Withdrawal Policy

Withdrawal from College

Students who withdraw from the College during a semester also withdraw from all of their classes for that semester. Full-time students withdraw from the College through the Center for Student Success; part-time students withdraw through the Office of Registration and Records. Students who withdraw during the semester are expected to leave the campus as of the effective date of their withdrawal.

For purposes of billing, room reservation, academic responsibility, etc., the effective date of withdrawal is the date on which the completed official notice is returned to the Center for Student Success or the Office of Registration and Records. A student who withdraws without notification receives no refunds and may incur the full room penalty. Failure to comply with withdrawal procedures may result in loss of the privilege of readmission to the College and the right to the release of a transcript of credits earned. Additional information on the Institutional Refund Policy as it relates to withdrawals is contained in the Tuition and Financial Aid chapter.

Medical Withdrawal

A student may withdraw from the College for reason of a serious illness or similar, medically related circumstances. Medical withdrawal assumes an incapacity that prohibits acceptable academic performance, not simply a hardship or inconvenience. Such withdrawal requires written verification from a physician, including diagnosis and dates of treatment. Upon receipt of verification, a proportionate refund is granted. Students granted a medical withdrawal must have approval from the Director of Counseling Services before returning to the College.

Medical withdrawal is withdrawal from the College and therefore from all courses. A student does not selectively withdraw from individual courses under the rubric of medical withdrawal.

Leave of Absence

Students in good academic standing may take a leave of absence from the College for a period of time not to extend beyond the academic year in which the leave is taken. Leaves of absence can be requested for personal reasons (e.g., to address a family issue) or for academic reasons (e.g., to study in an approved off-campus program). For most off-campus programs, students must work through the Office of International Programs. Application for off-campus programs must be made through the Office of International Programs no later than the registration period of the semester prior to the one in which the leave begins. Administrative fees for off-campus programs are payable at the time a student applies for the leave. A leave is approved upon the student’s acceptance into the program. Registration information is sent to students on leave prior to registration. The registration form and deposit must be returned to the Office of Registration and Records by May 1 or December 1 to ensure a place in the College and in courses. All other leaves of absence (i.e., those not involving an approved off-campus program) must be approved by the Director of the Center for Student Success.

Students who leave the College in good academic standing (minimum 2.00 cumulative grade point average) gain readmission by written request to the Office of Registration and Records. Students who leave the College while in academic difficulty (below 2.00 cumulative grade point average) must petition the Academic Standing Committee for readmission. A student who is readmitted to the College after an absence of five successive years may petition to have previous grades of F removed from his/her cumulative grade point average. In order to be eligible to petition for this, students must have completed 16 consecutive credits at Elizabethtown and earned a grade of C or better in each class. If the petition is approved, the old F grades remain on the transcript but are removed from the student’s overall grade point average. For further information, students should consult with the Office of Registration and Records.