A short-term parental-leave plan for graduate students will be available beginning in spring 2010.
Developed by the Graduate School, the plan is an effort to provide quality graduate education in a family-friendly environment.
A full-time graduate student on an assistantship will be eligible for four consecutive weeks of paid parental leave from his/her graduate program. This benefit includes tuition waivers and salary support.
Full-time graduate students who are not on an assistantship may request parental leave without tuition or salary support. For students on grant funding during parental leave, the Graduate School will provide pro-rated tuition waivers to replace the qualified tuition reduction (QTR).
Parental leave will help students maintain status during significant life events -including pregnancy, childbirth and/or adoption – which require time away from the classroom and/or lab. According to the plan guidelines, short-term parental leave is defined as “leave for up to four consecutive weeks for the period directly before or after the birth or adoption of a child.”
“We hope this plan will help graduate students balance the demands of work, graduate studies and their personal lives,” said Howard Grimes, dean of the Graduate School.
One of the reasons for the plan is to ensure that students remain eligible for financial aid and loan deferment. International students should check with the International Programs Office regarding their visa status.
“We hope this plan makes the overall graduate student experience run more smoothly for those who need this benefit,” Grimes said.
Students who plan to request parental leave should meet with their faculty adviser no less than 10 weeks before the proposed start of the leave to develop a plan for their academic work. The approved plan must be submitted with the parental leave request form before leave is taken.
If a graduate student anticipates being absent from graduate studies for a semester or more, he or she should apply for an official leave of absence. For more information, visit https://www.gradsch.wsu.edu/current-students/2008_updatedpolicies.
