Leave of Absence

A Student may request a Leave of Absence from all courses if s/he needs to be absent for more than two consecutive weeks of class(es). The formal institutional guidelines for this procedure are:

1. Students must request the leave of absence in writing, signed and dated, prior to the leave of absence unless unforeseen circumstances prevent the student from doing so. If that is the case, the circumstances must be documented.
2. Documentation supporting the request should be submitted concurrently with the request.
3. The written request and documentation should be sent to the Office of the Registrar or to the appropriate Campus Center Director.
4. All faculty members concerned will be provided the requested materials for review. This is necessary so that potential problems associated with grading or required assignments can be dealt with. The faculty member may make arrangements to allow the student to complete the coursework that s/he began prior to the leave of absence. The student cannot begin a new semester/term without having completed all conditions of the previously approved leave of absence.
5. Faculty members will respond, in writing, to the Office of the Registrar or Campus Center Director, concerning their agreement or disagreement to the terms of the leave of absence.
6. The student and faculty must agree, in writing, on the nature of the coursework that must be completed in order to successfully receive credit for the class.
7. In addition to the faculty member, the appropriate Associate Dean or Regional Director will be provided all materials pertaining to the leave of absence.
8. If all parties agree to the terms of the leave, the leave may be granted. There must be a reasonable expectation that the student will return to school.
9. The approved leave request and all supporting documentation will be forwarded to the following individuals as appropriate for the student:
   • Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs
   • Controller
   • Associate Vice President Distance Learning
   • Faculty
   • Associate Vice President for Student Affairs
   • Campus Center Director
   • Student Financial Aid
   • Associate Dean
   • Registrar
   • Regional Director
10. A student may be granted no more than one leave of absence in any 12-month period and it may not exceed 180 days. The institution will not place additional charges on the student’s account for completion of the course work upon return from the leave of absence. An approved leave of absence will not affect a student’s in-school status for the purposes of deferring federal loans.
11. One 30-day extension may be granted due to unforeseen circumstances, such as jury duty, military reasons or circumstances covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.
12. If a student does not return from an approved leave of absence, the student’s withdrawal date and the beginning of the student’s grace period for federal loans will be the date the student began the leave of absence. This may exhaust some or all of the student’s grace period for federal loans, putting the student into repayment status.
13. In order to totally withdraw: Students enrolled through the Parkville Daytime Campus Center must initiate withdrawal from all classes and/or residence hall in the Student Assistance Center. Students enrolled in an accelerated eight or nine week program must initiate the withdrawal with the appropriate Campus Center Director. Students continuing enrollment but wishing to withdraw from an individual class must do so at their Campus Center. Withdrawals by Park email or fax will be accepted.