G9.7 TA Leaves of Absence for One Semester or More

Written requests for leaves of absence must be submitted to the Graduate Studies Committee within the first two weeks of a given semester prior to the semester for which the leave is requested. Requests received later may not be considered in time. Such a request should stipulate  clearly the reasons for the leave and be accompanied by a memo from the student’s advisor indicating their awareness of the request.

The department reserves the right to grant no more than three such leaves not explicitly covered under the terms of the agreement between the State of Wisconsin and Teaching Assistants’ Association currently in force. Such leaves will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis in any given semester.

The Graduate Studies Committee may not be able to consider leave requests received after the first two weeks of the semester. […] Many aspects of TA employment, including some types of leave, are regulated not by the department, but by the provisions of the Agreement between the State of Wisconsin and the Teaching Assistants Association. TAs who have questions about the Agreement, or about the grievance procedure for TAs, should consult the graduate program assistant about where to direct them.

Any leaves of absence granted will be deducted from the TA’s period of guaranteed support. Such a reduction is consonant with the provisions set forth by UW-Madison Human Resources on their web page “Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures”. Employees on an unpaid leave of absence may return to work prior to the expiration of the leave only upon receiving the express approval of their immediate supervisor and the chair/director of the appointing Department and Dean/Director. Such leaves shall not extend the duration of an Employee’s appointment.

https://hr.wisc.edu/policies/gapp/

Exceptions shall be made in the case of TAs who will continue as full-time graduate students in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese during the semester(s) in which leave is taken. Other exceptions may be made on an ad hoc basis when the department considers the circumstances of the request.

TAs returning from a leave of absence must inform the department in writing within two weeks of the beginning of the semester prior to the semester of their return to active status in the department. Failure to abide by these deadlines will automatically deny students a guaranteed slot for the semester in question.