Campus News

University System budget can’t support parental leave proposal, leaders say

A recommendation adopted Nov. 19 by ­University Council that faculty be provided eight weeks of paid parental leave is too expensive and will not be implemented, according to a statement issued Nov. 21 by the University System of Georgia.

The proposal represents an additional fiscal demand on the system budget, the statement said, and “our first budget priority remains salary increases for faculty and staff. While the University System respects the dialogue of the University Council, we cannot support this new proposal in the current budget climate.”

University Council also approved a change to the course withdrawal policy. The new policy, which will take effect this semester, removes the four-withdrawal limit and changes how withdrawals are graded.

Under the new policy, all withdrawals before the withdrawal deadline, which is two weeks after the midpoint of the semester, will receive a W grade. The new policy eliminates the “withdrawal pass,” or WP, and “withdrawal fail,” WF, grades. The WF grade was computed as an F in the student’s GPA.