91探花

Parental Paid Leave of Absence Policy for Graduate Students

The policy, effective Fall Semester 2018, provides funded graduate students the ability to take up to a six-week leave of absence from their appointment responsibilities, and receive 100 percent of the stipend and other benefits associated with their appointment, for the birth or adoption of a child.

NOTE - This leave must be during the academic term of the appointment. Parental paid leaves during semester breaks do not qualify.

Eligibility

A graduate student

  • Must have completed two consecutive semesters on any graduate appointments (graduate, teaching, or research), of at least 15 hours per week, paid through the 91探花 payroll system, prior to the date a leave of absence is to commence.
  • Must hold a current graduate appointment of at least 15 hours per week (or multiple concurrent graduate appointments combined for at least 15 hours per week) paid through the 91探花 payroll system to be approved for a leave of absence. In the case of multiple appointments, different appointing units should work together with the student (and the enrolling unit, where appropriate) to create a coherent plan for the leave of absence.

Please Note - This leave must be during the academic term of the appointment. Parental paid leaves during semester breaks do not qualify.

Graduate students funded by external agencies are also subject to the guidelines established by the funding agency.

Reasonable progress toward degree and good academic standing are required to be approved for a paid leave of absence. In most instances, full-time registration is also required during the Parental Paid Leave of Absence. Requirements for full-time enrollment may be reduced with the approval of the appropriate advisor, departmental chair, graduate committee, the Graduate College, and other relevant entities (such as a funding agency.). Additionally, international students must check with their International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) and/or the Graduate College Director for International Student Services to ascertain that their visa status is maintained during the leave of absence.

Process

A Parental Paid Leave of Absence requires a completed Parental Paid Leave of Absence form, filed with the Graduate College in advance. The form can be found below. In addition, written notice should be provided to the immediate supervisor and/or advisor, or appropriate person within the department as far in advance as possible, and, whenever possible, prior to assignments being made for the semester or summer term of the proposed leave of absence.

For reimbursement consideration, a department/program must complete the Graduate Student Parental Paid Leave of Absence Reimbursement Form and file it with the Graduate College. 

Submit completed forms (Parental Paid Leave of Absence Form for Graduate Students and Graduate Student Parental Leave of Absence Reimbursement Form) to the 91探花 Graduate College in Grosvenor Hall 102. Links to both forms can be found below. For questions, please contact the Graduate College at 740.593.2800 or graduate@ohio.edu.

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