Yale Bulletin and Calendar

April 20, 2007|Volume 35, Number 26

New policies offer academic relief to
Ph.D. students who are new parents

Yale has established new parental support and relief policies to assist full-time Ph.D. students in years one through six when they become parents, according to an announcement by Provost Andrew Hamilton.

The new policies will be funded by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and will take effect July 1.

"New parenthood at the birth or adoption of a child substantially affects the ability of doctoral students to meet academic and professional obligations," wrote Hamilton in a letter to the Yale community. "The constraints introduced by becoming a parent while enrolled in a Ph.D. program also have long-term career effects." In recognition of this fact, he added, the new policies seek to "support the intersecting personal and professional lives of graduate students at Yale."

Under the new policies, Ph.D. students who wish to suspend their academic responsibilities because of the birth or adoption of a child may request parental support and relief during that semester or the one following. For the whole of the designated semester, students will remain registered, will receive the full financial aid package as specified in their letter of admission and will have departmental academic expectations modified to suit their specific situation. The nature of these expectations will be determined by a consultation between the students, their advisers and the Graduate School, with the understanding that students are entitled to full relief for at least an eight-week period.

While this period of relief from academic responsibilities is not considered a leave, Ph.D. students who have used the parental support and relief policy may receive an additional eight weeks of stipend funded by the Graduate School at the end of the fifth year. In addition, the students' academic clock will stop for one semester, which will effectively add an additional semester of time toward their degree at the end of what otherwise would have been their sixth year.

The parental support and relief policy will be administered by the associate deans of the Graduate School. Students should contact the appropriate associate dean four months prior to the anticipated start of the relief.

Graduate students in terminal M.A./M.S. programs who wish to suspend their academic responsibilities because of the birth or adoption of a child should meet with their associate dean, who will help accommodate the students' program responsibilities when the birth or adoption occurs.

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