MPA Person Leave Policy

The MPA Program recognizes that unforeseen life circumstances, as well as planned life events may occur during the course of a graduate career. This leave policy offers graduate students the opportunity to apply for family and medical leave from their academic requirements and other teaching and research responsibilities.

Eligibility

This policy applies to all matriculated graduate MPA students at the University of Utah. This includes students in both the Evening and Executive programs.

Policy

All eligible graduate students may take one, 12-week continuous block of approved leave as parental leave or to care for their own serious health condition or that of a family member per academic year (academic year is defined as Fall, Spring, Summer semesters). Intermittent leave periods (i.e. multiple leaves of less than 12 weeks) are not available under this policy.

The graduate student must complete a Leave of Absence form for the Registrar’s Office, and inform the MPA Program of their leave request. The graduate student must then re-enroll in the graduate program in the semester they specified they would return on the Leave of Absence form. Failure to re-enroll for the semester specified may result in the discontinuation of the student’s matriculated status. Discontinuation requires reapplying to Graduate Admissions. Students are required to meet U of U Graduate and MPA Program policies and current requirements in order to proceed in the program and graduate.

Additional Provisions and Benefits

  1. Enrollment is not required and there is no penalty for non-enrollment during the approved term of leave if the Leave of Absence form has been completed and submitted;
  2. Additional extensions to the Leave of Absence may be granted if the full 12-week period has not been exhausted and the leave is continuous;
  3. Graduate students holding a fellowship during a semester that leave has been requested must work with fellowship grantors to determine if the fellowship may be held.
  4. Graduate students working in teaching, research, or graduate assistantships must meet with MPA Program administration to determine continuation or discontinuation of their position.

Students who experience a medical condition associated with their pregnancy and need accommodations recommended by their medical provider should contact the University's Title IX Coordinator, who will work with the student, cognizant faculty, and administration to determine what accommodations are reasonable and effective.

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