Leave of Absence Policy and Procedure

AC-REG-POLPRO-016
Leave of Absence Policy and Procedure
DepartmentAcademic
Approval DateMay 7, 2020
Effective DateSeptember 8, 2020

Organizational Scope

The Policy applies to all students in good standing enrolled in full or part-time base-funded programs* offered in The Michener Institute of Education at UHN (“Michener”).

*Students in joint programs must refer to their program handbook.

Purpose

This Policy provides the framework for a student to request a Leave of Absence and for the review of the request by the Academic Chair.

Definitions

Academic Chair: The head of an academic program or a group of programs.

Good Standing: Academic Standing once a student completes a semester or term successfully and continues on to the next semester or term.

Program: An approved program at Michener.

Student: An individual who has been admitted to and enrolled in a Program.

Policy

A student who has successfully completed (is in good standing) the first semester of their program may request a leave of absence from their program of study due to prolonged illness, injury, or due to personal circumstances which make it temporarily impossible to continue in the program. The Academic Chair will review the request and may require documentation to support the request.

Approved leaves of absence are not to extend beyond one year. Except in extreme circumstances, students will not be granted more than one leave during their period of study of any one specific program. Where it is in the student’s best interest conditions for return may be established by the program (e.g. model route change requirements, health).

Leave of Absence approvals are subject to the Withdrawal Policy timelines, tuition refund schedules and OSAP rules and regulations.

Eligibility:

First year students who withdraw for ANY reason during the first semester of studies are required to reapply for admission through the Ontario College Application service (OCAS) and are not eligible for a Leave of Absence.

Consequence:

The timing of a Leave of Absence request may impact a student’s GPA and Academic Standing. Students must refer to the Withdrawal and Tuition Refund Policy and Procedure.

A return from a Leave of Absence is considered a readmission and students may only be readmitted to a program one time.

Procedure:

Students must complete an Official Leave of Absence Form available from the Registrar’s Office or online and must meet with the Academic Chair to review the request. The Academic Chair may request substantiating documentation for the request and will determine the student’s eligibility for the Leave of Absence. The Academic Chair will indicate his/her decision on the Official Leave of Absence Form, the length of the leave if granted along with any conditions for return to the program. A copy of the form will be kept in the program student file and the student will be directed to submit the signed Leave of Absence form to the Registrar’s Office.

The Registrar’s Office will ensure all administrative and financial details are finalized including withdrawal from the current semester and will notify the Program Communication Liaison Officer, the Program Administrative Assistant, IM, Blackboard and Health Services that the student is on a Leave of Absence and the expected return date as noted on the form. The form will be placed in the official student record.

The Academic Chair will provide a letter to the student outlining the terms of the Leave of Absence and return to the program. This letter will be copied to the Registrar who will ensure:

  • Records and Registration staff in the Registrar’s Office update the student’s academic record with the relevant status; and
  • Admissions staff in the Registrar’s Office update the student’s applicant record to a status of readmit for the Academic Year and term of return.

Students seeking readmission must:

  • Pay the non-refundable $500 tuition deposit a minimum of one semester prior to the semester of return; and
  • Meet all terms and conditions for readmission as outlined in the Academic Chair’s letter.

At the deadline noted in the Chair’s letter, Admissions staff will review the student’s readmission application to ensure all terms and conditions of the return to studies have been fulfilled and will notify the Program of the student’s readmission.

Standards:

The duration of the student’s leave of absence will be clearly indicated on the Official Leave of Absence Form that is completed by the Academic Chair. Any modifications to the original request must be clearly updated on the original request form and must be communicated to the Registrar’s Office.

Consequence:

Should a student not:

  • Pay the non-refundable $500 tuition deposit a minimum of one semester prior to the semester of return; and
  • Meet all terms and conditions for readmission as outlined in the Academic Chair’s letter

the student will be permanently withdrawn from their program of study and notified by the Registrar.

Associated Documentation

Revision History

Date Reviewer Change(s) Made
February 18, 2011 Bill Pittman Document revised
March 21, 2011 Academic Approval Council Approved
October 23, 2013 Academic Approval Council Clarified the connection to the Withdrawal Policy
June 15, 2017 Wendy Pais Document reviewed; no changes required
August 9, 2019 AAC AA “ The Michener Institute of Education at UHN, School for Applied Health Sciences (“Michener”)” added to scope; and amendment to associated documents to reference NEW Withdrawal and Tuition Refund Policy and Procedure
May 7, 2020 Cathy Carson Aligns policy and procedure, adds definitions, clarifies scope and purpose, clearly define the process, roles and responsibilities for initiating the leave and returning from the leave, and insertion of lifeline statement.