Stanford starts a trend
In what I hope will be a trend-setting event, Stanford University has instituted a new policy for female graduate students who wish to have children while attending school.
The new childbirth policy has four components:
All female graduate students–including those in the professional schools–who are pregnant or have recently given birth and who are registered and matriculated:
- are eligible for an “academic accommodation period” of up to two academic quarters before and after the birth, during which the student may postpone course assignments, examinations and other academic requirements; and
- are eligible for full-time enrollment during this period and will retain access to Stanford facilities, Cardinal Care student health insurance and Stanford housing.
- Students also will be granted an automatic one-quarter extension of university and departmental requirements and academic milestones–with the possibility of up to three quarters by petition under unusual circumstances. (A Ph.D. qualifying exam is an example of an academic milestone.)
- In addition, female graduate students supported by fellowships, teaching assistantships, and/or research assistantships will be excused from their regular teaching or research duties for a period of six weeks during which they will continue to receive support.
Apparently, MIT has a childbirth policy on the books that was enacted in 2004. Princeton University has a childbirth policy that includes males and females who want to have children.
I applaud Stanford University for their policy.
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Wow, that’s awesome. Definitely something to think about when selecting a school.
barb
31 Jan 06 at 2:37 pm
This is excellent! I would hope they would include this benefit to students who are partners of the birth mother. I believe you said Princeton did, which is great.
Katye
1 Feb 06 at 1:35 pm
Katye brought up the exact point that I was thinking about as I read your post…is the same accommodation offered to fathers (or non-birthing parent)? Interesting.
Carolyn
3 Feb 06 at 11:23 am
It looks like paternity leave is on the books in a separate policy at Stanford. The policy does not include language that makes me believe that it is parallel in scope to the new female-oriented policy.
Eric Dwight
5 Feb 06 at 11:13 pm