| Approved by: | The President | |
| History: | Issued -- October 4, 2024 | |
| Revised -- | ||
| Last Reviewed -- | ||
| Related Policies: | Breastfeeding Policy; Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy | |
| Additional References: | parenting.catholic.edu; FAQs | |
| Policy Owner: | Provost tel. (202) 319-5244 | |
| Contact Person: | Senior Vice Provost for Academic Administration and Dean of Graduate Studies, tel. (202) 319-5247 | |
Note - The Columbus School of Law applies their own policies and procedures. New parents who are law students should consult with the Deans of Students for first-year students and upper-division students.
I. Introduction
The Catholic University of America aims to be a place of “radical welcome for all,” including graduate students and their children. We aim to provide graduate students with the resources they need to pursue their studies while supporting their families. This policy is designed to provide graduate student parents with a variety of options to best support their needs and the needs of their newborn child, newly adopted child, new foster child, or child newly placed in their legal custody.
II. Definitions
A. Adoption means legally and permanently assuming the responsibility of raising a child as one's own.
B. Child means a child under the age of 12 months, or an individual under the age of 18 who is the newly adopted or foster care child who is newly placed in the legal custody of a parent.
C. Foster Care means 24-hour care for a child in substitution for, and away from, a parent or guardian. Such placement is made by or with the agreement of the State (or the District of Columbia) as a result of a voluntary agreement between the parent or guardian that the child be removed from the home, or pursuant to a judicial determination of the necessity for foster care, and involves agreement between the State (or District of Columbia) and foster family that the foster family will take care of the child. Although foster care may be with relatives of the child, State (or District of Columbia) action is involved in the removal of the child from parental custody.
D. Parent means a biological, adoptive, step or foster parent of a child, or an individual who stands in loco parentis to the child.
III. Eligibility
Any graduate student in good academic standing who is a parent of a newborn child or a child newly placed in the home through either adoption or foster care is eligible to take advantage of the options presented in this Policy.
No student may be denied a reduced workload/course load accommodations or academic leave if he or she meets the eligibility criteria. However, taking a reduced workload/course load accommodations or academic leave may affect a student’s graduate funding (including financial aid), immigration status, and/or healthcare coverage. (See FAQs.) The student has the primary responsibility to determine the best scenario for his/her needs and to understand the implications of the option(s) selected.
Any new parent is eligible for the “stop the clock” rule, as defined below, regardless of whether he or she seeks accommodations or takes academic leave upon the birth or placement of a child in the home.
IV. Options for New Parents
The policy gives new parents a variety of options to meet their needs:
Option #1: Full workload/course load.
In this scenario, the student must remain enrolled at the University (including by meeting any applicable financial responsibilities for tuition and fees). The student will continue to work for and study at the University in a normal capacity. A female student choosing Option 1 may still receive excused absences to recover from childbirth.
Option #2: Reduced workload/course load.
In this scenario, the student must remain enrolled at the University (including by meeting any applicable financial responsibilities for tuition and fees). The student will continue to work for and study at the University in a reduced capacity, including excused absences to recover from childbirth as described above.
Specific parameters should be determined by the student and the student’s school (and department where applicable), and schools/departments are encouraged to be as flexible as possible with students seeking these accommodations. All accommodations must be memorialized in writing by the student’s school (and department where applicable) prior to the accommodation period and submitted to the Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies for approval. An arrangement for a reduced course load and/or workload does not constitute academic leave.
Option #3: Academic leave.
In this scenario, the student is not enrolled at the University. As long as the student applies for academic leave prospectively (and so is never enrolled for the relevant term) or withdraws before that term’s add/drop deadline, the student incurs no tuition or fees. The student is relieved of all academic and work requirements for the duration of the leave. See Change of Enrollment, Interruption of Studies for more information.
Option #4: Term Withdrawal
In this scenario, the student withdraws from classes after the add/drop period. The student will receive a grade of "W" in every class in which they were enrolled, and are subject to the tuition refund schedule policy. See Change of Enrollment, Term Withdrawal for more information.
NOTE: Students on Term Withdrawal (Official or Unofficial) or Academic Leave will be reported to the National Student Clearinghouse as 'not enrolled' with an effective date as noted above. Recipients of Federal Student Loans will enter their loan grace period, and if they have previously used up their loan grace period, will immediately enter into loan repayment. "Official" means that the student notified the University; "unofficial" means that the student did not notify the University, but stopped attending all the courses in which they were enrolled.
V. Stop the Clock Rule
In addition to the options discussed above, all new parents are eligible for the “stop the clock” rule, defined as follows:
- Deadlines for official academic exams (e.g., comprehensives, language exams, etc.) and degree requirements (e.g., thesis, dissertation, etc.) are extended for one semester (i.e. fall or spring).
- Deadlines to complete coursework related to degree requirements are extended for one semester (i.e. fall or spring). The student may choose which semester to take the extension.
VI. Notification
If a student is seeking academic leave, a student is requested to notify his or her advisor, department chair (where applicable), and school dean of his or her intent to take academic leave at least 60 days prior to the expected date of childbirth, adoption, or foster care placement. Exceptions may be made for foster parents who receive less than 60 days notice prior to placement, though students are asked to notify their department as soon as possible. The Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies gives final approval to the request. Academic Leave/Withdrawal Online Request Form
If a student is seeking reduced workload and/or course load accommodations within his or her department, the student must provide notice at least 90 days prior to the expected date of childbirth or adoption. The department must memorialize all accommodations in writing and submit them 60 days prior to the student’s accommodation period to the Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies. Students are encouraged to discuss accommodations with his/her department as soon as possible.
VII. Anti-Discrimination
New parents are reminded that pregnancy discrimination is illegal. If you suspect that you have been discriminated against on the basis of pregnancy, contact the Chief Compliance Officer (cua-compliance@cua.edu).