Leaves of Absence

Students who wish to leave the College for a term, after which they intend to return, must file a written, signed and dated leave of absence request that includes the reason for the leave of absence. If a leave of absence is taken while a student is currently enrolled in classes, that term is considered to be one semester of the leave. A student who leaves campus during a term without filing a leave of absence is considered an unofficial withdrawal. A student who fails to submit a leave of absence request prior to starting a leave will be considered an official withdrawal.

Besides a general leave of absence, students may apply for a leave for medical reasons.

The granting of a leave of absence guarantees readmission to the major in which the student is enrolled when applying for a leave and permits the student to graduate by complying with the degree program requirements in effect when the leave is taken. The date of leave is the date when the student notifies the Registrar’s Office of an intention to take a leave of absence or the last day of academic activity as determined by the Registrar.

Students taking a leave of absence who are recipients of Federal Title IV financial aid should contact the Financial Aid Office to determine the implications of the leave on their financial aid. Students who have on-campus housing when applying for a leave of absence are required to live on campus when they return, unless approved to move off campus by the Office of Residential Life and Housing.

If a student takes a leave of absence and later is placed on probation, suspended, dismissed or expelled, the sanctions take precedence over the leave of absence and stand as a matter of record. Academic probation becomes operative at the end of the leave.

Students on a leave of absence who decide not to return to Hartwick must contact the Registrar’s Office to request an official withdrawal. The date of separation for the leave of absence will be used as the date of separation for the withdrawal.

Students who do not return after the specified leave of absence period and who do not apply for an official withdrawal are considered unofficial withdrawals, and the last day of attendance will be considered the date the leave of absence began. Students withdrawn from the College are required to apply for readmission in order to return. In such instances, there is no guarantee of readmission.

Recent changes in federal policy regarding approved leaves of absence require the College to report students who do not return to active enrolled status after one term as withdrawn from the institution.

General Leave of Absence

A general leave of absence is granted for one term to students who wish to interrupt their studies at Hartwick College. A general leave of absence is also required for students studying in non-affiliated programs or for military reasons. Application for a general leave of absence is managed by the Registrar’s Office.

If the student is enrolled in classes, taking a leave of absence by the withdrawal deadline date published in the academic calendar results in grades of W (withdrawn) in all courses other than completed courses. Taking a general leave of absence after the last date to withdraw as published in the academic calendar results in grades of F in all courses other than completed courses.

The leave of absence allows the student on leave the opportunity to register in advance for the semester of return.

Medical Leave of Absence

Students who must leave the College because of medical or psychological conditions that necessitate their absence may request a medical leave of absence.

Documentation of the serious nature of the medical condition must be provided to the Perrella Wellness Center. Approval must be given by the Director of Perrella Wellness Center (in consultation with the Director of Counseling when it is a psychological condition). Application forms for medical leaves of absence are available at the Perrella Wellness Center.

When a medical leave of absence is granted during the course of the term, the course grade is normally a W (withdrawn) in all courses, other than completed courses, unless the student initiates and receives appropriate approval for an incomplete (I) from an instructor within five business days of the date the leave is issued. The Registrar’s Office must be notified within the five business day period, in writing, from the instructor, if a grade of incomplete (I) will be issued. If a grade of I is issued, a student must remove it by the first published incomplete grade expiration deadline after their return. If the grade is not removed within the time allowed, it will convert to F.

Applications for medical leave must be submitted by the last date to withdraw from courses as published in the academic calendar. Applications submitted after the withdrawal deadline date will not be considered, except in extraordinary circumstances. In such circumstances, additional documentation and information may be required, and the decision will involve input from the Vice President of Student Experience.

A student must be cleared through the Perrella Wellness Center before returning from a medical leave of absence. Documentation must be submitted to the Perrella Wellness Center indicating that the medical or psychological condition has been remedied and that the student is capable of resuming study at the College. All information submitted becomes part of the student’s health record and will remain confidential. Students on medical leave are not eligible to register for courses until approved to return from medical leave.

Administrative Leave of Absence (effective July 1, 2014)

This policy is meant to be invoked only in extraordinary circumstances, when a student is unable or unwilling to request a leave of absence or official withdrawal when such a hiatus may be necessary to protect the safety of that student and/or others, or the integrity of the College’s learning environment. Before an administrative leave is issued, every effort will be made to encourage the student to take a voluntary leave or withdrawal. Administrative leaves can be issued within or prior to the start of a term.

The policy and procedures for an administrative leave of absence do not take the place of disciplinary actions that are in response to violations of the Student Code of Conduct or the Academic Honesty Policy, nor do they preclude the removal or dismissal of students from the College as a result of such violations.

Placing a Student on Administrative Leave of Absence

The Vice President for Student Experience (or designee) may be alerted to a student’s behavior from a variety of sources on campus (Residential Life, 3333/early alert*, Campus Safety, Wellness Center, a faculty or staff member, the student’s adviser, etc.). If the Vice President deems it appropriate, these procedures will be initiated:

1. The Vice President for Student Experience (or designee) will notify the student that an administrative leave is under consideration.
2. The Vice President for Student Experience (or designee) will discuss with the student the implications of and procedures relating to an administrative leave of absence. A copy of this policy will be provided to the student. Whenever possible and appropriate, the Vice President for Student Experience (or designee) will encourage the student to take a voluntary leave or withdraw, thereby eliminating the need to complete the process for an administrative leave.
3. The Vice President for Student Experience (or designee) will confer as feasible and appropriate with the following individuals or their designees regarding the need for an administrative leave of absence: Dean of Academic Affairs, Dean of Student Life, Director of Perrella Wellness Center, Director of Counseling, Director of Campus Safety
4. During these consultations, these individuals will pay particular attention to the criteria for invoking an administrative leave, especially whether the student engages in, or is judged likely to engage in, behavior that poses a danger of causing harm to him/herself or others, or that disrupts the learning environment.
5. The Vice President for Student Experience (or designee) may require a student to undergo a psychological and/or physical evaluation if she/he believes it will facilitate a more informed decision. The student’s refusal or failure to undergo such evaluation will not affect the College’s right to invoke and apply this policy. In this event, a final decision will be made without benefit of this information.
6. Following these consultations, the Vice President for Student Experience (or designee) will make a final decision regarding the administrative leave of absence and must provide written notice of this decision to the student.

If an administrative leave is imposed, the Vice President for Student Experience (or designee) will inform the student of the decision, as well as the specific requirements for reenrollment. If an administrative leave is not imposed, the Vice President for Student Experience (or designee) may impose other conditions and/or requirements under which the student is allowed to remain at the College.

Administrative leaves are effective immediately and in effect for one term, or until any applied sanctions have been removed. A student on administrative leave is not permitted to visit the campus or have contact with anyone on the campus without special permission. An administrative leave cannot be appealed. Administrative leaves may be issued until the last day of classes in a term. Grades of “W” will be issued for all courses if the leave is issued within a term.

*Prior to initiating a request to proceed with an administrative leave, the 3333/early alert administrator contacts instructors of courses in which the student is registered to determine the duration of class absence. If the student has missed one week of classes, the 3333/early alert administrator attempts to reach the student by email, phone and formal letter within five days of verifying the absences to discuss his or her options and encourage a leave of absence, if necessary. If the student is non-responsive after the third attempt at contact, contact is made with his or her parent or guardian to intervene. If the student is still not responsive after the parent or guardian has been contacted, the 3333/early alert administrator will contact the vice president of student experience (or designee) to begin administrative leave proceedings. If the student is responsive at any point during the outreach process but the 3333/early alert administrator believes an administrative leave is necessary, he or she will contact the Vice President of Student Experience (or designee) to begin proceedings.

Request for Reenrollment from Administrative Leave

A formal, written request for reenrollment after an administrative leave of absence must be submitted to the Vice President for Student Experience. The student’s reenrollment request will be reviewed by the Vice President for Student Experience (or designee), who must approve the reenrollment.

When a medical or psychological condition forms the basis of the administrative leave, the student will be notified in writing of the required procedures for reenrollment. In this circumstance the Vice President for Student Experience (or designee) may consult with the Director of Perrella Wellness Center and/or the Director of the Counseling in deciding whether to approve the student’s request to reenroll. Upon approval, a student on administrative leave must complete an “intent to return from leave of absence” form at least 15 days prior to the start of the term in which he or she intends to return and submit it to the Registrar’s Office.

Academic Leave of Absence

Academic leaves are granted to students who wish to study at another college for a specified period of time generally not exceeding one academic year. Academic leaves are normally issued when a student participates in a non-affiliated off-campus program of study. A student desiring an academic leave should contact the off-campus programs office for approval of the leave. The student will be notified of approval in writing by the off-campus programs office. Grades received for courses completed as part of a non-affiliated off-campus program are treated like transfer credit. Grades received for courses completed as part of an affiliated off-campus program of study are applied to a student’s academic record and count towards GPA and credit completion requirements. Students participating in non-affiliated programs of study are not eligible for an academic leave of absence and must file a general leave of absence to participate.

Note that the term ‘affiliated’ refers to affiliated programs and programs competed with Hartwick support (i.e. paying tuition directly to Hartwick to participate).

Military Leave of Absence

Any student who receives orders to report for active military duty should contact the Office of the Registrar and present a copy of military orders (if a copy of military orders is not available, the student may begin the leave process by submitting a personally signed request indicating times and dates of intended call-up). The Office of the Registrar will enter a grade of ‘W’ for all registered but not completed courses in the current term. If the leave occurs late in the semester, the student may arrange for a final graded evaluation of his/her course work or take Incompletes for all remaining coursework.

Upon completion of active military duty, the student will be automatically readmitted to the College by notifying the Office of the Registrar in writing of his/her intent to resume academic study at Hartwick.