Dear Governor Reeves and the Members of the Mississippi State Senate and House of Representatives, 

We, the undersigned, respectfully ask that you enact legislation to provide 12 weeks of paid parental leave for employees of universities that are members of the Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) in Mississippi. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least 18 weeks of paid maternity leave to support maternal and child health, emphasizing the importance of paid leave for both parents. Implementing paid parental leave would demonstrate Mississippi's commitment to supporting families and higher education in our state. 

Standard parental leave policies, beyond those required under the Family and Medical Leave Act, are necessary for retaining and recruiting talented faculty, staff, and graduate workers in Mississippi, especially women, and for enabling better planning to minimize disruptions in student learning and research. This effort also aligns with Mississippi's pro-life goals.  

Many universities and colleges in the U.S. offer paid parental leave to faculty and/or employees, including many in our region: the Universities of Alabama, Alabama at Birmingham, Florida, Central Florida, Arkansas, Arkansas State, North Carolina, North Carolina Greensboro, North Carolina Charlotte, South Carolina, Memphis, Missouri-Kansas City, and Kentucky; Auburn, Clemson, Florida International, Florida State, Austin Peay State, Middle Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, and Oklahoma State Universities; and the University of Louisiana and Louisiana State University Systems and the University of Tennessee, Georgia, and Missouri Systems. See more here.

This paid parental leave proposal, drafted by faculty from each of the IHL's universities and the University of Mississippi Medical Center, has been overwhelmingly approved by each institution's faculty senate and the United Faculty Senates Association of Mississippi (UFSAM). University leaders have been consulted on this effort.

By enacting paid parental leave legislation, Mississippi could:

• Improve recruitment and retention of faculty, staff, and graduate workers, especially women
• Reduce employee turnover rates, leading to lower costs
• Enhance productivity, employee morale, and institutional knowledge retention
• Align with WHO recommendations and support Mississippi families 

We strongly urge Governor Reeves and the Mississippi State Legislature to support the growth of IHL institutions, the well-being of employees and their families, and the overall academic reputation of Mississippi's universities by drafting, passing, and signing into law legislation providing 12 weeks of paid parental leave for IHL university employees. 

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Respectfully,

United Faculty Senates Association of Mississippi; and the undersigned