Withdrawal or Leave of Absence From the College

---

Withdrawal or Transfer

A withdrawal is a separation from Westminster College, which usually occurs when a student transfers. An administrative withdrawal may be determined by a College official as a matter of College policy such as academic status, attendance, student conduct, sexual misconduct, or behavioral health. A student who withdraws from the College during a semester will be given a “W” (withdrawal) for all courses enrolled at the time of the withdrawal. “W” grades are not calculated in the student’s cumulative GPA, but may have other implications. A student who withdraws during a semester may still have financial obligations to the College and other lenders. The $200 registration deposit, minus outstanding charges, will be returned to the student within 60 days after the withdrawal or suspension.

Official Withdrawal

The office of Student Affairs determines the withdrawal date for the student. In event the student provides official notification of intent to withdraw, Westminster College will utilize the date of that notification as follows:

• The date the student begins the process of withdrawing from Westminster College is the date of withdrawal.
• In the event that a student sends written notification of intent to withdraw, the date Westminster College receives the written notice is the date of withdrawal.
• In the event that a student makes an oral notification to the Office of Student Affairs, which is Westminster College’s designated office for the beginning of the withdrawal process, the date of the oral notification will be the withdrawal date and it will be documented by the Office of Student Affairs. If there is a written notification subsequently, the date of the written notification received by Westminster College may be the withdrawal date.

Unofficial Withdrawal

No official notification provided by the student of the intent to withdraw. In a case in which a student does not provide official notification of withdrawal, Westminster College may utilize the last day of attendance reported by the professor as the date of withdrawal.

In case when an official notification is not provided by the student due to circumstances beyond the student's control, i.e., illness, accident, grievous personal loss or other circumstances, the date related to that circumstance may be utilized as the withdrawal date. This date may be determined by the Office of Student Affairs. The college must determine the withdrawal date no later than thirty (30) days after the end of the payment period.

The Last Date of Attendance (LDA) – Defined as the date that is reported as the last date of attendance at an academically related activity by the professor. This date may be used as the withdrawal date. The decision to use the actual last day of attendance is at the discretion of the Financial Aid Department.

A student wishing to withdraw or transfer from the College should schedule an exit interview with the Office of Student Affairs by emailing studentaff@westminster.edu. The purpose of the interview is to assess the student’s present status, to ascertain the reason for withdrawal or transfer, and to direct the student to the next steps to complete the process.

Leave of Absence

A leave of absence is a temporary leave and requires approval from the Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students. Students who are granted a leave of absence are able to resume their studies, subject to the same graduation and program requirements to which they were subject at the time they began their leave and once conditions are met for their return.

Types of leaves of absence include:

• Administrative – determined as necessary by a College official as a matter of College policy such as academic status, attendance, student conduct, sexual misconduct, or behavioral health.
• Financial – related to student’s ability to pay for educational expenses
• Medical – related to student’s personal health concerns, including illness, injury, mental health, and hospitalization
• Military Service – related to student’s obligation for active duty in the military/reserves
• Personal/Family – related to emergencies or need to care for immediate family. Immediate family includes a student’s: spouse, children (including foster or step), grandchildren, parents or primary caregivers, grandparents, siblings, or a legal dependent.

Requests for a leave of absence should be made prior to a student’s departure from campus and will not be approved retroactively unless the circumstance surrounding the departure was unavoidable. A leave of absence is generally considered for one semester. A leave of absence may extend into a second semester, but is limited to 180 days. Any leave of absence that extends beyond 180 days will result in a withdrawal. Students who are granted a leave of absence within a semester will be given a “W” (withdrawal) for all courses enrolled at the time of the withdrawal.

Conditions for return to Westminster will be defined at the time a leave of absence is approved. In the case of a medical leave, these conditions may specify what professional medical documentation is required and the length of time of the leave. Before the student will be permitted to return to campus from a medical leave, the College may require a professional evaluation or assessment (at the student’s expense) stating the professional expert’s opinion that the student is capable of meeting the academic and social standards of the College, which are stated in the Westminster Student Code of Conduct.

A student may request approval for a leave of absence by completing the Request for Leave of Absence form on my.Westminster or by contacting the Office of Student Affairs at studentaff@westminster.edu.

Return to Westminster College

Students who wish to apply for readmission after Withdrawal or Suspension from the College must complete an Application for Readmission form. This form is available on the Office of the Registrar web page or in the Office of the Registrar, where the completed form must be returned along with a $200 registration deposit if the students original matriculation is still not on their account.

Students who have taken a leave of absence and desire to return to campus must complete a Return from Leave of Absence form, providing all required documentation. The form is available on my.Westminster or in the Office of Student Affairs.