Leaves of absence and withdrawals
Students who decide to take a leave for a semester or a year must complete a Leave of Absence form in the Advising Center. A voluntary leave is normally granted to any student in good standing for up to a year; the extension of a leave to a second year requires special permission of the Dean of Students. Other types of leave may be requested or required as listed below.
Medical Leave
Students who are unable to continue their enrollment because of psychological or health problems must inform the Dean of Students Office of the need to leave the College, and submit a letter from the Health Services or their personal physician or therapist verifying their need for a leave. In cases of medical or psychological problems that interfere with the student's academic work or are disruptive to the community, the student may be required to take a leave by action of the College. Students who are granted medical leave are required to submit a statement from a physical indicating their readiness to return. Students placed on leave for psychological reasons are expected to be away from the College for a minimum of two semesters and are required to submit a statement from their therapist regarding their progress in treatment and prognosis when they return.
Administrative Leave
Students who are unable to meet College bills and cannot work out a satisfactory payment plan may be required by the Student Financial Services Office to take an administrative leave until such time as the account with the College is resolved.
Dean's Leave of Absence
The College may require a student to take a Dean's Leave of Absence, if, in the judgement of the Dean of Students, the student 1) poses a threat to the lives or safety of himself/herself or other members of the Wheaton community; 2) has a medical or psychological problem which cannot be properly treated in the College setting; or 3) has evidenced a medical condition or behavior that seriously interferes with the student's ability to function and/or seriously interferes with the educational pursuits or well-being of other members of the Wheaton community.
The student may be obligated to adhere to readmission requirements articulated by the Dean of Students as a condition of readmission to the College after the problem has been addressed.
Interim Suspension
In certain circumstances, the Dean of Students or a designee may impose a College or residence hall suspension prior to a hearing before the College Hearing Board or an administrator. Interim suspension may be imposed: 1) to ensure the safety and well-being of members of the College community or preservation of College property; 2) to ensure the student's own physical or emotional safety and well-being; or 3) if the student poses a definite threat of disruption or of interference with the normal operations of the College. During the interim suspension, a student may be denied access to the residence halls and/or to the campus (including classes) and/or all other College activities or privileges for which the student might otherwise be eligible, as the Dean of Students or designee may determine to be appropriate. A scheduled hearing, with either the College Hearing Board or an administrator, will determine the terms of the student's continuing status at the College.
Voluntary Withdrawal
If a student does not wish to remain at Wheaton or if personal circumstances affect a student's ability to continue at the College, he or she should first explore possible alternatives with one or more appropriate offices (Advising, Financial Aid, Dean of Students). If withdrawing from the College turns out to be the best step, the student must complete a withdrawal form available in the Advising Center.
Academic Withdrawal
A student who has failed to make adequate academic progress may be required to withdraw from Wheaton. Withdrawal for academic reasons normally occurs after a semester on academic probation or after earning a semester's GPA of less than 1.00. Academic suspension usually lasts two semesters. Students who have been withdrawn for academic reasons may be readmitted if they fulfill certain academic requirements specified by the Committee on Admissions and Academic Standing. Students who fail to return to academic good standing in the semester after their academic suspension face academic dismissal from the College.
Disciplinary Withdrawal/Suspension
Students may be withdrawn from the College by the Dean of Students or the College Hearing Board as a result of behavior that represents a serious breach of the norms of community living. Any student suspended by the Dean of Students or the College Hearing Board during the fall or spring semesters shall be automatically withdrawn from all classes that semester. These will be recorded with a WD notation on the student's transcript.
Administrative Withdrawal
Students on leave of absence who do not intend to return should contact the Dean of Students or the Registrar to request that their status be listed as voluntary withdrawal. Students on leave who fail to notify the College before the leave deadline of their intention to return the following semester will be administratively withdrawn.
Readmission
Students seeking readmission to the College must submit an application to the Committee on Admissions and Academic Standing. This will include a statement of their activities while away from the College and of their plans if readmitted. Students who have enrolled in another college or taken courses elsewhere must submit transcripts of that work with their application.
Those students who voluntarily withdraw from the College in academic good standing and with no history of medical, disciplinary, or academic problems may expect to be readmitted. Students who have a history of medical, disciplinary, or academic problems should understand that the Committee on Admissions and Academic Standing will be interested in determining how these problems have been addressed while the student has been away from Wheaton. The Committee will sometimes recommend that a student be conditionally readmitted with the understanding that specified expectations be met in order to continue.