Leave of Absence

Undergraduate

A student in good standing may interrupt a college program by requesting a leave of absence of one or two semesters in duration from the dean of the appropriate college. This arrangement allows the student to return to the college within one year without having to go through readmission procedures. Students should be aware that there must be a reasonable expectation that students will return from a leave of absence. Leaves of absence will not be approved for students subject to disqualification or dismissal due to academic deficiencies or disciplinary action. The dean of the appropriate college will determine any conditions that must be met for the student’s return to the University, and will notify the Office of the Registrar of the leave. The Registrar will then take the following actions:

1. Student will be issued grades of W for each course in the current semester (if applicable).
2. Student will be dropped from all future courses.

Undergraduate students who are placed on a leave of absence from the University are not permitted to take courses at Immaculata University another college unless they have obtained permission from the dean. Additionally, students on leave may not live in the University residence halls during the term of their leave, nor may they participate in and/or hold leadership positions in a registered University organization or athletic team. A student granted a leave of absence is not considered to have withdrawn, and if the student is a Title IV recipient, no return calculation will be required. Upon the student’s return from the leave, the student will continue to earn the federal student aid previously awarded for the period.

Once the student is ready to return from leave, the student must meet with the dean of the college, who will assess whether the conditions for return have been satisfied. If a student does not return at the end of the leave, the student’s withdrawal date will be the first date of the leave. If the student is a federal loan recipient and fails to return within two semesters, Immaculata University is required to return the funds to the appropriate lenders at that time and will also cause the expiration of the student’s loan grace period. If a student withdraws from the University or fails to return from a leave of absence status within two academic semesters and then reapplies, the tuition and financial aid will be assessed based on the current transfer tuition and financial aid rates. The tuition and financial aid for undergraduate comprehensive students who have remained in part-time status studying at Immaculata for more than two semesters (fall/spring) and who seek to return to full-time status will be assessed based on the current transfer tuition and financial aid rates. Exemptions for special circumstances will be reviewed by the Vice President for Finance and Administration.

Students returning from a leave of absence/stop out (within two semesters) will continue in the catalog under which they were initially admitted.

Graduate

A student who is unable to register for courses because of a serious illness, personal/professional reasons, extraordinary job requirements or military service may be granted a leave of absence from the University without penalty. The leave of absence is normally limited to one year. The student must inform the chair in writing of his/her intention. A leave of absence must be confirmed by the dean. All requirements must be completed within six years (master's degree Candidates) and eight years (Doctoral Degree Candidates) of the first admission. Students should be aware that there must be a reasonable expectation that students will return from a leave of absence. Leaves of absence will not be approved for students subject to disqualification or dismissal due to academic deficiencies or disciplinary action. The dean of the college will determine any conditions that must be met for the student’s return to the University. If a student is enrolled in courses at the time of requesting a leave, the registrar will then take the following actions:

1. Student will be issued grades of W for each course in the current semester (if applicable).
2. Student will be dropped from all future courses.

Once the student is ready to return from leave, the student should register for courses. If a student does not return at the end of the leave, the student’s withdrawal date will be the first date of the leave. Students who are absent from the University for one year without taking a formal leave of absence, and those who attempt to extend their leave of absence beyond one year, must seek readmission. Readmitted students will be governed by the new department/division guidelines in place at the time of readmission.