Withdrawals and Medical Leaves
VOLUNTARY WITHDRAWALS AND MEDICAL LEAVES
The College has traditionally recognized the educational and personal rewards that many students receive from a semester or two away from the campus. Occasionally, faculty members, advisors, or deans may suggest that students withdraw from formal studies to gain fresh perspectives on their intellectual commitments, career plans, or educational priorities. Family circumstances, medical problems, declining motivation, and other factors commonly encountered by students may require that they remain away from the College for more than the usual College vacation periods. The College, therefore, encourages students to consider carefully their situations, to clarify their objectives, and to decide for themselves whether they should temporarily interrupt their study at the College and take voluntary withdrawals or medical leaves.
Students who wish to explore the advantages and disadvantages of voluntary withdrawals or medical leaves should confer with the Office of Student Affairs, College and departmental advisors, resident counselors and parents. Some students will also find it beneficial to discuss their situations and tentative plans with the Registrar, the Study Abroad Advisor, the foreign language departments, the Career Center and the Dean of Financial Aid.
To ensure that students have ample time for changing their status with the College and to allow the College to maintain full use of its educational facilities, all students considering voluntary withdrawals should speak with their class deans and advisors with as much advance notice as possible. Students who fail to give advance notice of their plans may not be guaranteed housing for the semester in which they prefer to return.
Prior to the seventh week of any semester, students may choose to withdraw voluntarily without their final grades being recorded. However, unless granted exemptions for medical reasons or grave personal emergencies by the Committee on Academic Standing or the Office of Student Affairs, students who withdraw after the seventh week of a semester will withdraw with penalty and have final grades for that semester recorded on their permanent academic records. Refunds of tuition, deposits and fees are treated according to the College policy stated on page ?? of this Catalog. When withdrawals have been approved by the class deans and faculty advisors, the deans will specify any readmission requirements in writing and will indicate what academic work, if any, must be completed prior to readmission. Sufficient medical documentation is required to support requests for medical leave and again prior to readmission to evaluate readiness to return to studies.
Students considering voluntary withdrawals or medical leaves should also read the section on Readmission. Information about educational leaves can be found here: Education Leaves.
INVOLUNTARY WITHDRAWALS
The College reserves the right to exclude at any time students whose conduct it regards as unsatisfactory, or students who experience medical or behavioral needs requiring a level of support that cannot reasonably be provided while living in residence or participating in an academic program. Such conduct includes, but is not limited to: A student engages in, or is at significant risk of engaging in, behavior that could result in physical harm to self or other(s); manifests an inability to attend to personal needs related to food, shelter, personal safety and general well-being, such that there is a reasonable possibility of serious physical harm; behaves in a manner that interferes substantially with the rightful daily activities of members of the College or surrounding community, with the educational and/or residential environment, or with the orderly operation of the College, including behavior that imposes a significant burden on the College’s human resources needed for continued management of such behavior; fails to pay term bill by the stated due date; fails to provide required immunization records by the stated deadline; fails to register as required at the beginning of each term or fails to have all course grades recorded for the prior term.
In addition, a student who has been granted make-up examinations or extensions of time beyond the end of the term in order to avoid failing those courses, may be required to take a withdrawal. In such cases, fees are not refunded or remitted in whole or in part and neither the College nor any of its officers will have any liability whatsoever for such exclusion. When withdrawals have been imposed by the class deans, the deans will specify any readmission requirements in writing and will indicate what academic work, if any, must be completed prior to readmission. All readmission requirements must be completed by August 15 for fall or January 5 for spring or the student will not be allowed to return and will need to begin the readmission process again for the next academic semester. Students may appeal an involuntary withdrawal to the Dean of Students or designee.
Students anticipating return from leave should also read the next section on Readmission.