responsibilities; arrangements can vary according to individual needs and circumstances, and may include such modifications as altered research duties, reduced service expectations, flexible scheduling arrangements, or additional assistance for teaching, depending on the needs of the faculty member and department during the relevant quarters.

Since ASMD is a reduction in duties and not a leave, the actual accommodations are determined through discussions between the faculty member and the department chair and dean. It is the responsibility of chairs to help faculty develop individualized plans to utilize these policies in ways that will help address their care-giving roles and support their professional development. Plans for modified duties should be submitted to the dean’s office for approval. Deans should make efforts to ensure consistent and equitable practices, depending on individual circumstances and applicable policies. The Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost and deans provide some course replacement funding to departments with faculty on parental leave and/or ASMD to help address departmental curricular needs.

During the ASMD period, participants receive full pay and benefits, and the time counts as active service for academic advancement purposes. The University also can provide one-year extensions of the tenure clock for birth or adoption, with additional extensions possible under exceptional circumstances.

For quick reference, these and other family friendly policies are summarized in: Academic Personnel Family Friendly Policies for Faculty.

Thank you.