Eligibility
- Must be a full-time enrolled graduate student at any WSU campus location, anticipating the birth or adoption of a child.
- Students must maintain their full-time enrollment status during parental leave.
Steps to Apply for STPPL
- In collaboration with the faculty advisor/other mentors, develop an Academic Plan (see below for details).
- Complete the web-based Short-Term Pregnancy/Parental Leave Application.
- Download the completed PDF of the STPPL Application form. This form requires signatures of the student requesting leave, their committee chair, and their graduate program director.
- Attach the agreed-upon Academic Plan to the signed STPPL Application form and submit these documents to your academic coordinator for review and subsequent forwarding to the Graduate School through the GRM in myWSU.
- The Graduate School will notify the student and graduate program of the decision in writing.
- Faculty and other mentors must work with graduate students to create a written Parental Leave Academic Plan with fair and appropriate alternative arrangements.
- The plan must be approved by the student’s course instructors (if applicable) and the major advisor.
- Students should alert their chair or director of the graduate program, department, or school and faculty advisor as soon as they know of the need for leave to arrange necessary academic accommodations.
- Students should meet with their faculty advisor no less than ten weeks before the proposed leave start date to develop their academic work plan.
- The agreed-upon plan should be attached to the Short-Term Pregnancy/Parental Leave form for the Graduate School submission.
- Consult the Access Center for any medical issues requiring reasonable academic accommodation.
- Graduate assistants are not required to perform duties during leave but may maintain mutually agreed-upon involvement with their advisor.
- Short-Term Pregnancy/Parental leave does not cover medical situations or complications due to childbirth. Should the need arise, students should reference the Medical Leave procedures.
- For planned absences of an entire semester or more, graduate students should apply for an official Graduate Leave from their studies.
- For further information regarding extended leave, please refer to the Graduate School Policies and Procedures – Chapter 5.6.
- The Short-Term Pregnancy/Parental Leave plan provides eligible salaried ASEs up to six (6) consecutive weeks of paid leave for the period directly before or after the birth, or adoption of a child, or at a time otherwise approved by the ASE’s supervisor. In all cases, leave must be completed during the ASE’s appointment term and within the same academic year as the date of the birth or adoption of the child as specified in the WSU/UAW Contract (Article 30.2) and STPPL clarification.
- During this time, the ASE will continue to receive their assistantship salary, and their tuition waiver and health benefits will remain in place.
- Extended STPPL: Eligible ASEs may choose to extend their STPPL for an additional six (6) weeks by using any combination of available sick leave , vacation leave, or leave without pay (LWOP).
- ASEs are responsible for providing advanced notice to supervisors, and if requested, supporting documentation, of the need for pregnancy/parental leave in accordance with University processes.
- To apply: Follow the “Steps to Apply for STPPL” above.
- STPPL Guide