Voluntary Leave of Absence*
A Voluntary Leave of Absence (VLOA) is a self-initiated action by the student at any point of the semester resulting in temporary discontinuation of study. The student may consider a voluntary leave of absence when there is an extenuating circumstance that renders the fulfillment of a student’s academic responsibilities no longer possible. A Leave can only be applied to the fall or spring semester. Winter and summer sessions are not regular semesters and are not eligible for leaves.
Potential reasons include:
Health concerns
Financial concerns
Employment
Family or personal matters
Students requesting to withdraw from all classes in a given semester can only do so by following the steps to take a Voluntary Leave of Absence or Withdrawal from College.
Steps for Student self- initiating Voluntary Leave of Absence
Steps for students returning from Voluntary Leave of Absence
What happens if I do not register or submit for an official leave of absence?
*VLOA is an academic policy only. We do not have a leave policy for Title IV funding. Students who take a leave are considered withdrawn for the leave semester for financial aid reporting purposes.
Involuntary Leave of Absence
An involuntary leave of absence (ILOA) is required to support the overall health and safety of the student and/or campus community. Involuntary leaves are often the result of a judicial action but can be made by the Student Health Service and/or Psychological Counseling Center in instances where there may be a public health/safety concern. Stipulations for return from an involuntary leave are frequently required and must be presented to the appropriate office for review before the student will be allowed to return from this leave, within the specified period.
Potential reasons include:
Judicial determination made by Dean of Students or Judicial Committee for student behavior
Mental health concerns where necessary treatment is not within the scope of practice of the Psychological Counseling Center
Communicable disease
Steps for students returning from an Involuntary Leave of Absence