9.1 Policy. To the degree possible vacation leave shall be scheduled in accordance with the preference of the employee.
9.2 Accrual. Employees will accrue vacation leave during the new hire probationary period, but may not use vacation leave until completion of the probationary period. The current accrual schedule for full-time employees (prorated for part-time), to be credited monthly, is as follows:
9.3 Scheduling.
(a) The annual vacation schedule for use of vacation leave in each department shall be established in the existing departmental manner if adequate or in the following manner:
(b) Employees may make supplemental vacation requests (requests made outside the provisions of 9.3(a)) at any time. However, such supplemental requests shall not take precedence over requests scheduled in accordance with 9.3(a). Individual vacation periods may be changed at any time by mutual agreement between the employee(s) concerned and supervision; however, in no case shall an employee's scheduled vacation interfere with the necessary work of the organization, the determination of which shall rest with supervision.
An employee who makes a supplemental vacation request will be notified whether the request is approved or denied within a reasonable period of time, but in no case more than fourteen (14) calendar days after the supplemental vacation request is submitted.
(c) Any bargaining unit employee who may transfer into a department shall alter his/her preferred vacation period for that year if in conflict with a previously established vacation schedule for that department and the affected employees and department are unable to mutually resolve the conflict.
(d) Vacation Denial. When an employee's vacation cannot be approved, the supervisor shall schedule the employee's vacation at the next earliest date requested by the employee and deemed possible by the supervisor. In the event that the University cancels an employee's scheduled vacation, leaving no time to reschedule such vacation before the employee's maximum balance will be reached, the employee's vacation balance will be permitted to exceed the allowable maximum and the employee will continue to accrue vacation for a period of up to six (6) months in order to allow rescheduling of the employee's vacation.
(e) Holiday Rotation. Vacation requests filed in accordance with 9.3(a) for the week including Thanksgiving and the weeks including Christmas Day and New Years Day shall be granted on a rotating basis. The rotation will begin with the most senior person (seniority shall be determined by the method contained in 9.3(a) (1) above) and shall proceed in that order until all staff wishing to take vacation leave during those holiday periods have done so. No employee shall be granted more than one (1) of the aforementioned weeks in a single year, unless there are no other interested employees and the department is able to grant the request based on operational needs.
9.4 Vacation Leave Accumulation. An employee may accumulate a vacation balance which normally shall not exceed two hundred forty (240) hours. An employee may elect to accrue in excess of two hundred forty (240) hours but must receive approval to use the excess balance prior to the next anniversary date or lose those hours accrued in excess of two hundred forty (240).
9.5 Vacation Leave Cash Payment. Any permanent employee who either resigns or retires, is laid-off or is terminated by the University shall be entitled to accrued vacation pay.