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Suspension of Responsibilities for Childbirth

Ph.D. students in the Arts and Sciences who give birth in their fellowship years are allowed a six-week period in which the regular responsibilities associated with their doctoral program are suspended for pregnancy and birth. Responsibilities that may be suspended include class attendance, course assignments, exams, and other academic requirements as well as research and other work in laboratories. A Teaching Fellow's teaching responsibilities may be suspended for the entire semester depending on the extent of her responsibilities and the point of time in the semester when the suspension is to take place. Decisions concerning length of suspension of teaching responsibilities are made on a case-by-case basis. Non-teaching responsibilities for Teaching Fellows also are suspended for six weeks.
During this period of suspension of responsibilities, full-time student status is preserved and the stipend for a Columbia fellowship, student health insurance, and housing eligibility are retained. The policy does not affect a student's ability to request a leave of absence to begin after the six-week period has ended.

Students funded on an external fellowship or other non-Columbia awards must inform the external award agency if they are not able to maintain compliance with the guidelines for the external award or fellowship. Where the external award agency has a policy of its own, those guidelines will supersede this policy.

Students who are pregnant should meet with their advisors as soon as possible to plan for time off. So that appropriate arrangements can be made, students are strongly encouraged to submit the Suspension of Responsibilities for Childbirth form to 109 Low Library no later than four months before the pregnancy due date. Arrangements for replacements for necessary responsibilities such as teaching and research are made between the department or program and the student.

Students who have been granted a suspension of responsibilities for childbirth may take an extra semester for completion of the requirements for the M.A., M.Phil., or Ph.D. degrees. Eligibility for Teaching Fellowships and other awards are also extended for a semester. Students should communicate with their department their revised timeline for completion of degree.

Note: This policy does not preclude additional time and alternative arrangements that the advisor and department or program makes with the student.  Departments or programs may not, however, offer an alternative period of suspension of responsibilities that is shorter than the period described in this policy.

Suspension of Responsibilities for Non-Fellowship Students

Ph.D. students in Arts and Sciences programs in their sixth and seventh years who are not on fellowship are eligible to have regular responsibilities associated with their Ph.D. program suspended for pregnancy, birth, and/or care of a newborn. Responsibilities that may be suspended include class attendance (if applicable), dissertation progress, and other academic requirements. Students using this policy may take an extra semester for completion of the Ph.D. degree. Eligibility for Teaching Fellowships and other awards are also extended for a semester.
Students are strongly encouraged to submit the Suspension of Responsibilities for Childbirth form to 109 Low Library no later than four months before the pregnancy due date, indicating on the form their non-funded status. This policy does not apply to students beyond their seventh year of doctoral study.


Information about child care and schooling resources and back-up care available to Ph.D. students is available through the  Office of Work/Life.