Section 1. A GA may request in writing a personal leave of absence from their GA appointment for reasons including, but not limited to, illness or injury, immigration hearings, pregnancy, to care for a newborn or adopted child, or to care for an immediate family member (spouse/registered domestic partner, grandparent, sibling, aunt/uncle, child or parent of the GA, child or parent of the GA's spouse/registered domestic partner) with a serious health condition or for bereavement with respect to such immediate family members. It is the responsibility of the GA to contact the appropriate faculty member or other supervisor in advance of the leave unless circumstances make this impossible. Up to three days of such leave per semester may be taken by the GA as a matter of right.
Section 2. GAs may apply for leaves of absence pursuant to this article. Each GA shall be entitled to have up to three (3) days of such leave or leaves paid per semester. The remaining portion of leaves taken pursuant to this article shall be unpaid. For GAs on a 20 hour per week appointment, each day of paid leave shall be considered equivalent to four hours work. For GAs on appointments less than 20 hours per week, the daily hour's equivalent for purposes of this article shall be pro-rated.
The University may approve additional paid or unpaid leave in its sole discretion, subject to applicable law. If the leave is for twenty-one (21) or fewer consecutive calendar days, the GA will retain health insurance and tuition remission benefits.
Section 3. Upon written application to the University, a GA may request an extended leave of absence from their GA appointment in excess of twenty-one (21) consecutive calendar days, but in no event longer than the remainder of the current semester. The University may approve such leave in its sole discretion, subject to applicable law. If it grants such a leave, the University will determine whether the GA's stipend, health insurance and tuition remission will be extended for the portion of the approved leave exceeding twenty-one (21) calendar days.
Section 4. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of this article, a graduate assistant who gives birth will be granted a medical leave period of six (6) weeks directly following natural childbirth and eight (8) weeks directly following childbirth by caesarian section. Where the birthparent gives birth prior to the start of their GA appointment, their medical leave will be reduced by the number of days between the date the child was born and the start date of the GA’s appointment. The GA's stipend, health insurance support (where applicable) and tuition waiver will be maintained during such medical leave and during medically necessary leave prior to delivery that is supported by medical certification. If the GA has a subsequent appointment, the medical leave may be continued provided there is no break in service greater than six (6) weeks in the case of natural childbirth and eight (8) weeks in the case of childbirth by caesarian section. In such circumstances, the medical leave will be reduced by the number of days between the two appointments.
A GA who is the birth parent of a newborn or the non-birth parent of a newborn or adopted child will be granted a bonding leave of twenty-one (21) consecutive calendar days to care for the child, which must be completed by the child’s first birthday or for an adopted child, by one year from the date of adoption. The GA's stipend, health insurance support (where applicable) and tuition waiver will be maintained during such bonding leave.
Section 5. A GA will be granted a military leave of absence and jury duty leave in accordance with applicable laws and University policy.
Section 6. No leave of absence will be granted for a GA to engage in other employment.
Section 7. While nothing in the sections above concerning leaves from a GA appointment affects a graduate student's right, if any, to take leave from an academic program, the parties agree that taking leave from an academic program automatically constitutes relinquishment of any GA appointment held by the individual taking such a leave.
Section 8. The University shall grant a minimum of 5 business days per occurrence for bereavement due to death of a family member, as defined in Section 1. The University shall consider in good faith bereavement leave requests due to the death of persons not specified by Section 1. The University may require appropriate documentation from GAs requesting bereavement leave.
Section 2. GAs may apply for leaves of absence pursuant to this article. Each GA shall be entitled to have up to three (3) days of such leave or leaves paid per semester. The remaining portion of leaves taken pursuant to this article shall be unpaid. For GAs on a 20 hour per week appointment, each day of paid leave shall be considered equivalent to four hours work. For GAs on appointments less than 20 hours per week, the daily hour's equivalent for purposes of this article shall be pro-rated.
The University may approve additional paid or unpaid leave in its sole discretion, subject to applicable law. If the leave is for twenty-one (21) or fewer consecutive calendar days, the GA will retain health insurance and tuition remission benefits.
Section 3. Upon written application to the University, a GA may request an extended leave of absence from their GA appointment in excess of twenty-one (21) consecutive calendar days, but in no event longer than the remainder of the current semester. The University may approve such leave in its sole discretion, subject to applicable law. If it grants such a leave, the University will determine whether the GA's stipend, health insurance and tuition remission will be extended for the portion of the approved leave exceeding twenty-one (21) calendar days.
Section 4. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of this article, a graduate assistant who gives birth will be granted a medical leave period of six (6) weeks directly following natural childbirth and eight (8) weeks directly following childbirth by caesarian section. Where the birthparent gives birth prior to the start of their GA appointment, their medical leave will be reduced by the number of days between the date the child was born and the start date of the GA’s appointment. The GA's stipend, health insurance support (where applicable) and tuition waiver will be maintained during such medical leave and during medically necessary leave prior to delivery that is supported by medical certification. If the GA has a subsequent appointment, the medical leave may be continued provided there is no break in service greater than six (6) weeks in the case of natural childbirth and eight (8) weeks in the case of childbirth by caesarian section. In such circumstances, the medical leave will be reduced by the number of days between the two appointments.
A GA who is the birth parent of a newborn or the non-birth parent of a newborn or adopted child will be granted a bonding leave of twenty-one (21) consecutive calendar days to care for the child, which must be completed by the child’s first birthday or for an adopted child, by one year from the date of adoption. The GA's stipend, health insurance support (where applicable) and tuition waiver will be maintained during such bonding leave.
Section 5. A GA will be granted a military leave of absence and jury duty leave in accordance with applicable laws and University policy.
Section 6. No leave of absence will be granted for a GA to engage in other employment.
Section 7. While nothing in the sections above concerning leaves from a GA appointment affects a graduate student's right, if any, to take leave from an academic program, the parties agree that taking leave from an academic program automatically constitutes relinquishment of any GA appointment held by the individual taking such a leave.
Section 8. The University shall grant a minimum of 5 business days per occurrence for bereavement due to death of a family member, as defined in Section 1. The University shall consider in good faith bereavement leave requests due to the death of persons not specified by Section 1. The University may require appropriate documentation from GAs requesting bereavement leave.
