Leave of Absence

A student who is not on academic or disciplinary probation and wants to be away from the college may take a leave of absence for one semester or one academic year. The student must file a completed Leave of Absence form, including the signature of the Director of Academic Advising (or for medical leaves, the Director of Counseling) with the Registrar's Office. Students may not apply for a leave of absence for the current semester after mid-semester, except in cases of hardship as determined by the appropriate dean.

Pursuant with federal guidelines, students taking a leave of absence of one or more semesters will be considered withdrawn for the purpose of student loan repayment.

A student who has a medical, psychological, or emotional condition that renders him or her unable to continue course work may take a medical leave. The student must complete a Leave of Absence form, which must be signed by the Director of Counseling. Written documentation of the student's condition from a medical or mental health professional must be presented to the Director of Counseling, who retains it in confidential files.

Students who want to return to the college from a leave must fill out a Return from Leave of Absence form no later than 30 days before the first day of classes for the semester they want to return. Exceptions are made in cases of hardship as determined by the Director of Academic Advising. Returning students are expected to attend registration. Return forms and registration instructions are mailed to the address indicated one month before registration for the semester the student is expected to return.

Any student holding an F1 student visa who is considering a leave should meet with the Dean of Student Development prior to applying for the leave.

Students who want to extend a one-semester leave of absence to one year must request the extension in writing. Students who do not return to the college at the end of an approved leave of absence are considered to have withdrawn from the college and must reapply for admission.

The college reserves the right to approve return from a medical leave of absence, contingent upon additional information such as evidence of satisfactory physical and mental health or on a personal interview to determine the student's ability to meet academic standards. Students returning from a medical leave of absence must meet with the Dean of Student Development, whose signature is required on their Return from Leave of Absence form.

Students attending another institution through the Mobility, Exchange, or CAPS Programs do not need to file a Leave of Absence form. However, these students must register for the appropriate exchange program code, which indicates such approved alternative study.

Withdrawal

Students who want to withdraw from the college permanently must complete an official withdrawal form and obtain the signature of the Director of Academic Advising. Students who are not registered and did not complete a Leave of Absence form by the end of the Add/Drop period are considered to have withdrawn from the college.

Readmission

Students who withdrew from the college and want to be considered for readmission must meet the same application requirements and deadlines as new transfer applicants and are reviewed in the same schedule.

Students who are readmitted return with the same credit accumulated as when they withdrew; however, they must meet current requirements for graduation. Students may transfer additional credits only with the approval of the Director of Academic Advising and the chair of the department in which the student is concentrating. Under no circumstances is the final year of residency waived.

Students dismissed for academic reasons may, after a period of one year, apply for readmission through normal readmission procedures.

Students dismissed for disciplinary reasons may, after a period of one year, petition the Dean of Student Development for readmission.