University Policy and Procedures for Leave of Absence

The University recognizes that circumstances may occur during the period of a student's academic enrollment which necessitate or make advisable temporary withdrawal from a program of study. In such circumstances a leave of absence may be granted which will allow the student to be absent from an academic program for a specified period of time without academic penalty. In all such cases, however, the following procedures must be followed to assure authorized withdrawals from, and return to, academic programs. Informal agreements regarding leaves of absence are not advised since they may jeopardize the rights of the student to return to school without academic penalty as well as the right of the department to fix the conditions of a student's return.

Students must first contact the Undergraduate Advisor for the Program in Medical Laboratory Science and then refer to the Leave of Absence procedure.

The Department may request a medical opinion from a physician designated by the Department prior to acting upon an undergraduate student's request to return from a leave which was granted for medical reasons. If functional capabilities are questionable, a return may be probationary for a specified period of time. A written decision regarding probationary status shall be included in the student's file.

Students should realize that, because of the sequence of courses within the Program in Medical Laboratory Science, taking a Leave of Absence for one semester may necessitate that the student refrain from taking program courses an additional semester. Courses taught in sequence in a fall or spring semester will not be re-taught until the following fall or spring. There is no summer registration to make up missing courses to stay in cycle.

Students requesting to extend a Leave of Absence beyond two semesters will be dropped from the Program in Medical Laboratory Science and will have to reapply for admission to the Program the semester they plan on returning to the University.