Parental Leave

Postdoctoral scholars and graduate students with a .50 FTE research or teaching assistantship (RA/TA) appointment who have completed at least one academic year's service are eligible for up to twelve weeks of paid parental leave for the birth or adoption of a child and will continue to receive their stipend and associated benefits (health insurance and tuition remission) during this twelve‐week period. If both parents are postdoctoral scholars or graduate students with a .50 FTE RA/TA appointment who have completed at least one academic year’s service, they may choose to split the leave between them(?). The department is responsible for funding these costs. The RA/TA must maintain a minimum enrollment of six credit hours during the term of paid leave. Any portion of the twelve-week period that falls outside the appointment term will reduce the amount of available paid parental leave on a pro‐rated basis.

The minimum 6 credit hours should be 792 research credit hours as you are not expected to attend class or work as a student during your leave. 

In an effort to allow students to return to the same academic status as before the pregnancy, accommodations and services for pregnant students are available through the Disability Resource Center.

Paid parental leave is available for the 12-week period immediately following the birth of a newborn or the adoption of a child. 

As graduate students are not eligible for the typical parental leave through ASU's HR that is available for benefits eligible employees (1.00 FTE), you must request your leave through the SOLS Graduate Office.

When a graduate student with a TA/RA appointment is expecting the birth of a child or the adoption of a child, they may request 12 weeks of paid leave starting from the date of birth or adoption. When you request your leave with the SOLS Graduate Office, we will first reach out to your faculty advisor to request they fund you on an RA stipend for the duration of those 12 weeks.

If your faculty advisor does not have the funds to support your parental leave, the SOLS Graduate Office will fund you on a TA stipend. 

Please contact PhD advisor Gillian Rodriguez or Amanda Vigil. 

In order to request parental leave, you will need to request the leave in Workday. You can access Workday in the Staff profile of your My ASU on the Home Page. 

  1. Navigate to your Workday profile under “Actions” and select "Time and Absence." Alternatively, you can access this by clicking

               "Menu" then "Requests"

               2. Select "Request Absence" and enter your leave dates (Workday will automatically account for the holidays if there are any).

               3. Select “Parental Leave, then “Parental Leave - Graduate TAs/RAs and Post Doc- Paid"

               4. Click "Next," enter your reason and location during leave, then click "Submit."

At this time please review any documents or complete any questionnaires it may prompt you.

Once the request is submitted it will be routed to your supervisor for approval and then sent to the central absence team.

In an effort to allow students to return to the same academic status as before the pregnancy, accommodations and services for pregnant students are available through the Disability Resource Center.

SOLS Graduate Programs also offers a Child Care Award that is offered every summer.