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Withdrawal and Readmission

Academics / College Catalog / Policies / Withdrawal

LEAVES, WITHDRAWALS, AND RETURNING TO THE COLLEGE

A personal or medical leave of absence is granted to a student who needs to take a temporary hiatus from their academic career but intends to return to Lake Forest College as soon as is possible. Students requesting a personal or medical leave must be in good standing with the College (i.e. without an academic or disciplinary suspension or dismissal). Academic or disciplinary suspension or dismissal takes precedence over a Leave of Absence in determining a student’s status and official reason for leaving the College. Any departure from the institution may cause the student’s class year to change, which may affect registration, room selection, or other processes.

Personal Leave of Absence (PLOA)

A Personal Leave of Absence (PLOA) is a non-academic, one-semester departure from the College. Without exception, a PLOA must be requested by the student, in writing, and approved by the Office of Campus Life prior to the first day of class for the semester in which a student is requesting a leave. Only one Personal Leave may be granted to a student in a 12-month period (180 days per federal regulations); on occasion, exceptions for international students with military service obligations can be requested. Students who are currently on Medical Leave, Suspension, Dismissal, or who are Withdrawn from the College cannot be awarded a Personal Leave for the following semester.

A student who is granted a PLOA has the following privileges and must comply with the following expectations:

  • The student remains enrolled at the College and may not take courses at other colleges/universities while on a Personal Leave.
  • The student remains in an “in-school status” for federal student loan repayment purposes. That is, repayment of a federal student loan would be in deferment.
  • The Lake Forest College financial aid package would continue when the student returns, without re-evaluation.
  • The student should participate in the College’s course registration processes to ensure a schedule is established for the following semester.
  • The student will reserve their place in any College courses for which they are registered in the following semester, provided they have completed the necessary pre-requirements for the course(es).
  • The student retains their academic advisor, unless the advisor is unavailable for reasons outside of the College’s control.
  • The student retains their Lake Forest College email and must comply with the Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources Policy.
  • If the student is enrolled in the College’s student insurance plan, the student relinquishes their insurance plan (unless they are departing before the spring semester and had already paid in full for the academic year).
  • The student can register for summer courses at the College.
  • Any room assignments (if applicable) will be cancelled and not reserved.
  • The student can participate in the room selection process for the following semester.
  • The hiatus from the College is not listed on the student’s transcript unless the student requests the relevant notation from the Office of the Registrar.
  • The student does not need to make a new deposit to return to the College.

To request a PLOA , the student must email the Dean of Students Office (studentaffairs@lakeforest.edu) with the reason for the request. The Dean of Students (or designee) may schedule a meeting or phone call to clarify the request before approval. Students requesting a Personal Leave should also:

  1. Check with the Financial Aid Office to protect future eligibility of scholarships, grants, and/or student loans.
  2. Clear Student Accounts to ensure a smooth return to campus.
  3. Return any College keys to Residence Life staff or Facilities Management, as applicable.
  4. Resident students must be officially checked out of the residence hall by a member of the Residence Life staff. No storage is available on campus.
  5. International students must discuss any proposed leave of absence with the Office of Intercultural Relations prior to the start of the leave.

If a PLOA is approved, the student will receive email notification from the Dean of Students Office. The student’s academic advisor and other relevant campus departments will also be notified.

If the student does not return for the semester immediately following an approved PLOA , the student must either a) request and receive approval for a Medical Leave of Absence for the subsequent semester (see “Medical Leave of Absence” below) or b) the student will automatically be Withdrawn from the College, with the withdrawal date specified as the last day the student attended classes. See below for the characteristics of a Withdrawal and the relevant readmission processes.

Medical Leave of Absence

A student may request a Medical Leave of Absence prior to – or during – a semester. The last date for a Medical Leave of Absence to be requested during an active semester is the last day of classes (before reading day(s) and the final exam period). A Medical Leave of Absence is allowed only where the Dean of Students’ designee (typically the Assistant Dean of Students/Director of Health and Wellness) judges that serious illness has inhibited the student’s ability to continue enrollment in their classes and requires the student to leave the College for proper treatment. Students who are currently on Suspension, Dismissal, or who are Withdrawn from the College cannot be awarded a Medical Leave of Absence for the following semester.

The Medical Leave of Absence is granted by the College when the student intends for the departure to be temporary, with a return to Lake Forest College as soon as is possible (see the process for returning below). However, the federal government classifies a Medical Leave of Absence as analogous to a Withdrawal from the College, which means that certain privileges and expectations differ from the Personal Leave of Absence outlined above. In contrast to a PLOA, a Medical Leave of Absence can extend beyond one semester for any duration.

A student who is granted a Medical Leave of Absence is afforded the following privileges and must comply with the following expectations:

  • The student is considered unenrolled from the College.
  • The student must begin repayment of federal student loans immediately.
  • The Lake Forest College financial aid package would continue without re-evaluation, but the student must file a FAFSA per the deadline to maintain federal financial aid (if applicable).
  • The student may apply federal financial aid funds toward courses at other colleges/universities.
  • The student may take courses at other colleges/universities while on Medical Leave, and (with approval) transfer them to Lake Forest College.
  • The student cannot hold their place in any College courses for which they are registered in future semesters.
  • The student retains their academic advisor, unless the advisor is unavailable for reasons outside of the College’s control.
  • The student retains their Lake Forest College email and must comply with the Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources Policy.
  • If the student is enrolled in the College’s student insurance plan, the student relinquishes their insurance plan (unless they are departing before the spring semester and had already paid in full for the academic year).
  • The student is eligible to register for summer courses at the College, if the process of requesting to return has been completed and approved in advance.
  • Any room assignments (if applicable) will be cancelled and not reserved.
  • The student cannot participate in the room selection process for the following semester.
  • The student cannot participate in the course registration process for the following semester.
  • The hiatus from the College is not listed on the student’s transcript unless the student requests the relevant notation from the Office of the Registrar.
  • The student will receive a “W” notation on the transcript for any courses in progress at the time of the Medical Leave.
  • The student does not need to make a new deposit to return to the College.

To request a Medical Leave of Absence, the student should submit a written request to the Assistant Dean of Students/Director of Health and Wellness. The letter should explain:

  1. the reason for Medical Leave,
  2. the anticipated treatment that the student will seek while away,
  3. the student’s desired date of return, if known at the time of request.

Then, the student must meet with the Assistant Dean of Students/Director of Health and Wellness for an individualized assessment of the student’s request for a Medical Leave of Absence.

In some instances, the Assistant Dean of Students/Director of Health and Wellness will request documentation from a licensed medical provider detailing the reasons for the Medical Leave of Absence; all medical documentation is confidential and is kept in a secure file in the Health and Wellness Center.

Students requesting a Medical Leave should also:

  1. Check with the Financial Aid Office to protect future eligibility of scholarships, grants, and/or student loans.
  2. Clear Student Accounts. College refund policies apply for departures during the semester and the refund schedule is published online. Resident students will be charged on a pro-rated basis for any room and board usage.
  3. Return all College keys to Residence Life staff or Facilities Management, as applicable.
  4. Resident students must submit a housing cancellation form and be officially checked out of the residence hall by a member of the Residence Life staff within 48 hours of their leave being processed. No storage is available on campus.
  5. International students must discuss any proposed leave of absence with the Office of Intercultural Relations prior to the start of the leave.

If a Medical Leave is approved, the student will receive email notification from the Dean of Students Office. The student’s academic advisor and other relevant campus departments will also be notified.

Students who wish to return to the College after a Medical Leave of Absence when they are well enough to resume their studies must make a request to return via e-mail to the Dean of Students Office at least four weeks prior to the semester in which the student would like to return. The request to return includes two components:

  1. The student should ask their off-campus, licensed, medical provider to provide documentation in support of the student’s return to the Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Health and Wellness. This medical documentation should answer the following questions:
    • Is the student able to return to campus and independently manage their condition?
    • Is the student able to live independently in a residence hall environment?
    • What recommendations does the medical provider offer with respect to issues such as course load, residence hall assignment, and continued treatment, in order to support the student’s successful return to his or her academic program?
  2. The student should meet in person or via telephone with the Assistant Dean of Students/Director of Health and Wellness in order for the College to conduct an individualized assessment of the student’s readiness to return to degree-seeking student status. In some instances, the Assistant Dean of Students/Director of Health and Wellness may request additional documentation from a medical professional beyond what has been submitted, and/or ask the student to sign a release to allow communication with the outside provider, in order to make a more informed decision.

Withdrawals

A Withdrawal or an Administrative Withdrawal signifies an official departure from the College. Any student who wishes to return to the college must apply for readmission (see below).

In a situation where a student is withdrawing/withdrawn from the College, and is then subject to College action such as an academic or disciplinary suspension or dismissal, the suspension or dismissal will take priority over the withdrawal when the College notates a student’s status and official reason for leaving the College.

Withdrawal

A student may choose to Withdraw from the College prior to – or during – a semester. A Withdrawal applies to a student who intends to leave the College due to, for instance, transferring to another college/university or a pause in their academic career.

A student who is granted a Withdrawal is afforded the following privileges and must comply with the following expectations

  • The student is considered unenrolled from the College.
  • The student must reapply to return to the College.
  • Repayment of Federal Student Loans will begin immediately.
  • The student may apply federal financial aid funds toward courses at other colleges/universities.
  • The student may take courses at other colleges/universities while Withdrawn, and (with approval) transfer them back in, but only if readmitted to the College.
  • The student cannot hold their place in any College courses for which they are registered in future semesters.
  • The student relinquishes their academic advisor.
  • The student relinquishes their Lake Forest College email.
  • If the student is enrolled in the College’s student insurance plan, the student relinquishes their insurance plan (unless they are departing before the spring semester and had already paid in full for the academic year).
  • If the student wishes to register for summer courses at the College, the student must be approved for regular readmission in advance of the summer term.
  • Any room assignments (if applicable) will be cancelled and not reserved.
  • The student cannot participate in the room selection process for the following semester.
  • The student cannot participate in the course registration process for the following semester.
  • The student will receive a “W” for all courses they are passing at the time of the Withdrawal. The deadline to withraw from a course is the last day of classes in any given semester.

To request a Withdrawal, a student must:

  1. Complete and submit the Withdrawal Form and submit the Exit Survey. 
  2. International students must discuss a withdrawal from the College with the Office of Intercultural Relations prior to the withdrawal. 

The official date of withdrawal is usually the last date that the student has attended classes. College refund policies apply for departures during the semester and the refund schedule is published online. Resident students will be charged on a pro-rated basis for any room and board usage. Students approved for a Withdrawal who live on campus must move out and check out of their residence hall within 48 hours.

Failure to follow the Withdrawal procedures will result in the student’s transcript reflecting the grades earned in enrolled courses (including Fs for failures).

Administrative Withdrawal

In rare instances, a student may be Administratively Withdrawn from the College by the Dean of Students if the student is not fulfilling their academic obligations (e.g., not attending classes or completing academic work) and they have ignored institutional efforts toward resolution. A student who is Administratively Withdrawn by the Dean of Students for this reason will receive a WA on the transcript for that semester’s courses. WA indicates that the student was involuntarily withdrawn from the College due to abandonment of academic responsibilities.

Before an Administrative Withdrawal is assigned, the Dean of Students or designee will encourage the student to apply for a voluntary Withdrawal from the College.

In the case of Administrative Withdrawal, typical withdrawal policies will apply (see above).

Other Departures from the College

Program Leaves

A student may enroll during the fall or spring semester for one course at another institution while remaining registered for three courses at Lake Forest for that term. If approved by the student’s advisor, the program must be checked with the registrar to assure transferability of the work. If the work is satisfactorily completed with a grade of C- or better in each course, and the credits are transferred to Lake Forest College, the student will be reimbursed for the per-course cost of the tuition at the other institution up to the per-course cost of tuition at Lake Forest College for the same period.

Dual Degree Partnerships

A student may gain admission to a dual-degree partnership where the student departs Lake Forest College before graduating to enroll at a partner institution in order to earn an advanced degree. The student and their academic advisor must coordinate with the Registrar’s Office to pursue and establish this partnership.

Academic Suspensions and Dismissals

See the section on academic probation, suspension, and dismissal for more information about College-initiated separations from the College for academic reasons. In cases of suspension for academic reasons, students are not eligible for readmission for at least six calendar months. A student may be readmitted only once; a second suspension for academic reasons is known officially as an Academic Dismissal and becomes a permanent separation from the College for academic reasons. Academic probation, suspension, dismissal, and readmission are noted on the student’s official academic record and appear on transcripts sent outside the College.

Conduct Suspensions and Dismissals

See the Student Handbook for more information about College-initiated separations from the College for conduct (disciplinary) reasons, including but not limited to violations of residential policies and the Academic Honesty Policy. In cases of suspension for these or other disciplinary reasons, eligibility for readmission is stated at the time of suspension. A conduct dismissal is a permanent separation from the College. Conduct suspension and dismissal are noted on the student’s official academic record and appear on transcripts sent outside the College.

Readmission

Learn more about the readmission process. 

Students who wish to return to the College after a Withdrawal must seek readmission by formally reapplying. Students who seek readmission after two or more consecutive semesters away must comply with the Catalog requirements in effect for the academic term under which they are readmitted. Students who return after fewer than two full semesters have the option of conforming to the Catalog requirements under which they originally matriculated to the College.

Applications are expected to be submitted a minimum of four weeks prior to the start of the semester in which the student is applying to return. 

  1. an application through Slate, the Admission software, indicating the semester for which they hope to return
  2. responses to the following questions in the Slate application:
    • The reasons and circumstances for the student's departure from Lake Forest College.
    • A description of the student's activities since leaving the College, focusing on employment and college-level academic work.
    • A plan for future study a the College, including what changes have occurred since the withdrawal that have prepared the student to resume their undergraduate program of study.
  3. an official transcript of any undergraduate academic work completed during the Withdrawal, sent to the Office of Admissions.

Students who are reapplying must pay all accounts in full. Once accepted for readmission, the student must also submit another $200 deposit, and may apply for financial aid, as appropriate.

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