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Leave of Absence, Transfer, and Readmission

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Personal Leaves

Students may request personal leaves of absence from a dean and, if granted, withdraw from the College. Such time away, often as a period of reassessment and self evaluation, can prove to be educationally beneficial. A withdrawal in good standing may be granted for not less than one semester and not more than three years. Students who withdraw in good standing are readmitted with the approval of the Dean’s Office and are expected to complete the degree without further interruption.

Students may request permission from a dean to withdraw at any time. If a student is granted a personal leave of absence after the semester begins, but before the end of the drop/add period, the transcript will list the date of withdrawal as the day before the term began. If a personal leave is granted after the end of the drop/add period, but before the end of the eighth week of the semester, the transcript will list the date of withdrawal, but the semester will not count toward the maximum of eight allowed to complete the degree. If a personal withdrawal is allowed after the eighth week of the semester, the transcript will list the date of withdrawal and the courses in progress, each with a W; the semester will normally count toward the maximum of eight allowed to complete the degree and the student will incur deficiencies that must be made up before returning to the College.

Medical Leaves

Students with medical and/or psychological conditions may request leaves of absence from a dean and, if granted, withdraw from the College in good standing. Verification of the condition, along with a recommendation for the leave, must be provided from an appropriate professional.

If a student withdraws for medical reasons, the transcript will simply indicate the date of withdrawal without further explanation. If the withdrawal occurs after the start of a term, no courses in progress will be listed and the semester will not count toward the maximum of eight allowed for completing the degree.

Medical leaves may be granted at any time and readmission is contingent upon the condition being resolved or managed successfully. Therefore, there is no mandated minimum length for a medical leave. While on leave, it is advisable for the student to seek necessary medical attention and to document the steps taken and progress made. This information will be part of the readmission process along with assessments from appropriate medical and/or psychological professionals. Additional information may be sought and might include a personal interview and input from family members, employers, or others who interacted with the student while on leave. In cases where there has been significant psychiatric or psychotherapeutic involvement, the student may be required to meet with a member of the College’s psychological counseling service. In addition, in order to judge the degree of recovery and readiness to confront the academic and social challenges of Williams, the student may be required to be evaluated by an outside mental health professional selected and paid for by the College as part of the readmission process.

Final decisions about readmission are made by the Dean’s Office.

Mandatory Medical Leave

The College may require the withdrawal of a student who has any illness, behavior or condition that might endanger or be damaging to the health or welfare of the student or any other member of the college community, or whose illness, behavior or condition is such that it cannot be treated or managed effectively while the student is a member of the college community. A student who leaves the College under such circumstances normally will be required to spend at least one academic year away before readmission is considered.

Refunds of payment or credit on student accounts in the event of withdrawal are as follows:

Fall Semester 2009			Winter Study/Spring Semester 2010
Date of Withdrawal			Date of Withdrawal
Prior to Start of classes		100% (tuition, room, board)	Prior to start of Classes
Week 1	September 10-16	90% (tuition, board only)	February 4-10
Week 2	September 17-23	80% (tuition, board only)	February 11-17
Week 3	September 24-30	70% (tuition, board only)	February 18-24
Week 4	October 1-7	60% (tuition, board only)	February 25-March 3
Week 5	October 8-14	50% (tuition, board only)	March 4-10
Week 6	October15-21	40% (tuition, board only)	March 11-17
Week 7	October 22-28	30% (tuition, board only)	March 18-24
Week 8	October 29 - November 4	20% (tuition, board)	March 25-31
No refund after November 4, 2009			No refund after March 31, 2010

Housing and miscellaneous fees are not pro-rated after the start of classes. Insured students withdrawing after 31 days of the period for which the student is covered will remain covered under the Plan for the full period for which the premium had been paid.

For students receiving Title IV federal funds, repayment of federal funds on a pro-rata basis will be determined up to the 60% point of the semester per federal regulation. Please note that withdrawal late in the semester could result in a balance owed to the College for federal aid that must be returned to the program.

Repayment is first made to federal programs in the following order: Unsubsidized Federal Direct Stafford Loan, Subsidized Federal Direct Stafford Loan, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Direct PLUS Loan, Federal Pell Grant, Federal SEOG, Federal SSIG, Robert Byrd Scholarship. Any remaining credit balance reimburses other sources in the following order: Williams scholarship, other scholarships, other parent loan programs and family.

Check List for Students Taking a Leave of Absence

• Notify parents of intention to withdraw
  Talk with your faculty advisor about your plans
• Meet with a Financial Aid Officer if you receive financial aid
• Required exit interview with the Student Loan Administrator if you have a student loan
• Check with the Bursar about your account, computer payment, continuation of major medical coverage, etc.
• Check with telephone service
• Leave forwarding address in Paresky
• Check with Housing Office for any liability on damages
• Return room key Housing Office (there is a $75 charge for keys not returned)
• Upperclass students: settle house bills with house treasurer
• Notify campus employer
• Exchange students: notify home institutions
• Notify host institution if you had applied to study away next semester
• Return books to library, including 1914 Library
• Clean out gym locker and music locker
• Clean out laboratories and check all equipment
• Return band instruments
• Return your I.D. card to Security
• International Students: Check with International Student Advisor to review immigration status
• Inform your professors of your plans (the Dean’s Office does this officially, but you should do it as a courtesy)