Academic Policies

The policies and regulations of the graduate program or department, the Graduate College, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the Board of Regents are subject to review and change. The Graduate College website contains up-to-date information on policies, procedures, deadlines, forms, and special programs and services.  The Office of Student Conduct handles issue and questions related to the UNLV Student Conduct Code.

It is the responsibility of students to know and observe all regulations and procedures related to their graduate program, the Graduate College, the Nevada System of Higher Education, and UNLV. In no case will any regulations be waived or an exception granted based on a plea of ignorance, or contention that the graduate program, Graduate College, or university did not specifically and individually inform a student of the regulations or procedures. Questions regarding graduate-level study, graduate student policies, rights, responsibilities, and/or regulations and their interpretation should be addressed to the Graduate College.

Graduate students are also expected to comport themselves professionally and conform to the ethics, guidelines, policies, and standards of their discipline. Finally, graduate students must abide by the laws of the State of Nevada and the United States of America.

Policies & Procedures 

Academic Integrity
Credit Requirements
Grade Point Average
Continuous Enrollment
Six-Year and Eight-Year Policy
Records Retention
Leave of Absence
Probation and Separation
Administrative Drops and Classroom Conduct
Change of Address
Appeals and Procedures
Waiver_of_Regulations
Policies and Procedures on the Protection of Research Subjects
UNLV Student Computer Use Policy
Mandatory Graduate and Professional Student Health Insurance
UNLV Graduate Assistant Parental Leave Program
Student Use of Hazardous Materials

Academic Integrity

All members of the UNLV community are dedicated to learning. The university and the Graduate College expect nothing less than a high level of scholarly integrity and academic honesty on the part of students, faculty, staff, and administrators.

Quality academic work requires honesty. The UNLV faculty and administration regard any attempt by a student to present as his or her own work that which he or she has not solely produced as a serious offense. Students are considered to have cheated, for example, if they copy the work of another; use unauthorized notes or other aids during an examination; turn in a paper or an assignment written, in whole or in part, by someone else as their own. Students are guilty of plagiarism, intentional or not, if they copy material from books, magazines, or other sources without identifying and acknowledging the sources, or if they paraphrase ideas from such sources without acknowledging them. Students guilty of, or assisting others in, either cheating or plagiarism on an assignment, quiz, examination, or other scholarly endeavor may receive a grade of ‘F’ for the course involved, and may be suspended or removed from the program.

Additionally, UNLV has established policies regarding research misconduct among students, faculty and staff. Research misconduct pertains to commission of any of the following acts: falsification of data, improper assignment of authorship, claiming another person’s work as one’s own, unprofessional manipulation of experiments or of research procedures, or misappropriation of research funds. (Adapted from the 1994¬-95 Graduate Catalog Northern Illinois University).

All conduct code violations are handled by the Office of Student Conduct; academic appeals and requests for waivers of Graduate College policies are handled through the Graduate College. If a faculty member suspects that a graduate student may have committed academic dishonesty, or that s/he is otherwise in violation of the UNLV Student Conduct Code, the faculty member or administrator must contact the Office of Student Conduct to discuss the possibility of disciplinary review under procedures described in the Nevada System of Higher Education document Rules and Disciplinary Procedures for Members of the University Community. Academic penalties for academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to: assigning the graduate student a failing grade for the corresponding segment of the course or for the entire course; requiring the student to rewrite the corresponding sections of his/her research paper, professional paper, thesis or dissertation, or the document in full; failing the student on the exam in question; or recommending that the student is separated from her/his graduate program. Further disciplinary sanction options described in the Code include warning, probation, suspension, and expulsion or revocation of a degree if a degree has been previously awarded. The Office of Student Conduct’s final decision will be relayed to the student, their department, and the Graduate College. Please visit the Appeals and Procedures section for further information about Graduate College academic appeal guidelines and procedures.

If a graduate student fails to maintain the standards of academic or professional integrity expected as defined in writing by their discipline or program, the student’s admission status in his or her program will be terminated. If any member of the university community is deemed guilty of academic dishonesty, action may be brought under  T2-CH 6 of the Board of Regents Handbook. In addition, students who violate these standards will be subject to conduct sanctions, in accordance with the UNLV Student Conduct Code and Policies, in order to promote their own personal development, to protect the university community, and to maintain order and stability on campus.

Credit Requirements  

Residence Credit Requirement

Resident credit means any graduate course that is satisfactorily completed at UNLV. Approved online study through UNLV or enrollment in another institution within the Nevada System of Higher Education does not constitute an interruption of resident credit.

A minimum of 2/3 of the total credits required to complete the master’s, specialist, or doctoral degree, not including thesis, dissertation, or professional paper credits, must be earned at UNLV after admission to a graduate degree program.

Graduate Credit

All courses numbered 500-799 are considered graduate-level.

• 500 level classes are generally seen as remedial graduate courses, and they may also be used for non-degree, non-credit bearing courses; these may be cross-listed with 300 or 400 level undergraduate courses, with appropriate curricular review and approval
• 600 level classes are generally seen as lower level graduate coursework, and/or masters level course work; these may be cross-listed with 400 level undergraduate courses, with appropriate curricular review and approval
• 700 level classes are generally seen as advanced graduate coursework, and/or doctoral level course work; they may not be cross-listed with undergraduate courses

Note: Any graduate courses that are approved to be cross-listed with an undergraduate section must have more advanced learning outcomes and additional requirements for students who enroll as graduate students.

To determine which graduate-level courses will apply to a specific degree, the student must have them approved by his/her graduate department and the Graduate College. Prior to approval, there is no guarantee that a course will apply toward the degree. To be considered a graduate-level course, the instructor must be a member of the Graduate Faculty. The Graduate College requires a minimum of 50 percent of the degree program semester hours are 700-level courses excluding thesis, dissertation, or professional/scholarly paper. Individual departments may require more than the Graduate College minimum.

Credit Toward Degree

Courses used to fulfill requirements for one degree generally may not be used toward another degree. No more than three credits of a student’s degree program may consist of UNLV workshop, institute, and conference credits, and the student must have received a grade for these credits.

A course in which a grade of less than C was received will not be considered for use toward the degree. Departments may impose a higher grade standard. Experimental, experiential (life and work experiences), correspondence, and audited courses may not be applied toward the degree. In addition, courses numbered in the 100-499 series cannot be used for graduate credit.

Credit may be used toward the graduate degree for courses taken while an undergraduate at UNLV only if the course was reserved for graduate credit. See the Admissions section for this information.

Transfer Credit Policy

Not more than one-third of a student’s degree program (not including the thesis, dissertation, or professional/scholarly paper) may be transferred from another university at the time admission is granted, or subsequent to admission. For UNLV Non-Degree graduate students, a maximum of 15 graduate credits taken at UNLV may be applied toward a graduate degree program.

Once admitted to an advanced degree program, students must obtain prior written consent of the department and the Graduate Dean, by way of a Transfer Credit Request Form, to take course work elsewhere and use it in their UNLV graduate degree program.

The department chair, the graduate coordinator, the academic dean responsible for approving the student’s degree program, and the Graduate Dean, must approve all graduate transfer credits. To be considered for use:

1. The work must have been taken at an appropriately accredited institution;
2. The course must be graded (it may not be pass/fail or S/U or S/F);
3. The work must have been completed with a grade of B or higher (B- is not acceptable);
4. Official transcripts covering the work must be sent directly from the issuing institution to the Graduate College; and
5. The work must be posted to the student’s permanent academic record;
6. The course must be comparable in content, substance, and rigor to the coursework it is replacing in the student’s UNLV graduate degree program;
7. Work that is used to fulfill requirements for another degree may not be used toward another degree.

Transfer credit is approved only when evidence exists that the work is certifiably graduate-level. The age of the transfer work under consideration, or the year taken, may also be a factor in the decision as to whether or not the coursework is admissible into a graduate student’s UNLV degree program. The student is responsible for providing evidence and documentation as required.

Definition of Full and Part-Time Students

Graduate students enrolled in 9 or more credits are considered full-time. Graduate students enrolled in 8 or fewer credits are considered part time students; this excludes Graduate Assistants who are considered full time students when enrolled in 6 or more credits. For the purposes of Veterans, we consider graduate students enrolled in 5 credits half time.

Limitation on Credit Load

The University considers a graduate student taking nine credits per semester as full-time (six credit hours if the student is a graduate assistant). Please note that the number of credits enrolled impacts financial aid. Contact the office of Financial Aid and Scholarships  for further information.

 Graduate students normally may not take more than 12 credit hours (10 if a graduate assistant) during the fall and spring terms. They may take no more than six credit hours in a single five-week Summer Term and earn no more than a total of 12 credits during the Summer Term (pre, post, and regular five-week sessions combined). Overload authorization forms are available on the Graduate College forms website. Petitions must be approved by the Graduate Dean prior to registration

Grade Point Average

A candidate for an advanced degree must have a minimum Graduate Program Grade Point Average of 3.00 to be eligible to graduate. The Graduate Program GPA, computed by the Graduate College, includes all completed graduate course work accepted at admission and all subsequently approved course work that is being applied toward a degree. Please note that the Graduate Program GPA does not appear on a student’s transcript; a student’s Cumulative Graduate GPA is posted on her/his transcript and is calculated from all graduate level course work ever taken at UNLV.

The following symbols are used in reporting and recording graduate student grades:
 

Note: Faculty members have the option of using plus (+) and minus (-) for grades of A, B, C, and D. Exception: A+ grades are not given. Please also note that at the graduate level, grades below a B are generally considered unacceptable. Graduate students must have a 3.0 GPA in order to qualify for graduation.

I or Incomplete Grade
The following regulations apply to the ‘I’ or Incomplete grade:

1. The ‘I’ grade is used for content/lecture type courses (not thesis, dissertation, or professional paper credits) designed to be completed within one year in instances where the student has completed the majority of the semester course work, but is unable to complete all of the requirements with good cause. The professor is responsible for determining if the reason for non-completion is satisfactory, if an Incomplete grade is appropriate, and the terms of the Incomplete, including what the student needs to do to successfully complete the course requirements and earn a final grade.
2. An ‘I’ may only be given when a minor part of the course work remains incomplete, and the majority of the coursework has been completed with a cumulative average of ‘B’ or better.
3. Graduate students receiving an ‘I’ grade in 500, 600- or 700 level courses have one calendar year to complete all course requirements and remove the ‘I’ grade; however, the instructor may require that it be made up in less time. If course requirements are not completed within one year, the Registrar’s Office will automatically record a grade of ‘F’. Note that graduate students taking an “I” in an undergraduate class must complete the coursework within one semester or the “I” will default to an “F.”

S or F (Satisfactory or Failing) Grades
The Satisfactory (S) or Failing (F) mark is used upon completion of the thesis, dissertation, professional paper or for noncredit or satisfactory/fail courses. Grade-point values are not assigned for S. Many graduate and professional schools may not accept satisfactory/fail credits, or accept them only if accompanied by written evaluations of the work accomplished in such courses that bear upon the field of specialization. Additional evidence such as GRE or other advanced test results may also be required. UNLV does not accept graduate courses graded satisfactory/fail for use in a degree program except for thesis, dissertation, or professional paper credits.

Grading Policy
All instructors are required to follow the “Minimum Criteria for Syllabi” established by the Faculty Senate and the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost (see http://www.unlv.edu/sites/default/files/24/Provost-SYLLABI-CONTENT-EVPP-Spring2014.pdf). Included in the criteria is the “relative weight of assignments or description of rubric to be used in calculating semester grades.” As such, instructors may not grade students according to any other rubric or criteria that are not contained in the syllabus.

Continuous Enrollment

After admission to a graduate program, students must register for and complete a minimum of six hours of graduate credits in each rolling three semesters (including summer). Students working on a thesis or dissertation must register for three graduate credits each semester (excluding summer) until the document has been completed and has been given final approval. Students who have not registered for academic work within three rolling semesters (fall-spring-summer, spring-summer-fall, summer-fall-spring) will be separated from their program and must reapply for admission should they wish to continue. Exceptions to the above policy, as with a request for a leave of absence, are made only with the approval of the student’s advisor, graduate coordinator, department chair, academic dean, and the Graduate Dean. Any student using the services of the academic staff or university facilities must be registered for the period during which the services are rendered or the facilities are used. Students must be registered in a minimum of 3 graduate credits during the semester they intend to graduate and/or take final, comprehensive, preliminary, examinations, defend a thesis or dissertation.

Six-Year and Eight-Year Policy

Master’s Degree Students: Masters degrees are designed to be 1-3 year courses of study. All master’s degree requirements must be completed within six years. Course work completed more than six calendar years before the term in which all degree requirements are met may not be used in the degree program.

Doctoral Degree Students: Doctoral programs are generally 3-6 year courses of study. A student beginning a doctoral degree program and holding a master’s degree in an appropriate field of study must complete all doctoral degree program requirements within six years. A student beginning a doctoral degree program without a master’s degree (post-bachelors to doctoral track) must complete all requirements for the degree within eight years.

In special circumstances, the student’s faculty advisory committee may recommend that the Graduate Dean extend these degree time limits. Each department may establish shorter periods of time to completion, contingent upon the approval of the Graduate Dean and inclusion in the appropriate degree program section of this catalog.

Students violating the six-year and eight-year policy, and/or the continuous enrollment policy, are no longer automatically eligible to complete their program under the requirements in place at the time of admission. This decision is left to the discretion of the department. Students are considered to be making satisfactory progress toward the degree as long as they are successfully completing six hours of graduate degree program credits per rolling three semesters (including summer), meeting their graduate program milestones, fulfilling degree requirements, progressing toward completion, and submitting all required paperwork in a timely manner. Students not meeting any of these requirements will be separated from the Graduate College.

Records Retention

Electronic and paper student records must be securely maintained and FERPA protected for a minimum of 3 years post-graduation, or after the formal withdrawal or separation of a student from her/his graduate program. 

• Permanent academic records in the form of a transcript are retained indefinitely.
• Applications for admission, transcripts from other institutions and military service records, for matriculated students, are retained for at least seven years after last attendance.
• Change of name forms are retained for one year.
• Admission materials for nonmatriculated students and/or students denied admission are retained for at least seven years.

Retention of Records by Faculty: All instructors are encouraged to retain records of completed course work and grades for a period of one calendar year from the date of the last day of the term/semester. Part-time, relocating, and retiring instructors should provide these materials to their respective departments.

Transcripts: Current students may access their unofficial transcript in their MyUNLV Student Center. Official transcripts are copies of student academic records of all work attempted at UNLV and bear the seal of the university and a signature. Official transcripts may be requested via the online system. Transcripts of work from other institutions will not be issued.

Leave of Absence

When necessary, a student may request approval for a leave of absence from a degree program. During the leave of absence, the student should remain in contact with the department about their return plans. If a student does not return by the end of her/his approved LOA, s/he must apply for an additional LOA using the form above or s/he will be separated from his/her graduate program. One year is the standard leave period; two years is the maximum allowable leave. Note that all degree requirements must be completed within the six- and/or eight-year degree completion policy as outlined above, regardless of an approved leave of absence. 

Probation and Separation

A student will be dismissed/separated from a graduate program for receiving two or more class grades of C+ or less or failure to progress in one’s graduate program (as indicated by one or more of the following conditions: failure of required degree program exams, failure to submit required paperwork in a timely manner, failure to meet with advisor or advisory committee as required, failure to successfully complete required classes, failure to successfully defend a thesis or dissertation prospectus, or failure to meet published degree requirements or milestones as listed in this Graduate Catalog). Graduate students will also be separated for failure to meet UNLV continuous enrollment requirements and for inappropriate or unethical conduct as reflected in the UNLV Student Conduct code and adjudicated by the UNLV Student Conduct board review process.

For the purposes of evaluating student progression, UNLV considers student performance in individual graduate classes, timely and successful completion of required milestones,  as well as degree GPA. Degree GPA is distinct from overall Graduate GPA insofar as it only includes those courses that are necessary to meet a student’s current degree program requirements as published in the Graduate Catalog at the time of their admission or at the time of their graduation.  The Graduate GPA included on UNLV Transcript is cumulative and includes all graduate and professional coursework ever taken at UNLV; as such, it is not necessarily an indicator or a student’s degree GPA.

A student will be placed on probation, and then dismissed/separated from their program for failing to successfully meet the conditions of their probation by the deadline provided, if they fail to successfully progress in their degree program. Successful degree program progression is indicated by:

• failure to earn a minimum degree GPA of 3.0;
• unsatisfactory grades (including more than two incompletes, grades C or less, or repeated withdrawals from courses required for the degree program);
• failure to complete six (6) graduate credits per rolling three semesters (including summer) toward their program in order to meet UNLV enrollment requirements;
• failure to consult with their advisor when requested;
• failure to establish a graduate advisory committee when required;
• failure to consult with graduate advisory committee when requested;
• failure to develop and submit an official, approved degree program;
• failure to establish the groundwork for an acceptable thesis or dissertation, and successfully defend the prospectus;
• failure of required comprehensive and/or qualifying examinations;
• failure to meet a department milestone or to pass the culminating experience;  and
• failure to successfully defend a thesis or dissertation.
• failure to meet approved requirements in their Department’s Graduate Handbooks

The full Student Program Dismissal Procedures for the Graduate College can be found on the Graduate College Website.

A UNLV graduate student who has been separated for academic reasons is not eligible for admission or re-entry. The student must petition the Graduate College to be considered for academic reinstatement.  

Administrative Drops and Classroom Conduct

Failure to attend a course or to submit required work will result in a grade of F. The student who neglects a course is solely responsible for dropping the course or withdrawing from the university. However, an administrative drop may be initiated at the discretion of the instructor, who will record the circumstances. The approvals of the academic unit chair/director, and the dean of the college offering the course, are required

Students have a responsibility to conduct themselves in class and in the libraries in ways that do not interfere with the right of other students to learn or of instructors to teach. Use of electronic devices such as cellular phones, or recording devices, or other potentially disruptive activities, is permitted only with prior explicit consent of the instructor. The instructor may rescind permission anytime during the course. If a student does not comply with requirements, or obstructs the functioning of the class, the instructor may initiate an administrative drop

Serious cases of misconduct, as defined by the Rules and Disciplinary Procedures for Members of the University Community or the UNLV Student Conduct Code, will be referred to the appropriate administrative officer for action. 

Change of Address and Use of Rebel Mail

A change of address must be changed by the student through his or her MyUNLV account. Any correspondence from the university mailed to the last address provided by the student to the Registrar and Graduate College will discharge all university responsibility for notification. Graduate students are required to set-up, use, and monitor their UNLV Rebel Mail email accounts. MyUNLV and Rebel Mail are the primary ways in which the Graduate College and other campus offices communicate important information to students. Any student wishing to email the Graduate College or any university staff must do so from a UNLV email account. In accordance with FERPA regulations, the Graduate College will not respond to student emails from non-UNLV accounts. 

Appeals and Procedures

Graduate academic appeals are used to request reconsideration a remedy from alleged unfair or inappropriate academic practice, or relief or waiver from a UNLV and/or Graduate College policy or requirement. Appeals must be filed with the Graduate College Office within 60 calendar days from the last day of the term/semester in which the issue being appealed arose. Each appeal is reviewed individually and a decision will be based on the merits and documentation provided.

For normal grade changes: the Registrar’s Office must receive notification to change a grade due to clerical error within 60 calendar days from the last day of the term/semester. For grade changes after this deadline, please submit a complete and signed Graduate College academic appeal.

When submitting an academic appeal, it is the student’s responsibility to provide a clear and concisely written statement explaining the reason for the appeal and the remedy being requested. The student must also provide all relevant documentation that s/he wishes to be reviewed and considered in the appeal decision. Academic appeals must include:

1. UNLV Graduate College Appeal Form as a cover sheet
2. Written Statement of Appeal addressed to the appropriate UNLV administrator
3. Relevant documentation and support. For example, documents may include medical records, work verification, police reports, death certificates, airline receipts, letters from professors on university     letterhead, transcripts, etc. If the issue is not resolved between the student and course instructor, a written appeal should first be directed to the Graduate Coordinator of the department in question. If the problem remains unresolved to the student’s satisfaction, appeals must be directed in progressive order to the Department Graduate Coordinator, Department Chair, College Dean, then subsequently to the Graduate Dean. The Graduate Dean may act to resolve the problem or request the Graduate College Committee on Faculty and Student Issues to review the problem and make its recommendation to the Graduate Dean. The Graduate Dean will inform the student of the final decision.
4. Appropriate signatures, with optional rejoiners and relevant documentation attached, must be included on the Appeal. An academic appeal must be directed in progressive order to the Department Graduate Coordinator, Department Chair, College Dean, then subsequently to the Graduate Dean. Note that advisors and departments may have varying methods of processing appeals. Contact your department for specific policies and procedures. The Graduate Dean may render a decision, act to resolve the problem, or request that the Graduate College Appeals and Legal Issues Committee (which does not convene in summer) review the appeal and make a recommendation to the Graduate Dean. The Graduate Dean will render the final decision and move to inform the student in a timely manner. Generally, graduate academic appeals take from two weeks to several months to resolve, depending on the nature and complexity of the appeal.

Appeals regarding financial issues (e.g., tuition refund, tuition waiver, student fees, late fees, etc.) must be submitted separately to the UNLV Student Accounts Office, using their Tuition & Fee Appeal Form. If an appeal involves both an academic and financial issue, the student should submit an academic appeal first to the Graduate College and wait for a decision before commencing with the financial appeal to the Student Accounts Office. For further information concerning the financial appeal process please refer to Cashering and Student Accounts. 

Waiver of Regulations

The Graduate Dean will consider a student’s written request for waiver of a regulation upon a written recommendation from the student’s department and committee chair. The regulation in question must be specified and the reason for the exception clearly stated. The Graduate Dean will notify both the student and the department of the decision. 

Policies and Procedures on the Protection of Research Subjects

Human Subjects: Graduate students conducting research must adhere to UNLV policies and procedures regarding the use of human subjects. All research projects in which human subjects are involved must be reviewed and approved under the authority of the UNLV Institutional Review Board (IRB), which consists of two committees - Biomedical Sciences Committee and Social and Behavioral Sciences Committee. The IRB is responsible for the development and monitoring of university policy and procedures involving the use of human subjects in research.

The provision for the protection of human subjects in research applies to all studies in all locations, whether funded or unfunded, and whether conducted by faculty, students, or staff. It also applies to persons unaffiliated with UNLV, who wish to investigate subjects under the protection of the university. Students should contact the Office of Sponsored Programs to obtain appropriate forms and further information.

Animal Subjects: It is university policy that: 1) the proper care and management of laboratory animals is essential to the welfare of the animals, to the validity of research data, and to the health and safety of those caring for or using animals; and 2) the university will comply with federal and state regulations regarding animal welfare.

All animal protocols involving vertebrate animals (including farm animals and wild animals) conducted at, funded through or sponsored by UNLV must be submitted for prior Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) review and periodic review after approval in accordance with university policies and procedures that are required by federal law.

The provision for the protection of animal subjects in research applies to all studies in all locations, whether funded or unfunded, and whether conducted by faculty, students, or staff. It also applies to all studies in all locations, whether funded or unfunded, and whether conducted by faculty, students, or staff. It also applies to persons unaffiliated with UNLV, who wish to investigate subjects under the protection of the university. Students should contact the office of Sponsored Programs to obtain appropriate forms and further information. 

UNLV Student Computer Use Policy

Public computer laboratories and mainframe computers are provided as a service to students. Use is a privilege, not a right. Users should be good citizens; they must refrain from doing anything that annoys others or disrupts the educational experiences of their peers. Failure to comply with the regulations below may result in suspension under the NSHE Code, or civil or criminal action under the Nevada Revised Statutes, or federal law. It is a violation of UNLV policy to:

1. Copy any copyrighted software provided by UNLV. It is a criminal offense to copy any software protected by copyright, and UNLV will treat it as such.
2. Use licensed software in a manner inconsistent with the licensing arrangement. Information on licenses is available at the tutor stations or through NSHE Computing Services.
3. Copy, rename, alter, examine, or delete the files or programs of another person or UNLV without permission.
4. Use a computer to annoy others, including, but not limited to, sending offensive messages or knowingly causing a system to crash.
5. Create, disseminate or run a self-replicating program (“virus”), whether destructive in nature or not.
6. Use a computer for non-university work, such as for a private business or non-UNLV sanctioned club.
7. Tamper with switch settings or do anything that could damage terminals, computers, printers, or other equipment.
8. Collect, read, or destroy output other than your own work without the permission of the owner.
9. Use the computer account of another with or without permission unless it is designated group work.
10. Access or attempt to access a host computer, either at UNLV or through a network, without the owner’s permission, and/or through use of log-in information belonging to another person.

Mandatory Graduate and Professional Student Health Insurance  

In May 2013, the Graduate & Professional Student Association (GPSA) passed a motion to recommend that all fully admitted graduate and professional students taking 9 credits or more per semester, and all graduate assistants, must have insurance coverage either through UNLV or their own carrier. In June 2013, the NSHE Board of Regents supported and approved this proposal. As a result, the mandatory hard waiver student health insurance policy is in effect immediately for the Fall 2013 semester.

Students who are admitted into a graduate or professional program and are enrolled in 9 credits (regardless of the course level) in a semester, and all graduate assistants, will be automatically billed for student health insurance. . It is then incumbent upon those students who already have health insurance to complete the UNLV online waiver form to waive out of the UNLV student health insurance. Once approved, a health insurance waiver is good for one academic year.

For more information on Graduate Student Health Insurance fees, please refer to the Mandatory Graduate & Professional Student Health Insurance section under Tuition & Fees  .

UNLV Graduate Assistant Parental Leave Program

Graduate Assistant Parental Leave Program Guidelines

1. As used in this document, “parental leave” means leave with or without pay for childbirth or placement of a child for adoption or foster care. The Graduate College program will provide up to six weeks of paid GA leave (during the standard GA appointment period), and up to an additional six weeks of unpaid leave or a flexible GA work assignment.
2. Graduate Assistants (GA) will be provided guaranteed parental leave with pay of up to six weeks at the GA’s discretion during a GA contract period, retaining their full stipends and benefits during the leave. If both parents are Graduate Assistants, the sixweek leave may be divided between them, as per their request. If needed, GAs may request up to six additional weeks of leave without pay or flexibility in duty assignments.
3. Departments, faculty, and graduate assistants should continue to work collegially to agree upon the details of the leave, recognizing that these may differ from case-tocase depending on the timing of the birth/adoption, individual student circumstances/preferences, and type of GA work assignment. Supervisors are expected to work with GAs requesting allowable leave to accommodate requests for alternative workload assignments, and/or flexible workload assignments, in a way that recognizes the special needs of, and potential benefits to, the GA. We encourage departments to support maximum GA utilization of the Parental Leave Program.
4. The Graduate College Parental Leave Form must be submitted at least eight weeks prior to the anticipated leave, or two weeks before the start of the semester, whichever is earlier. This form details the plan for the parental leave and departmental acceptance thereof, and must be signed by the graduate student, graduate coordinator, department chair, College Dean (if required – please check your College Dean’s signature requirements here {link to webpage]), and the Dean of the Graduate College.
5. A graduate assistant whose request for a reasonable leave is not approved should consult first with his or her Graduate Coordinator or Department Chair, next with his or her college Dean, and last, if necessary, with the Graduate College. The Dean of the Graduate College will serve as the final arbiter to establish a workable leave plan.
6. If the GA’s department does not urgently require a replacement GA during the 6-week leave period, the GA stipend/regular pay to the GA shall remain in place. However, if the department can demonstrate an urgent need to hire a substitute graduate student as a GA during the 6 week period (to cover undergraduate class(es), etc.), the GA on leave will have their pay suspended until they return and will be given a replacement scholarship/grant in the amount of the minimum GA stipend for this time period. Six week Parental Leave Grant Amounts are as follow: Masters $1,700.00; Pre-ABD Doctoral $2,200; Post-ABD Doctoral $2,500. The substitute GA will receive the GA stipend for the 6 weeks (or less, if they so choose) that they are working as areplacement GA.

Eligibility

1. Generally, GAs must be appointed for at least one semester before the beginning of aleave request. If requesting summer leave, you must have been hired for the previous spring term and have a summer GA contract in place.
2. GAs applying for this leave program must be in good academic standing and continue to be enrolled in classes during the leave period to meet the continuous enrollment policy.

Important Points to Consider

• Parental leave may be taken during the semester in which the child is born or adopted, or during the semester immediately following.
• Parental leave does not constitute a break in continuous enrollment. All GAs must maintain 6 graduate level credits each semester they are a GA, including when on approved parental leave; if a graduate student chooses unpaid leave via an approved leave of absence or medical leave, registration is not required.
• If you are supported by a research assistantship funded by external sources, such as grant funding, you must adhere to the rules of the granting agency in regard to leaves from work. If the granting agency defers to University policy regarding paid parental leave, the six-week leave will be paid by the grant. If the granting agency requires suspension of payment during the leave period, you may be eligible for substitute payment from this program. If the leave occurs at the end of the semester or at the end of a contract period, financial support will not be continued beyond the end of the contract.

Student Use of Hazardous Materials

Certain courses may require students to work with potentially hazardous materials in the lab, darkroom, or workshop. Instructors will provide instructions regarding the safe handling of all materials. Questions should be directed to the specific academic department or instructor, and all such activities must comply with national, state, local, UNLV and Office of Risk Management guidelines and requirements.