Leave and Withdrawal Policy

If a student leaves the school for any reason before the end of a term, by default, the student will receive the grades they would have earned but missing all the remaining work in their courses, which in most circumstances would result in Fs. In certain circumstances, based upon the timing of the departure and in accordance with established policies, a student may request an institutional leave or a withdrawal and may be eligible for Ws or INs (see Other Indicators in Use in the Passing Grade Policy).

If a student has been granted a Leave of Absence after the end of a quarter in which they have received in incomplete, the incomplete deadline will be extended for one quarter. There are no exceptions to this extension unless the student petitions and receives approval from APRC.

All leaves from the college have a potential impact on Title IV recipients. Regardless of the reasons, absences accumulated during an instructional leave will affect a student’s financial aid eligibility if the period of leave is two weeks or more. (See Attendance Policy)

Categories of Institutional Leaves

Students may make a written request for an institutional leave from Antioch College for reasons related to:

Medical Leave – A leave due to health-related issues, including physical or psychological reasons, major surgery, pregnancy or some other form of health-related problem or concern. Students applying for a medical leave must provide appropriate supporting documentation from a health care professional. Medical documentation must cover the entire requested leave time including any recuperation period after medical treatment. Without documentation a student will instead be withdrawn. If a student is unable to make the request, the student’s emergency contact of record can facilitate the application and provide the supporting documentation.

Academic Leave – A leave indicative of an academic opportunity not sponsored by Antioch College such as studying abroad, employment related to educational goals and academic major, or participation in outside research. Students applying for an academic leave must provide appropriate supporting documentation. Please note that students with documented disabilities may be eligible for a Horace Mann Fellowship extension (see Center for Academic Support Services).

Military Leave/Call to Active Duty – A leave due to a military assignment that must be completed away from Antioch College or by being called to active duty. Students applying for a military leave must provide appropriate supporting documentation from a reporting office of any branch of the United States military.

Requests for Leave forms are available in the Registrar’s Office or in the Office of Student Life. Submission of completed requests must include any additional documentation that supports the student’s request for leave. An official notification of the request approval will be sent to the student by the registrar. All students who receive financial aid from Antioch College must consult with the Office of Financial Aid before withdrawing.

De-enrollment – Withdrawing from the College

A student may officially withdraw from all courses and de-enroll from the college at any time during the quarter. If the withdrawal form is submitted before the end of the seventh week of the quarter, Ws will be recorded for all registered courses. The student may also be eligible for a partial refund (see Refund Policy). Ws cannot be recorded after the seventh full week of a quarter; work completed through this point in the term is sufficient to warrant an actual letter grade, which in most circumstances would result in Fs. A request for a withdrawal submitted after the seventh week of the quarter will be processed at the end of that quarter.

Re-Enrollment Following Approved Request for Leave

A student who has received an approved request for leave or who withdrew from all courses during a term may be eligible to return to Antioch College. A notification of Intent to Re-enroll must be submitted to the Registrars Office no later than the end or the seventh week of the term prior to the anticipated term of return. No exceptions will be made. Relevant offices review the request for reinstatement and the student will be informed about the decision upon completion of the internal process (see Reinstatement Policy).

Short-Term Leaves of Absence

Students may request a short-term leave of absence to last for a period up to two weeks during the course of the term. If a student wishes to take a leave that is longer than two weeks, they should consider withdrawing for the term. More than two weeks of absences could have a serious affect on a student’s ability to succeed academically. Students may apply for short-term medical or short-term emergency leaves. An emergency leave may be requested when a student cannot attend classes after the start of the term due to personal circumstances beyond the student’s control.

Leave of Absence for International Students

International students should discuss maintenance of proper U.S. immigration status with the International Student Advisor before requesting a leave of absence.

Procedures for Leaves and Withdrawals

These procedures for approvals of leaves of absence and withdrawals have been developed to ensure accurate and timely communication of official student enrollment statuses.

Upon notification of approved leaves and withdrawals, the Registrar’s Office will process the request and immediately notify Academic Affairs (VPAA), the student’s advisor, and each of the student’s instructors. An email notification from the Registrar’s Office will be used to communicate the information. Additionally, the Registrar’s Office will maintain a comprehensive spreadsheet of all students whose status is affected by leaves and withdrawals as the term progresses. This spreadsheet will be sent to:

• Academic Affairs
• Faculty
• Library
• Student Life
• Housing
• Financial Aid
• Student Accounts
• Cooperative Education
• It

Anytime a student is added to the spreadsheet or the status of a student already on the spreadsheet changes, an updated copy will be sent to all parties.

Academic Leaves

• Submitted to the Registrar’s Office on a form available in the Registrar’s Office or from the Dean of Students (Leave of Absence Request Form)
• Reviewed by APRC at its next scheduled meeting
• Chair of APRC will send official letter of decision to the student. A copy of the letter will be sent to the Registrar’s Office for inclusion in the student’s file.
• The Registrar’s Office will send an email notification to all departments:
  • Academic Affairs
  • Faculty
  • Library
  • Student Life
  • Housing
  • Financial Aid
  • Student Accounts
  • Cooperative Education
  • IT

Deadline for submission of the form: Friday of the seventh week of the quarter for a leave that will take place during that quarter; or prior to completion of the current quarter for a leave that will take place during the next quarter.

Medical Leaves

• Submitted to the Registrar’s Office on a form available in the Registrar’s Office or from the Dean of Students (Leave of Absence Request Form)
• Reviewed by Dean of Students and the VPAA
• Dean of Students will send official letter of decision to the student. The application and a copy of the letter will be sent to the Registrar’s Office for inclusion in the student’s file.
• The Registrar’s Office will send an email notification to all departments:
  • Academic Affairs
  • Faculty
  • Library
  • Housing
  • Financial Aid
  • Student Accounts
  • Cooperative Education
  • IT

Although there is no deadline for the submission of requests for leave, advanced notice is required. The request is due within one week of the desired start date of the leave or the end of the quarter, whichever is sooner. Note that in some circumstances where students are unable to submit the request themselves, the Registrar’s Office can initiate an official withdrawal. (see Other Grade Indicators in Use in the Passing Grade Policy).

Requesting a Medical Leave of Absence after the Withdrawal Deadline

The last day to withdraw from courses during any term is the last day of the seventh week of classes. Medical issues that require a student to leave school after the withdraw deadline may arise. The minimum period of time for a leave in this situation that will be approved is eight (8) weeks. In some cases, this will require the student to continue their leave through the following term, because the end of the eight-week period will be several weeks into the following term.

Exceptions to this eight-week rule may be made under the following condition: The student sends a brief written request to the Dean of Students, meets with the Dean of Students to discuss the request, and receives approval for the exception from the Dean.

If the medical issue is one that will be resolved before the start of the subsequent term, including any requisite recovery time, the student should be encouraged to request incomplete grades for all courses instead of a leave of absence.

Military Leaves

• Submitted to the Registrar’s Office on a form available in the Registrar’s Office or the Dean of Students (Leave of Absence Request Form)
• Reviewed by Dean of Students and VPAA
• Dean of Students will send official letter of decision to the student. The application and a copy of the letter will be sent to the Registrar’s Office for inclusion in the student’s file.
• The Registrar’s Office will send an email notification to all departments:
  • Academic Affairs
  • Faculty
  • Library
  • Housing
  • Financial Aid
  • Student Accounts
  • Cooperative Education
  • IT
• Although there is no deadline for the submission of requests for leave, advanced notice is required. The request is due within one week of the desired start date of the leave or the end of the quarter, whichever is sooner. Note that in some circumstances where students are unable to submit the request themselves, the Registrar’s Office can initiate an official withdrawal. (see Other Grade Indicators in Use in the Passing Grade Policy).
• Medical leaves cannot be processed without proper medical documentation. In emergency situation when a student is unable to make the request and the emergency contact of record cannot immediately supply medical documentation, a Temporary Absence Notification can be sent to the Registrar’s Office until such time that the medical documentation can be provided. Temporary Absence Notifications may come from the Office of Community Life, Counseling Services, Health Services, or Academic Affairs. A Temporary Absence Notification is not a substitute for official leave paperwork. Medical documentation must be provided within seven days of the student’s return to Antioch College or the leave will be processed as withdrawal.

Emergency Leaves

• Submitted to the Registrar’s Office on a form available in the Registrar’s Office or from the Dean of Students (Leave of Absence Request Form)
• Reviewed by Dean of Students and the VPAA
• Dean of Students will send official letter of decision to the student. The application and a copy of the letter will be sent to the Registrar’s Office for inclusion in the student’s file.
• The Registrar’s Office will send an email notification to all departments:
  • Academic Affairs
  • Faculty
  • Library
  • Housing
  • Financial Aid
  • Student Accounts
  • Cooperative Education
  • IT
• Although there is no deadline for the submission of requests for an emergency leave, advanced notice is required whenever possible. The very nature of an emergency leave can sometimes negate advanced notice. Note that in some circumstances where students are unable to submit the request themselves, the Registrar’s Office can initiate an official withdrawal. (see Other Grade Indicators in Use in the Passing Grade Policy).

Withdrawals

• Official notification of intent to withdraw must be submitted to the Dean of Students on a form available from the Dean of Students (Official Withdrawal Form). The withdrawal date will be the date the student submits the form.
• The Dean of Students will review the completed form with the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) and then forward the completed form to the Registrar’s Office for processing.
• The Registrar’s Office will send an email notification to all departments:
  • Academic Affairs
  • Faculty
  • Library
  • Housing
  • Financial Aid
  • Student Accounts
  • Cooperative Education
  • IT