Modified Duties for Childcare (MDC) Program
Purpose
Purdue's College of Engineering will provide release from one semester of classroom teaching and committee service to eligible faculty members (tenure-track, tenured, or engineering practice) who are primary caregivers of a newborn/newly adopted child in order to support their continued career progress through a period of significantly increased childcare responsibilities. One semester of teaching and service release will be provided either for the semester immediately following or concurrent with the childbirth/adoption event. MDC semester release may not be deferred to future semesters. Unless on an approved leave, faculty members who are released from classroom and committee duties will be expected to fulfill their other professional responsibilities, including responsibilities for which the faculty member is uniquely qualified, such as advising graduate students.
Schools/Divisions are responsible for finding appropriate replacements and otherwise accommodating the MDC teaching and service release during the semester in which the release is taken by the faculty member. The MDC Program is intended to give eligible faculty who are primary care givers of a newborn/newly adopted child full release from the above-described teaching and committee duties for one semester; schools/divisions should not shift those duties onto these parents in other semesters in order to accommodate the release.
This classroom teaching and committee service relief is not considered a leave. Rather MDC is separate and distinct from Purdue University’s paid and unpaid leave programs including, but not limited to Purdue's Paid Parental Leave (VI.E.3), Purdue's Sick Leave, and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Scope
This one semester classroom teaching and committee service exemption is available to any faculty member with majority appointment in the College of Engineering, including tenured, tenure track, and professor of engineering practice who is the parent of a newborn child or who has adopted a child. One semester of teaching and service release will be provided either for the semester immediately following or for the semester concurrent with the childbirth/adoption event.
This is a pilot program in the College of Engineering that will be evaluated at periodic intervals with the Provost’s office.”
Process
This relief can be requested using the process outlined below:
Step 1
Faculty members who will utilize the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Purdue’s Paid Parental Leave (VI.E.3) (PPL), fill out the Purdue University FMLA Request and Notice Form to begin the process with Purdue HR, and then complete step 2. For faculty members who are not covered by FMLA or Purdue’s Paid Parental Leave, please directly proceed with step 2.
Step 2
Fill out this simple online form prior to the start of the semester for which teaching and committee service exemption is sought. Please provide as much notice as possible, as it can be difficult to identify a qualified individual to cover the teaching assignment in a short period of time. Based on the form, the School/Division head will approve one semester off teaching and committee work (either for the semester immediately following or for the semester concurrent with the childbirth/adoption event) based on School/Division needs and after consultation with the Senior Associate Dean of the Faculty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a faculty member use one semester of teaching relief (MDC) in conjunction with Purdue’s Paid Parental Leave (VI.E.3) and the Family and Medical Leave Act?
Faculty members who are eligible to use Purdue’s Paid Parental Leave and the Family Medical Leave Act (see specific eligibility criteria for these policies) must use MDC in conjunction with Purdue’s Paid Parental Leave and FMLA.
What if I typically teach in the summer?
For AY faculty members whose caregiving responsibilities impact their ability to teach a course in the summer, the School Head will find a replacement instructor for the summer course. However, summer will not count as the MDC semester for the AY faculty member.
Is MDC available to faculty members upon employment or is there a waiting period to be able to request?
MDC is available to faculty members upon employment (with a majority appointment) in the College of Engineering. Faculty members who may not be eligible to use Purdue’s Paid Parental Leave and the Family and Medical Leave Act can still request MDC.
In terms of eligibility, what do you mean by “primary caregiver” of a newly born or adopted child?
A parent who takes significant and sustained caregiving responsibility during the period for which the one semester of modified duties (i.e., MDC) is requested, as defined by at least 20 hours of primary caregiving during the typical Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. workweek. This definition of primary caregiver applies to any new parent, regardless of gender, and serves as a way to provide one semester of teaching and committee service exemption to faculty members who are taking on a large responsibility of caregiving during typical workweek hours.