Fellowships for Parental Leave for Graduate Assistants

Wed, 02 Dec 2015 13:19:25 -0500

In recognition of the challenges of balancing the demands of a graduate assistantship and parenting a new child, UMBC offers Fellowships for Parental Leave to improve the environment for new parents who are Graduate Assistants (GAs). Any GA is eligible to receive a Fellowship for: (1) the birth of a child; (2) the recent adoption of a child under the age of six; or (3) the assumption of other parenting responsibilities (e.g., foster parenting, legal guardianship) of a child under the age of six. Except for birth mothers as described below, the period of the Fellowship is six weeks. During the Fellowship period, the GA retains his or her full stipend and benefits, provides no service to the University, and maintains enrollment as a full-time (9 credits) student in fall and spring semesters.

The University recognizes the need of birth mothers to respond to or to recover from the effects of pregnancy and/or the delivery of a child. If a birth mother believes that she requires a Fellowship period of more than six weeks, she must obtain a letter from her physician or other licensed health-care professional that provides (1) the nature of the need; (2) a statement that the GA cannot return to her duties for health reasons arising from the pregnancy and/or delivery; and (3) the duration of required absence beyond the initial six weeks.

In all instances, the GA should discuss his or her Fellowship plans with his or her GPD and/or supervisor as soon as possible to allow for maximum collegial support. All Fellowship requests must be approved by the Associate Dean of the Graduate School and the GA’s supervisor. Upon request, the Graduate School will reimburse the cost of the GA’s stipend to the supporting department. The form by which to request a Fellowship is located on the Graduate School's website under "GA Forms."

The Graduate School recommends that international students consult in advance with the Office of International Education Services before their period of parental leave.

The substance of the above text will be included in the next version of the Graduate Assistant Handbook as a replacement for "Maternity Leave."

**This is a cross-post from the Career Life Balance at UMBC page**