Effective Jan. 1, 2024, the provisions of the university’s parental leave policy run concurrently with the State of Colorado Family and Medical Leave Insurance Act (FAMLI) and the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). This means parental leave is not in addition to CSU’s FAMLI plan and FMLA.

POLICY OWNERS

This policy is jointly owned by the Dean of the Graduate School and the Vice President for Human Resources.

PURPOSE OF THIS POLICY

The purpose of this policy is to provide Parental Leave that supports Graduate Assistants’ ability to maintain a positive work-life integration by providing Parental Leave when enrolled in a Master’s or Ph.D. program. Colorado State University’s (CSU) FAMLI allows new parents to be eligible for up to 12 weeks of leave, which must be used, to the extent available, in one continuous block of time.
This policy streamlines CSU’s Graduate Assistants’ leave benefits, by clarifying how Parental Leave interacts with the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Act (FAMLI) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FML). CSU FAMLI (up to 12 weeks) is inclusive of Parental Leave (6 weeks) for employees who live and work in the state of Colorado and Parental Leave may not be used separately.

APPLICATION OF THIS POLICY

This policy applies to all Eligible Graduate Assistants (defined below). It does not apply to any other employment classification at CSU.

EXEMPTIONS FROM THIS POLICY

None.

DEFINITIONS USED IN THIS POLICY

Eligible Graduate Assistant: To be eligible for Parental Leave, a graduate assistant (Graduate Support Assistant, GSA; Graduate Teaching Assistant, GTA; Graduate Research Assistant, GRA) must meet three sets of criteria. These requirements may be met concurrently in one semester or in separate semesters.

• First, prior to the Leave, the Eligible Graduate Assistant must have been enrolled full-time (nine semester credits) with a minimum .25 FTE assistantship for at least one semester in a graduate degree program at CSU.
• Second, during the semester when the Leave is requested, the graduate assistant must be appointed with a minimum .25 FTE graduate assistantship and be enrolled in the minimum number of Resident Instruction credits required to hold an assistantship and be continuously enrolled in the same graduate degree program in which they met the full-time enrollment requirement. (Students eligible for Parental Leave as master’s students retain their eligibility if they enroll in the same or different Ph.D. degree program the following semester.)
• Third, Eligible Graduate Assistants must be in good academic standing and be making satisfactory progress toward completion of their degree. The Office of Engagement and Extension CSU Online credits do not meet the Resident Instruction enrollment criteria for this policy. Graduate Assistants who work and live outside of the State of Colorado are not eligible for CSU FAMLI.

Parent:  An Eligible Graduate Assistant who is the child’s biological Parent, Adoptive Parent, certified foster Parent, or guardian or a spouse, domestic Partner or civil union Partner of an Eligible Graduate Assistant who is a Parent, at the time that the leave period commences (and for as long as the leave is eligible to continue).  A graduate assistant becomes a Parent for purposes of this policy on the date of their child’s birth, placement for adoption or certified foster care.

Unit Head: The department head or chair, or administrative director of the unit in which the GA is employed or enrolled.

POLICY STATEMENT

Providing Parental Leave to an Eligible Graduate Assistant promotes enhanced work-life integration while pursuing a graduate degree at Colorado State University. It is the policy of the university to provide Parental Leave to Parents to support academic success and caring and bonding with a new child. Parents have the option of requesting leave from their academic requirements and their assistantship responsibilities for Parental Leave purposes. 

POLICY PROVISIONS

Use of Parental Leave

CSU FAMLI consists of up to twelve (12) weeks of leave for Parents, to be used for the purpose of caring for and bonding with the child. Parental Leave may be taken anytime within the first year of becoming a Parent in one consecutive block of time. If eligible, it runs concurrently with FAMLI and FML. FML is a federal leave program that provides job protection for an Eligible Graduate Assistant for up to 12 weeks of leave for qualifying events.

Parental Leave is not available during the period preceding the birth, placement for adoption or certified foster care, even if absences are due to the expected arrival. Graduate Assistants may use other types of accrued leave such as Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, or FML if eligible, for absences during such periods.

CSU FAMLI and Parental Leave are not available during any other period where the Eligible Graduate Assistant would not otherwise have been on regular, paid work status at the time that they become eligible for Parental Leave.

The following leave illustration describes how Parental Leave may be applied in conjunction with FAMLI and FML.

Parental leave will run concurrently to the extent the Eligible Graduate Assistant is eligible for FML and FAMLI:

• During the first 12 weeks of leave, Eligible Graduate Assistants must exhaust any available FAMLI benefits and/or FML and they may use Parental Leave pay to supplement FAMLI for up to six (6) weeks.
• During Parental Leave, the Eligible Graduate Assistant must be enrolled in the minimum number of credits required to hold a graduate assistantship. The Eligible Graduate Assistant is not considered to be on a leave of absence while continuously enrolled as a student paying tuition.

The timing of the Parental Leave with continued stipend and tuition support is required to coincide with the Eligible Graduate Assistant’s funding contract with the appropriate academic department or unit. The Eligible Graduate Assistant will be granted paid Parental Leave for up to six (6) weeks immediately following the date of their child’s birth, placement for adoption or certified foster care. The Parental Leave period does not extend past the end of the contract term (e.g. 12-month, 9-month or summer). If the birth or adoption occurs prior to the beginning of the contract term, any remainder of the six-week period that occurs during the next contract term may be taken. For Eligible Graduate Assistants eligible for CSU FAMLI, up to six (6) weeks of Parental Leave can be used to supplement the partial income provided by this program. Graduate Assistants who work and live outside of the State of Colorado are not eligible for CSU FAMLI.

Advance Notice, Work Plan and Approval

Prior notice of the intent to take Parental Leave must be given by the Eligible Graduate Assistant to their academic department head for after consulting with the student’s assistantship supervisor, major advisor, and program director (if applicable) at least 30 days in advance (unless such notice is impossible, in which case, then as soon as possible).

Eligible Graduate Assistants on Parental Leave will be released from their academic requirements and assistantship duties during the leave time. As such, one work plan will be developed to address the issues within each of the two respective areas. The department and unit, as appropriate, shall maintain the work plans in the student’s file. First, the Eligible Graduate Assistant and their instructors will develop an Academic Work Plan that covers the academic requirements and coursework expectations related to the credit(s) the Eligible Graduate Assistant is enrolled in. This work plan will include modified due dates for assignments as appropriate. The Academic Work Plan must be signed by the Eligible Graduate Assistant and the instructors and approved by the academic department head and kept as part of the student record in the department. Second, Assistantship Supervisors and the Eligible Graduate Assistant will develop an Assistantship Duties Work Plan to prearrange necessary adjustments in assistantship activities and responsibilities that will support the transition of assistantship duties to others. The Assistantship Duties Work Plan must be signed by the Eligible Graduate Assistant and the assistantship supervisor and approved by the unit head in which the Eligible Graduate Assistant holds the assistantship appointment and is kept as part of the student record in the unit. Work plans should be developed as far in advance as possible, to appropriately prepare for and approve leave.

Return to Work Expectations

After the end of the Parental Leave period, it is expected that the Eligible Graduate Assistant will return to normal assistantship duties and graduate studies to complete their degree program. CSU encourages faculty to be flexible in their expectations of new parents, so that the demands of graduate study may become balanced with new parental responsibilities. Good communication between the Graduate Assistants and their major advisors and assistantship supervisors will be required in order to assist the Graduate Assistants to ease back into their University activities.

International Students

Eligible Graduate Assistants who are studying at CSU on a visa should consult with the International Student & Scholar Services to talk about their plans for Parental Leave and to determine if these plans are permissible under their visas.

Application and Benefits

The application for CSU FAMLI and Parental Leave is located on the HR website. FAMLI is a self-funded private plan that pays partial income replacement in accordance with state mandated wage calculations for Colorado Eligible Employees paying the required FAMLI premium. Parental Leave is used to top off FAMLI partial income replacement for up to 6 weeks. FAMLI is subject to change at the discretion of the State of Colorado and details can be found on the HR website.

Only one Parental Leave benefit per Eligible Graduate Assistant is available per birth, adoption, or placement for foster care in a 12-month period. The number of children born, placed for adoption or certified foster care (e.g., multiple births (twins, triplets, etc.)) does not increase the amount of the FAMLI and Parental Leave benefit. If both Parents are Eligible Graduate Assistants, each is entitled to use their FAMLI and Parental Leave benefit for the same event.

Supervisors are responsible for timely reporting Parental Leave of an employee in accordance with the Leave Reporting Policy.

FAMLI and Parental Leave that was earned but not used is not eligible for payment upon separation or retirement

CONTACT

Questions or concerns regarding the Parental Leave Policy should be directed to the Dean of the Graduate School.
Administrative procedural questions related specifically to the Request for CSU FAMLI and/or Parental Leave should be directed to Human Resources. 

REFERENCES

• Adult Learner and Veteran Services: Student Parents
• Center for Couple and Family Therapy
• CSU Mental Health Services
• Childcare Resources
• Lactation rooms: Nursing Mothers who may need special arrangements should contact Facilities Management Planning

APPROVALS

Approved by Rick Miranda, Provost/Executive Vice President, July 2, 2016

Approved by Brendan Hanlon, Vice President for University Operations, on January 19, 2026