Leave of Absence
Students may find it necessary to take a temporary leave from the University for personal or professional reasons. Anytime a student receiving financial aid takes a leave of absence, there are financial aid implications. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with a financial aid counselor prior to making the decision to take a leave, to understand the implications.
In order to take a Leave of Absence (LOA), a student files the Application for a Leave of Absence form with the Registrar’s Office. A student may apply for only one term of LOA (Fall and Spring semesters only; Summer terms do not count toward a LOA). Subsequent terms in which a student remains unenrolled will be considered as a withdrawal from the university, in keeping with current federal guidelines. Graduate programs require the signature of the program director on the LOA form.
Students who have been academically dismissed from the University do not qualify for a voluntary Leave of Absence.
Students who do not intend to return to the University must complete an Application for Withdrawal from the University instead; please see the Withdrawal from the University section below for further information.
Students called to active military duty
Students who are called to active military duty during an academic term are eligible for three possible options listed below. Students receiving financial aid are strongly encouraged to meet with a financial aid counselor before choosing one of the options below, as they impact financial aid differently.
1. The student may choose to withdraw from the institution, retroactive to the beginning of the academic term, with a full refund of tuition and fees for that term, in accordance with Section 824 of the Military and Veterans Code. Please see the Withdrawal from the University section of this catalog for further information on the withdrawal process.
2. If at least 75% of the term has been completed, the student may choose to request that the instructor assign a final grade for the course based on the work the student has completed. The instructor shall make the final decision as to whether to grant the student's request.
3. If the instructor assigns a grade of Incomplete for the course, the student is allowed a minimum of four weeks after returning to the institution to complete the course requirements.* Additional time may be granted if alternative arrangements are made with the instructor, and provided that the alternative arrangements are consistent with the requirements of Section 824 of the Military and Veterans Code.
*If the active military duty extends beyond one academic year, and/or if the original instructor of the course is no longer teaching at the university when the student returns, alternate arrangements will be made for the student to complete the course or select another option.
Deadlines
Registered students who file the LOA form in the Registrar’s Office prior to the deadline for a tuition refund and the deadline to drop courses will be partially refunded, and they will be dropped from all registered courses for the semester. The policies and deadline for a refund are found in the Tuition Refund policy, found on the Business Services Office web page.
If the Leave of Absence form is filed in the Registrar’s Office after these dates, or if no form is filed, all tuition, fees, and other appropriate charges will be due. If the form is filed before the deadline to Withdraw from courses, all registered courses for the term will be assigned a ‘W’ (Withdrawn) grade. However, if the form is filed after the withdraw deadline, or if a student stops attending course without filing the LOA form, failing (‘F’ or ‘UF’) grades may be posted to the student’s record.
Taking Off-Campus Courses while on LOA
Students who wish to enroll in coursework at other institutions during their LOA from the University should submit an Authorization to Take Courses Off-Campus from with the Registrar’s Office. This form is used to obtain pre-approval that the proposed coursework is transferable to Dominican and is applicable to a requirement or an elective in the student’s degree program. Courses taken off-campus without prior approval may not be counted toward the degree, or eligible for transfer to Dominican.
Official transcripts for all coursework taken off-campus must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office as soon as possible following the course completion.
Returning from a Leave of Absence
In order to re-enroll after an LOA, students must submit the Re-Enrollment Application, a paper registration form, and official transcripts for any coursework they have taken off-campus during the LOA. For further information regarding re-enrollment, please see the Re-Enrollment section of this catalog.
Returning students who were on Academic Probation or Academic Warning at the time of filing the LOA form will remain on Academic Probation/Warning for one semester. Such students are subject to the same criteria for academic good standing outlined above; see the Academic Standing section of this catalog for further information.
Students returning within two semesters may retain the graduation requirements in effect at the time of first matriculation; students who do not return within two semesters may be required to meet the graduation requirements in effect at the time of their re-enrollment.