Graduate students are responsible for resolving all issues pertaining to their support (assistantship, fellowship, etc.) with their advisors before taking any approved leave of absence. Issues may include the date when support will be terminated and under what conditions students may be reinstated.
Notifying administrators
A student with a graduate assistantship who is unable to fulfill the duties of an appointment because of illness or injury or because of a birth or adoption must notify the unit administrator as soon as possible. If the student’s assistantship is funded by an external grant (e.g., NSF, NIH), the funding agency may have policies that must be followed regarding a leave.
Assessing the duration and nature of the leave
The appointing unit may adjust the assistantship responsibilities as the student’s circumstances reasonably dictate. If total absence from duties is necessary but the student is still enrolled, the major unit will hold the appointment for a period of two months, until the end of the appointment period or until the end of the semester, whichever occurs first.
The student has the right to return to the assistantship within two months, and according to the responsibilities dictated in original terms of the appointment, when able to resume duties.
Re-entry process
Before the completion of the leave of absence, the student must notify the academic program’s director of graduate studies (DGS) and the Graduate School so that the re-entry process can be initiated.