Before last year, new parents employed at the University of Idaho had to split 12 weeks of parenting leave between them. This only met the basic requirements of the national parenting leave policy, said Ruth Funabiki, head of technical services from UI”s Law Library.
Now, UI”s policy on parenting leave is more accommodating for new parents – if both parents are employed at the university, each of them gets 12 weeks of leave.
“Those changes that went through are very beneficial for faculty and staff,” said Marty Ytreberg, former chair of Faculty Senate.
Funabiki spent the previous academic year as part of the Faculty Affairs Committee, which developed the proposed parenting leave policy for President Chuck Staben to examine. Funabiki said the committee developed the policy as a way to provide more benefits to new parents at the university and to gather all of the relevant information into one place.
While Staben did approve certain parts of the policy, such as allowing both parents to have the full 12 weeks of leave, other portions of the policy were disapproved.
Neither Funabiki nor Ytreberg said they were surprised that Staben picked specific parts of the policy to approve. Instead, they said they were pleased that he didn”t just veto the policy in its entirety.
“I think we got a very thoughtful evaluation of what we suggested,” Funabiki said.
One portion of the policy Staben didn”t approve would have allowed parents to donate part of their 12 weeks of leave to the other parent so they could spend more time with their child. Another portion of the policy would have extended the available parenting leave from 12 to 16 weeks.
Ytreberg said he was in favor of these parts of the policy and was disappointed it didn”t go through.
“Twelve weeks is what”s required by law,” Ytreberg said. “And so in my mind asking for 16, while I recognize that it has the potential to cost some money, it”s sort of taking it a notch higher than what is required by law.”
Randall Teal, this year”s chair of Faculty Senate, said he understood there would be economic consequences to the extension, but thought the benefits to the faculty would be worth the repercussions.
Liz Brandt, professor at the College of Law, said she thought 16 weeks was a more advantageous plan for the entire university, because one semester lasts about 16 weeks anyway. She said a 16-week leave would then allow parents to have the entire semester off, instead of making them return with only a small portion of the term remaining.
Despite their disappointment, all four faculty members said they believe the changes that were made will affect new parents at UI in a positive way.
“I look at my younger colleagues and their family situations and I think it”s a plus for them,” Brandt said. “It”s a really good thing for them to be able to have.”
Both Ytreberg and Teal said there hasn”t been enough time in the new academic year to tell what Faculty Senate will do with the parenting leave policy after Staben”s decision. But Teal said they would most definitely address it in some way. Both said the discussions have already started.
“I think everybody thinks it”s important,” Teal said. “And everybody”s willing and eager to sort of figure out how to bring some changes about.”
Erin Bamer can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @ErinBamer