Leave of Absence and Withdrawal Policy

Effective:

November 4, 2024

Executive Summary:

Students may take a voluntary leave of absence from Barnard for personal or medical reasons. This policy codifies existing procedures for voluntary leaves of absence as well as the process for returning from a leave of absence. Students may also be required to take a leave of absence from Barnard for academic or disciplinary reasons. This policy sets parameters for these required leaves and the process for return to Barnard from required leave. This policy also standardizes grading procedures and transcript notations for students on leave of absence. Finally, this policy sets limits for the amount of time a student may be on leave before being administratively withdrawn from Barnard and establishes a process by which students must request an exception to this policy to return after this time frame.

Reason for the Policy:

This policy outlines and details the procedures for required and voluntary leaves of absence from the College. It introduces an updated grading procedure whereby all students who take a midsemester leave of absence effective after the course-drop deadline receive a grade of W in all classes and clarifies academic-standing policies for students on leaves of absence. It sets expectations for the notification date of a student’s leave of absence and for the duration of a voluntary leave, when applicable. Finally, it introduces a limit to the number of terms a student may remain on leave before being administratively withdrawn from the institution and creates a process by which students must request an exception to this policy to return after this time frame.

Who Is Responsible for This Policy:

Responsible Administrator(s): College Case Manager and Leaves & Returns Coordinator, Director of Student Intervention and Success
Responsible Office(s): Dean of the College

Who Is Governed by This Policy:

Barnard students

Definitions (if applicable):

Medical Leave of Absence: A student may choose to take a voluntary leave of absence for physical or mental health reasons. Students must submit appropriate paperwork from their medical provider within 30 days of the notification date in order for a voluntary leave to be processed as a medical leave. The duration of the leave will generally be a minimum of one academic semester or an equivalent four-month period. Students who take a voluntary leave of absence are expected to return from leave within four semesters of their Effective Date of Leave or Withdrawal
Personal Leave of Absence: A student may choose to take a voluntary leave of absence for personal reasons. Students returning from personal leave of absence must submit a request to return to the College for an upcoming term by the relevant deadline. The duration of the leave will generally be a minimum of one academic semester or an equivalent four-month period. Students who take a voluntary leave of absence are expected to return from leave within four semesters of their Effective Date of Leave or Withdrawal.
Required Leave of Absence: A student may be required by the College to take a leave of absence for academic or disciplinary reasons or for not meeting the College’s Enrollment Confirmation requirements. Students who have not met Barnard’s Enrollment Confirmation requirements by the registration/add deadline in a given semester may be placed on a required leave of absence for that semester, per Barnard’s Enrollment Confirmation Policy. A student may also be placed on a required leave of absence from the College as a disciplinary action, per the Student Code of Conduct and/or the Honor System Manual. Students who are placed on a required leave of absence because of their academic standing may petition the faculty Committee on Programs and Academic Standing to resume their degree program and return to Barnard.
Permanent Withdrawal: A student may decide to end their relationship with the College as a matriculated degree-seeking student. This is often because the student has decided to transfer to another institution. Students may notify the College of their intention to withdraw from Barnard by indicating this on the Notice of Leave of Absence form.
Administrative Withdrawal: Students who do not return from a leave of absence within four semesters from the effective date of withdrawal may be administratively withdrawn from Barnard as a matriculated degree-seeking student, per the Academic Residency Requirement Policy. Students who are administratively withdrawn from the College will not retain access to Barnard resources, including student email accounts.
Notification of Intent to Take a Leave or Withdraw: Students who decide to take a voluntary leave of absence or withdraw from the College (see definition for “Permanent Withdrawal”) must officially notify the College by submitting the Notice of Leave of Absence form. Notifications in other formats (e.g., phone calls, emails, etc.) do not serve as official notification of a student’s intent to take a leave or withdraw.
Date of Determination: The date that the College is notified — or otherwise determines — that a student is taking a leave of absence or withdrawing from the College. This date is used to determine the College’s compliance with federal timelines for returning unearned financial aid and reporting the student’s change in status to the National Student Clearinghouse/National Student Loan Data System.
Effective Date of Leave/Withdrawal: The date upon which a student’s withdrawal or leave of absence officially begins. In many cases, this will be the same date as the date of the student’s notification of their intent to take a leave or withdraw. Among other things and if applicable, this date will be used to determine how much federal aid the student received prior to the date of withdrawal (the Return to Title IV calculation).
Course Drop Deadline: The last day that a student may drop one or more classes in a current term without a withdrawal grade (W) appearing on their transcript. This deadline is noted in the academic calendar.
Course Withdrawal Deadline: The last day that a student may withdraw from one or more classes in a current term. This deadline is noted in the academic calendar. Students who are taking a voluntary leave of absence after this deadline (but before the last day of the term) will still receive withdrawal grades (W) on their transcript for all their registered courses, which indicate that the student was officially withdrawn from those courses.
Transferring: Please see definition above for “Permanent Withdrawal.”

Policy Statement:

There may be many reasons why students take time off from college. Those reasons may be personal, health-related, or required due to disciplinary action or insufficient academic progress. Whatever the reason, Barnard’s goal for students who take a leave of absence is that they return and successfully complete their degrees. To that end, the College Case Manager and the Leaves & Returns Coordinator within the Division of Campus Life and Student Experience works with students who take any type of leave of absence. Students who wish to take a voluntary leave of absence, for personal or health-related reasons, should make an appointment with the College Case Manager and the Leaves & Returns Coordinator to discuss the process of leaving and returning. This meeting is consultative, and students will have an opportunity to discuss options and/or any concerns they may have, including, but not limited to, academic progress, graduation requirements, and the ability to live in on-campus housing upon return from leave.

Students who are required by the faculty Committee on Programs and Academic Standing to take a leave of absence may have conditions for their return and should consult with the Class Dean as well as with the College Case Manager and Leaves & Returns Coordinator and advisor(s) to ensure that they understand what is required to resume their academic studies at Barnard.

Students who are required to take a leave of absence for disciplinary reasons must complete any sanctions before they will be permitted to return.

Generally, it is recommended that a student consider their readiness to return after (i) one full semester or an equivalent four-month period has elapsed or after the leave period in the notification about required time away from Barnard has elapsed, whichever is longer, and (ii) all conditions and/or requirements have been met.

Required Leaves of Absence
Academic or disciplinary reasons why students are required to take a leave include the following:

Students who do not maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in two consecutive semesters, students who do not meet the conditions of their academic probation from the previous semester, and students who do not complete the requisite number of credits to make sufficient degree progress for two consecutive semesters will generally be required to leave for two semesters, although some students may be required to leave for one semester, as part of the College’s Academic Standing process. These students are usually asked to meet certain conditions (e.g., successfully completing a minimum number of credits away from Barnard) before resuming their academic studies at Barnard. Students who return to the College after a required leave of absence will return on academic probation.
Students who have violated College policy under the Honor Code, Code of Conduct, or any other policies that guide student conduct may be required to leave the College for a stipulated period of time. The length of this required leave is determined on a case-by-case basis.
Students who have not met Barnard’s Enrollment Confirmation requirements by the registration/add deadline in a given semester may be placed on a required leave of absence for that semester. Likewise, a student who is determined by the College to have not attended any classes prior to the registration/add deadline may be placed on a required leave of absence for that semester. More information about Enrollment Confirmation can be found here: https://catalog.barnard.edu/barnard-college/academic-policies-procedures/enrollment-confirmation/

Voluntary Leaves of Absence
Nonacademic reasons why students may take a leave of absence:

Medical Leaves: Students who have a sudden or ongoing conditions related to their physical or mental health may elect, in consultation with their healthcare providers on and off campus, to take a leave of absence.
Personal Leaves: Students who wish to pursue a personal or professional experience or opportunity, such as an internship or travel opportunity, may wish to take a personal leave. Other situations, such as family emergencies or obligations, may necessitate a personal leave of absence.

Students who take a voluntary leave of absence will be on leave for at least one semester or an equivalent four-month period. Students who take a leave on or before the stated drop deadline as printed in the Academic Calendar at the start of the relevant semester will be able to request to return the following term. Students who take a leave after the stated drop deadline as printed in the Academic Calendar at the start of the relevant semester will be expected to remain on leave for the following term, unless a student has been on leave for an equivalent four-month period before the start of the following term.

Any voluntary leaves of absence should be decided in consultation with all of the required advisors and/or administrative staff to ensure that the student is aware of how a leave from the College may affect academic progress, major and minor requirements, one’s ability to live in on-campus housing, and the anticipated date of graduation. Students on a voluntary leave of absence who wish to take coursework at another institution while on leave should consult with the College Case Manager about this possibility. Courses taken elsewhere must be evaluated for transferability, subject to the College’s transfer credit policies and maximums. A maximum of nine credits per fall/spring semester may be transferred while a student is on voluntary leave from the College. Students who anticipate receiving institutional or federal aid from another institution while on leave should consult with the Financial Aid Office. Please note: Receiving external institutional or federal aid while on leave may impact your institutional or federal eligibility for aid at Barnard upon your return.

Notification of Leave of Absence or Withdrawal
Students are expected to continue attending classes and engaging with their academics until they notify the College of their voluntary leave of absence or withdrawal. Students who decide to take a voluntary leave of absence or withdraw from the College must officially notify the College by submitting the Notice of Leave of Absence form. Students who are transferring to another institution should use the Notice of Leave of Absence form to notify the College of their intention to transfer. Except in the specific circumstances noted below, the effective date of a student’s withdrawal will be the date that this form is submitted. Because this has both academic and financial implications (see “effective date of withdrawal” section below), students should submit the forms as soon as they have made a final decision to separate from the College. Notifications in other formats (e.g., phone calls, emails, etc.) do not serve as official notification of a student’s intent to withdraw or take a leave.

Effective Date of Withdrawal
The date of the student’s notification of their intent to withdraw or take a leave of absence is considered the Effective Date of Withdrawal, except in the following cases:

For a student whose leave/withdrawal is starting as of the following term, the Effective Date of Withdrawal is the last day of the current term.
In the case of a student who completes a term and does not attend classes for the next term, the Effective Date of Withdrawal is the final day of the term in which the student was last enrolled, even if notification to the College does not occur until after the start of the next term.
For a student who receives final grades (whether passing or failing grades) in a semester and later notifies the College that they withdrew from classes prior to the end of that semester, the effective date of their withdrawal will be the last day of their final semester of enrollment.
For a student with exceptional circumstances beyond the student’s control preventing them from notifying the College, the effective date of withdrawal may be the date these circumstances occurred (e.g., date of hospitalization) insofar as that can be reasonably documented by the College Case Manager.
For students who do not provide official notification, the Effective Date of Withdrawal is determined by the College Case Manager using documentation of extraordinary circumstances requiring withdrawal, last date of academic activity, or the midpoint of the current term.

The Effective Date of Withdrawal will be used to determine transcript notations/grades, eligibility for institutional refund of tuition and fees, the determination of how much federal aid the student earned prior to the date of withdrawal and can therefore keep (the Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4) calculation), and the date of withdrawal as reported to the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC)/National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). This date will be associated with the withdrawal status processed by the Registrar’s Office.

Date of Determination
When the student provides official notification, the College will use the earlier of two dates — either the Effective Date of Withdrawal or the date of the student’s notification of their intent to withdraw.

When the student does not provide official notification, the Date of Determination is the date that the school becomes aware that the student has ceased attendance. This date should be no later than 30 days after the end of the current term.
The Date of Determination begins the 45-day time frame in which the College is required to return any unearned Financial Aid. It also begins the 60-day time frame in which the College is required to report the student’s change of status to the NSC/NSLDS.

Grading Procedures and Transcript Notation
When a student’s leave of absence or withdrawal begins after a term is already in session, the student’s transcript will reflect the Effective Date of Withdrawal for the semester in question. If the Effective Date of Withdrawal for a leave is on or before the Barnard College drop deadline (noted on the academic calendar), the student’s transcript will not reflect the individual courses attempted during the term. Barnard College students who take a leave of absence or withdraw with an effective date after the course drop and/or withdrawal deadline will receive a mark of W (withdrawal) for each of their courses for the term. These notations are nonpunitive and indicate an official withdrawal from the courses.

Returns from Leaves of Absence
Students seeking to return from any type of leave (whether required or voluntary) for an upcoming term must submit a request to return to the College Case Manager by the relevant deadline. The request to return includes completion of the Request to Return form and, depending on the nature of the leave, a letter outlining the student’s plan for continued academic success, transcripts for courses taken, letters of employment, or clearance from medical personnel and the student’s care team. This information is considered by the College Case Manager. Successful completion of these steps by the stated deadline(s) demonstrate readiness to return, although the College may consider other factors (e.g., whether a student met the requirements of their leave) when reviewing a student’s request to return.

Academic Standing and Returning from Leave of Absence

Students who take a voluntary leave of absence while in good academic standing will return in good academic standing; students who take a voluntary leave while on academic probation or insufficient degree progress warning will return on academic probation or insufficient degree progress warning.
Students returning from required leave of absence for academic reasons will return to the College on academic probation and will be expected to meet the conditions of their probation agreement in their first semester after returning from leave.
Students returning from a required leave of absence for disciplinary reasons may return on disciplinary probation.

Study Abroad Considerations

The College believes it is important for students returning from leave to be able to reconnect with the community in their first semester back. Therefore, students are not eligible to study abroad during the semester immediately following the semester of their leave.

Students who do not return from approved leave of absence after four consecutive fall/spring semesters will be administratively withdrawn from the College. Students with compelling personal or medical circumstances requiring them to exceed four consecutive semesters of nonenrollment may petition for an exception to the faculty Committee on Programs and Academic Standing.

Students who wish to return to the College after five or more years can apply to return as a Resumed Education student by speaking with the College Case Manager.

Procedure:

Voluntary Leave of Absence:
- A voluntary leave of absence is often the right decision for students who are experiencing medical or personal challenges. A student who is contemplating taking a voluntary leave of absence should first meet with the College Case Manager and Leaves & Returns Coordinator. The College Case Manager and Leaves & Returns Coordinator will discuss the student’s individual situation and the College’s leave-of-absence and return-from-leave processes. In the event that a student is considering a leave of absence but is undecided about whether it is the best option for them, the College Case Manager and Leaves & Returns Coordinator may refer the student to additional on- or off-campus resources appropriate to the student’s individual situation, as there are times when a student is able to remain enrolled in the College with proper academic or personal supports in place.
- Students must notify the College of their intention to take a voluntary leave of absence by submitting the Notice of Leave of Absence form. Students may indicate on this form if the voluntary leave is personal or medical in nature. In general, students taking a voluntary leave during an active term are expected to submit the Notice of Leave of Absence form no later than the last day of the final exam period for that term.
- If a student is taking a leave for medical reasons, they must submit appropriate paperwork from their medical provider within 30 days of the notification date in order for their leave to be processed as a medical leave.
- Students currently living in campus housing will be required to submit a Housing Cancellation form.
- Students who receive Financial Aid will be required to meet with their Financial Aid counselor as part of the leave of absence approval process.
- The College Case Manager will send a confirmation of the Leave of Absence once it has been processed.
Required Leaves of Absence:
- See Barnard’s Academic Standing Policy for procedural details regarding required academic leaves.
- See Barnard’s Code of Conduct for details regarding required disciplinary leaves.
- See Barnard’s Enrollment Confirmation Policy for details.
Transferring from Barnard to another higher-education institution:
- Students will complete the Notice of Leave form to notify the College of their intention to transfer.
  - The Notice of Leave form will indicate the reason(s) a student is transferring and allow students to share where they are enrolling (if known at the time of transfer).
- Students will complete an exit interview with the College Case Manager.

Website for This Policy:

Leaves of Absence and Returns

Revision History:

Temporary Revision September 20, 2024

Justification for Temporary Policy: This policy codifies existing procedures for voluntary leaves of absence as well as the process for returning from a leave of absence. It also sets parameters for required leaves of absence and the process for return to Barnard from required leave. This policy also standardizes grading procedures and transcript notations for students on leave of absence. Finally, this policy sets limits for the amount of time that a student may be on leave before being administratively withdrawn from Barnard and creates a process by which students must request an exception to this policy to return after this time frame.