CONTINUING AT THE UNIVERSITY
College of Arts and Science Academic Catalog 2009-2010
Non-attendance does not cancel registration and may result in failing grades and financial obligations to the University. Registration must be cancelled prior to the first day of class in order to avoid these consequences. Students who will not be attending for a semester, but who intend to return after an absence, must file the appropriate request for a leave of absence.
Leave of Absence. Any degree-seeking student who interrupts the pursuit of the degree must request an official Leave of Absence by submitting the appropriate form prior to the beginning of the first semester of absence. A student who drops all courses prior to the drop deadline must apply for a Leave of Absence. Leave of Absence may be granted for a maximum of two consecutive semesters. Students on Leave and those who re-enroll within one semester after an approved Leave of Absence will be permitted to complete the degree program as originally begun. Those who interrupt the pursuit of the degree for any reason other than approved Leave of Absence or academic suspension will be required to comply with any changes in academic regulations and degree requirements made during their absence of three or more consecutive semesters. They will be required to complete the General Education and Major Program requirements in effect at the time of re-enrollment at UMW.
There are three types of leave: (1) Personal Leave - for students who do not plan to take courses for one or two semesters for any reason (health, finances, etc.); (2) Study Leave - for students who plan to take pre-approved courses at another college or university in the United States; and (3) Study Abroad Leave - for students who plan to take courses in another country in a program preapproved by the Director of International Academic Services.
For a Personal Leave, B.A./B.S. students must submit a Request for Personal Leave of Absence form to the Office of the Registrar. BLS students submit the form to the BLS Office.
For a Study Leave, students must submit a Request for Study Leave of Absence form to the Office of the Registrar. Study leave will be granted to any qualified student who plans to enroll in a program, which has been fully approved by UMW in advance. After a student has chosen a program or school, applied and been accepted, he or she works with his or her major advisor to develop the most appropriate selection of courses for the semester or year. The student then obtains the appropriate transfer permission form from the Office of the Registrar, secures written approval from his or her major advisor for any major program courses, and submits this form to the Office of the Registrar for final course approval. This process must be completed prior to enrollment in any study leave coursework or the course(s) will not be transferred to UMW. A BLS student must seek permission from the BLS Office and complete appropriate paperwork prior to Study Leave.
For a Study Abroad Leave, the student must submit a Request for Study Abroad Leave of Absence form to the Director of International Academic Services (IAS).
Withdrawal for a term, voluntary. Regardless of the date, students who
wish to drop or withdraw from all of their courses are voluntarily withdrawing
from study for that term. Ceasing to attend classes does not constitute a
withdrawal and may result in failing grades as well as additional charges. Such
withdrawals must be completed by the last day of class for the session or term.
If students have received grades in a completed session of the term, they are
not eligible to withdraw. In this case, students may drop courses registered
for in the upcoming session; however, they are subject to drop policies for the
courses, and grades received for courses in completed sessions will be recorded
as part of the student’s permanent academic record for the term.
Students must complete a withdrawal form and obtain the required
approvals. A student who fails to withdraw properly may incur additional
charges and may receive failing grades. Students are fully responsible for all
outstanding charges on their accounts. Students will not be permitted to return to the university or register for courses until their account is cleared. Students
living in the residence halls must vacate their rooms if they withdraw for the
term.A degree student who withdraws may return to study within three terms,
without applying for readmission to the university, if the student’s cumulative
grade-point average is 2.0 or higher, the student’s account is in good standing,
and all other obligations to the university have been met. If a student
withdraws with a cumulative GPA under 2.00 and is not on an approved leave
of absence, the student must appeal to the Committee on Academic Standing
for reinstatement. If a student is withdrawn for more than three consecutive
terms, the student must apply for readmission. Information on readmission is
available in the Readmission/Reinstatement section. Any refunds due at the
time of withdrawal are based on the refund schedule for the term published
in the University’s Guide to Registration. Such withdrawals are noted on the
student’s permanent record.
Withdrawal from the university. Students who discontinue attendance for three consecutive semesters or more (including a term in which the student withdrew from the University) are no longer considered to be in a degree program at the University and are withdrawn from the University. Students who wish to return to study must reapply for admission following the process described in the section on Readmission/Reinstatement.