Stanford's policy a boon for moms

University Business, March, 2006 by Melissa Ezarik

A GRAD STUDENT'S PREGNANCY HAS TRAditionally resulted in being pushed out of the academic pipeline. Stanford University (Calif.), following MIT's lead, is the second major U.S. university to develop a policy to help new mothers maintain full-time, registered student status and then return to pre-pregnancy class work and program requirements.

Stanford's childbirth policy, implemented in January, was crafted by Gait A. Mahood, professor of Geological and Environmental Sciences. It states that all registered and matriculated female graduate students who are pregnant or have recently given birth:

* are eligible for up to two academic quarters of academic accommodation (i.e., postponing course assignments and exams)

* are eligible for full-time enrollment status (including access to health insurance and Stanford facilities/housing)

* will be granted a one-quarter extension of university and departmental requirements and academic milestones

In addition, those supported by fellowships, teaching assistantships, and/or research assistantships will be excused from their duties for six weeks--with pay.

"I think Stanford and MIT may very well be trend-setters here," says Barbara Taylor, associate vice chancellor for Human Resources at the University of Arkansas, and president-elect of CUPAHR, the College & University Professional Association for Human Resources. "It wasn't long ago that stopping the tenure clock for faculty who have babies was a revolutionary concept; now it's fairly commonplace."