Leaves of Absence
Two kinds of leaves of absence are available to students: personal leaves and emergency/medical leaves. Students should see the Dean for Student Academic Support and Advising in the Division of Student Affairs to request these leaves.
Personal Leaves: A personal leave of absence enables a student to work, to travel, or to pursue interests not involving formal studies. Students are allowed up to two semesters of a leave of absence for personal reasons between the times they matriculate and graduate from Grinnell.
The application includes a written portion available at the Division of Student Affairs and an in-person interview with the Dean for Student Academic Support and Advising. Applications are normally due in the semester prior to the requested leave, but late requests will be considered through noon of the fifth day of classes during the leave semester. By noon on the fifth day, a student must be on campus and registered for courses, or he/she/zi must have submitted the paperwork to the Academic Advising Office requesting a Personal Leave. All other students are automatically withdrawn from the College (See “Withdrawing from the College” below.).
For a student in standing (see definition under “Academic Review” section), no qualifications are necessary to obtain a personal leave. A student who is on academic probation or who has received an academic warning may be required by the Committee on Academic Standing to submit a statement of how he or she proposes to complete the degree program after returning from leave.
A student may request permission to count a maximum of 6 credits completed on leave toward satisfaction of Grinnell degree requirements. Summer is not considered part of the Leave of Absence, students may earn up to 18 credits over two summers. This number is subject to maximum allowable transfer credits (see section on Transfer, Advanced Placement and Examination Credits). The student submits a “Transfer Course Approval Form” to the Registrar. Personal leave semesters do not count toward the residency requirement.
Students who have taken a personal leave apply to the Dean for Student Academic Support and Advising in the Division of Student Affairs to re-enroll at the College. Students who do not contact the Division of Student Affairs and who fail to re-enroll after their period of leave will be withdrawn from the College.
The College supports an exception to our two semester personal leave policy in situations where students are required by their home government to perform military service. Students should complete the standard Personal Leave of Absence application, and all normal procedures and deadlines apply. Further, students should check with the Assistant Dean and Director of International Student Affairs to ensure clear understanding of visa implications.
Emergency/Medical Leaves: Any student needing to take time off from Grinnell due to circumstances such as illness, family emergency or military service may request an emergency leave of absence, normally not to exceed two semesters. Students should present their situations with documentation to the Dean for Student Academic Support and Advising in the Division of Student Affairs prior to registration for classes or anytime during the semester up to 5:00 p.m. of the last day of classes. If a student takes an emergency leave by the end of the third week of the semester, all courses enrolled in for the semester and not yet completed are deleted from the student’s record. Students granted emergency leaves after the third week of the semester will have the “W” transcript notation assigned to all of their courses. Refunds for a semester in progress are granted according to the policy in the Grinnell College Catalog.
A student may request permission to count a maximum of 6 credits completed while on leave toward satisfaction of Grinnell degree requirements. Summer is not considered part of the Leave of Absence, students may earn up to 18 credits over two summers. This number is subject to maximum allowable transfer credits (see section on Transfer, Advanced Placement and Examination Credits). The student submits a “Transfer Course Approval Form” to the Registrar. Semesters spent on leave do not count toward the residency requirement.
Students seeking to return from an emergency leave apply to the Dean for Student Academic Support and Advising in the Division of Student Affairs.
Withdrawal from the College
Students withdrawing from the College during a semester must indicate their intentions in writing to the Division of Student Affairs, and if possible, discuss their reasons for withdrawing with the Dean of Students. Refunds for a semester in progress are granted according to the policy in the Grinnell College Catalog.
If a student withdraws from the College by the end of the third week of the semester, all courses enrolled in for the semester and not yet completed are deleted from the student’s record. If withdrawal occurs from Monday of the fourth week of classes through Friday of the ninth week of classes, a transcript entry of “W” is recorded for each of the courses not yet completed. Students withdrawing after the ninth week of classes or after the end of the semester will receive the grades assigned by their instructors; in these cases, any Committee on Academic Standing action based on grades earned for the semester will be posted along with the withdrawal on the student’s official College transcript.
Readmission to the College
Students who withdraw cannot apply for readmission to the College unless they have been away for a minimum of two semesters. Withdrawn students wanting to return to the College must submit a request to the Registrar by the transfer student application deadline. A student who has been readmitted may request permission to count a maximum of 6 credits completed while withdrawn from the College toward satisfaction of Grinnell degree requirements. The student submits a “Transfer Course Approval Form” to the Registrar. Semesters during which a student was withdrawn do not count toward the residency requirement. Students who withdraw while on probation or suspension must meet the terms of their probation, if readmitted. All readmitted students must satisfy the graduation requirements in effect at the time of their readmission. Summer and winter interim study credits can be transferred to Grinnell for students returning from a Leave of Absence or Suspension, but cannot be counted for students readmitted after withdrawal.
