Temple University understands that faculty members may sometimes find it difficult to balance the
demands of a job and personal needs and/or family obligations. The following provides a brief
description of programs offered by Temple University which may help a faculty member balance his or
her faculty career and family obligations. If you have questions about these programs, please contact the
Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs at 215-204-3745
or the Benefits Office at 215-204-1321.
Health Plans
Faculty members may elect health coverage for themselves as well as family members. Eligible family
members include a legal spouse or certified domestic partner, and dependent children until age 19, or until
age 23 if enrolled as a full-time
student.
New dependents may be added within 31 days of the date of birth or marriage, or within 31 days of a
lifestyle change (i.e. spouse losing their employer group coverage elsewhere). Dependents may also be
added every year in June during open enrollment for a July 1 st effective date. The Temple health plans do
not have pre-existing
conditions clauses.
Sick Leave
Temple University offers all eligible full-time faculty members a generous sick leave policy. Eligible full-time
faculty members may take up to six months of sick leave if accompanied by medical documentation.
Temple pays the eligible faculty member’s full salary for the first two months and half salary for the next
four months of medically approved sick leave. During this period, all benefits continue in the normal
manner.
Faculty members requesting sick time for maternity reasons are eligible to be paid sick leave for the
period of time of medical disability. This is generally considered to be 6 to 8 weeks from the birth of the
child, as documented by the medical provider.
Family and Medical Leave Act
The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (“FMLA”) enables eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks
of leave (paid and/or unpaid) to care for a newborn or newly adopted child, to recuperate from their own
serious illness, or to care for a seriously ill family member. For purposes of FMLA, “family members”
include: (1) the employee’s spouse or certified domestic partner, (2) the employee’s parent, (3) the
employee’s natural or adopted child or dependent stepchild. FMLA leaves for newborn or adopted
children must conclude within 12 months of the birth or placement and may be requested by either parent.
An eligible employee is one who has at least 12 months of service with Temple University and has
worked at least 1,250 hours for Temple University during the previous 12month
period. Eligibility will
be determined at the time the employee requests the leave.
An eligible faculty member requesting 12 weeks for the birth of a child would be entitled to paid sick
leave for period of medical disability (usually 6 to 8 weeks), and then be unpaid for the remainder of the
12 weeks. A faculty member requesting FMLA for the adoption of a child or for paternity leave would be
eligible for 12 weeks of unpaid leave.
Upon returning from an FMLA leave, a faculty member is entitled to be returned to the same position held
when family and medical leave commenced or to an equivalent position (with or without modified duties)
with equivalent benefits, pay, and other terms and conditions of employment. A faculty member who
returns to Temple University mid-semester
may be assigned modified duties by his/her Dean.
Unpaid Leave of Absence
In addition to Family Medical Leave and sick leave, Temple University also provides faculty members
with an opportunity to apply for a University unpaid leave of absence. Granting of an unpaid leave of
absence for all full-time faculty members is a discretionary determination made by the Provost. In no case
will leaves of absence accrue toward the time for tenure eligibility. Further, a one-semester
leave of
absence will remove the entire academic year from consideration for tenure. When leave without pay is
granted, the faculty member is given the opportunity to pay the full cost of those benefits the faculty
member wishes to continue during the leave.
Life Insurance
Protection for family members is available through life insurance provided at no charge to the faculty
member. Additional life insurance may be purchased in the increments of 1.5, 2 or 3 times annual salary,
to a total aggregate maximum of $300,000 of insurance.
Long-Term
Disability Coverage
In the event of a long-term
illness, income and benefit protection is available by electing long-term
disability coverage. After 6 months of disability, the long-term
disability plan provides income of 60% of
base pay and continuation of most benefits in which the faculty member was enrolled prior to disability.
Benefit continuation is at no cost to the faculty member, potentially providing valuable health coverage at
a time when it might be very difficult to continue to afford such coverage.
Tuition Remission
Temple University offers tuition remission to full-time
faculty members and their eligible family
members, subject to the course of studies taken and the student remaining in academic good standing and
in compliance with all academic standards and policies.
A faculty member’s spouse/certified domestic partner is eligible for 50% tuition remission for
undergraduate or graduate courses.
Eligible dependent children are eligible for 100% tuition remission for up to 10 semesters to complete
their undergraduate degree. Dependent children may be full-time
matriculated students, or they may be
part-time
matriculated or non-matriculated
students.
No tuition remission is given for courses taken in Temple University’s School of Law, Medicine,
Dentistry or College of Podiatric Medicine.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
If a faculty member needs help and counseling with a serious family issue or just needs a little advice, the
LifeWorks program may be able to give the support needed. Whether one is coping with a family
problem, personal issue, trying to get out of debt, having a child, finding adequate childcare or just dealing
with life’s everyday ups and downs, LifeWorks offers caring, confidential consultants who can be called
24/7. Lifeworks also has an award-winning
website where one can read helpful articles, order free
materials and much more. After logging onto the web site, faculty members may set up their own
individual account and sign up for monthly newsletters and bookmark items of personal interest. The
service is free and completely confidential.
Voluntary Benefits
An array of voluntary benefits is available through a variety of vendors for employees and faculty
members for their personal use. Such voluntary benefits include, but are not limited to: a corporate
wellness program with the Sporting Club at the Bellevue; discounts on personal auto, homeowners
insurance; Verizon Wireless discounted monthly access; savings bonds purchases; identity theft shield
protection; veterinary pet insurance; and International SOS assistance to faculty members who travel
overseas.
Dependent Care and Medical Spending Accounts (FSAs)
Flexible Spending Accounts are a great way to pay for dependent care and health care while saving tax
dollars. FSAs allow faculty members to set aside pretax
dollars for out-of-pocket
expenses like day care,
medical and prescription co-pays,
and much more. Every dollar deferred to an FSA account decreases
federally taxable income. Faculty members may contribute up to $5,000 per year for dependent care
expenses and $5,000 per year for health care expenses.
Temple
University offers Domestic Partner benefits to TAUP faculty members, as well as to non-bargaining
employees and certain other groups of collectively bargained employees. Certified Domestic Partners are
eligible for health insurance, dental insurance, and vision care. In addition, certified Domestic Partners
are eligible for any benefit that would otherwise be available to/for a spouse under the Tuition Remission
Policy, Bereavement Leave Policy, Sick Leave Policy, Family and Medical Leave Policy, Health Benefits
Upon Termination, and Payment of Outstanding Wages Upon Employee’s Death. Children of certified
Domestic Partners are eligible for benefits on the same basis as dependent stepchildren
(i.e. the
employee must demonstrate that the child is the legal dependent of the employee’s certified Domestic
Partner and that the employee has assumed financial responsibility for the child of his/her Domestic
Partner).
The summaries provided herein are a general overview and are not intended as a complete description of
the benefits offered by Temple University. Unless prohibited by law, Temple University may amend,
modify, terminate, or discontinue any or all of the programs described herein at any time and in its sole
discretion.