Student Handbook 2023-24 > Academic Policies and Procedures > Leave of absence (LOA)

Leave of absence (LOA)

Students in good academic standing may request a leave of absence (LOA) for up to 180 days in any 12-month period. To initiate a leave of absence, students should meet with their advisor and request a leave of absence form from the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs. Documentation of the reason for the leave of absence (medical or otherwise) may accompany the request for a leave, if requested. The request, if approved, and any accompanying documentation will be forwarded to the Registrar for processing and placed in the student’s academic file. Students may not transfer credits to Olin that are earned during a leave of absence.

When an LOA is approved, student status will be noted as “On Leave.” If a leave is not approved, students have the right to appeal the decision to the Dean of Student Affairs within two weeks of the date of the denial of leave. There are two kinds of leaves:

• A leave of absence mid-semester: This type of leave is requested when a semester is in active session*. In this case, all courses for which the student is registered will be temporarily designated as Incomplete/ Leave of Absence (IL). Any course that is not subsequently completed will then be changed to a grade of Leave/No Record (L/NR) and will be recorded internally for that course. Incomplete/Leave of Absence and Leave/No Record grades do not affect the student’s grade point average. The effective date of this leave is the approval date of the leave. Incomplete/Leave of Absence grades must be completed no later than 90 days after the student’s return date, or at another date determined by the faculty member and advisor.

  *This active session does not include the study or final exam period. If a student has an unexpected event that impacts his or her ability to take a final exam, he or she should refer to the Excused Absences for Final Assessments policy.

• A leave of absence between semesters: This type of a leave is requested for a future semester when there is a circumstance that impacts the student’s ability to continue in sequence. In this type of leave, there are no grade entries made. The student’s schedule for the ensuing semester will be deleted. The student will be placed on leave effective the first day of the upcoming semester for up to 180 days in any 12-month period.
• If a student does not return from a leave of absence or extends beyond the maximum 180 days in any 12-month period, the student will be withdrawn from the college back to the original date of the leave. All Incomplete/Leave of Absence grades will be changed to Leave/No Record. NOTE: this applies to both types of leaves.

Returning from a Leave

All students taking an LOA are expected to return in the semester following the leave.  Therefore, they will be given a registration time and should contact Housing no later than 30 days before the start of a return semester. When considering housing needs, notification is best made in October for spring returns and April for fall returns.