American University is dedicated to supporting our faculty and staff by providing paid time off opportunities including annual leave (vacation), sick leave, holidays and leave for new parents.

Annual & Sick Leave

Full-time staff accrue 12-21 days of annual leave based on years of service. Library faculty earn 21-24 days of annual leave. Additionally, full-time staff and library faculty accrue 12 days of sick leave to care for themselves or a family member. Eligible part-time staff accrue up to 7 days of sick leave a year.

Family Care

Family Care leave provides as much as 16 weeks of unpaid time off for full-time faculty and staff to care for a family member or to manage their own medical condition.  In some cases the leave is paid.

Holidays & Closures

American University observes 12 paid holidays per year in addition to Inauguration Day every four years.

Faculty fall, winter, and spring breaks are based on the academic calendar [link to Academic Calendar] in addition to university holidays and closures.

Illness & Injury

This leave provides full-time faculty and staff time to recover from short and long-term illness or injury. 

Parental Leave

Parental leave provides eligible full-time faculty and staff 8 weeks of paid leave to bond with a new child, including adopted and foster children.