A Montreat College student may request a Short-Term Leave of Absence (STLOA) when they, or an immediate family member[1], experience a significant health emergency or life event that requires an absence of more than two class days in a row but not more than two full weeks of class. The STLOA authorizes absence from official class sessions for the time the student is gone from campus.
If a Short-Term Leave of Absence is approved, the student will not be penalized for missed class time. Upon return to classes, the student is responsible for making up missed assignments on a schedule prescribed by the instructor.
Examples of a significant health emergency or life event include (but are not limited to):
- Illness/injury
- Illness/injury of an immediate family member requiring care by the student
- Emotional health and/or safety concerns (risk to self or others)
- Death of an immediate family member
- Birth or adoption of a child
The approval of a Short-Term Leave of Absence is based on the expectation that the student will resume their studies at the end of the absence. If the period of approved absence expires and the student does not return to campus and resume study, the student will be administratively withdrawn from the term, with no impact on GPA (i.e. grades of “W” will be assigned).
In consideration of requesting the STLOA, the student should understand the following:
- Virtual instruction (synchronous remote class participation) is not offered/provided.
- A student is not allowed to submit make-up work to improve a grade once the final grade has been submitted[2].
- The STLOA will not impact a student’s semester charges or alter the refund policy.
- The STLOA may be applied only once per semester.
- The student may not participate in athletics or other College activities during the leave.
Process for Requesting a Short-Term Leave of Absence
A student experiencing a qualifying event as described above should:
- Contact the Registrar’s Office (registrar@montreat.edu) to request a link to the online form
- Submit the online Short-Term Leave of Absence Form
- Attach relevant documentation (as outlined on the Short-Term Leave of Absence Request Form)
The request and approval for Short-Term Leave of Absence must be completed before leave begins for a known or scheduled event. In the case of an unexpected or emergency event, the student must submit the form within the timeframe of the requested leave. Short-Term Leave of Absence will not be retroactively approved.
The completed form will be reviewed by the Associate Dean for Learning, Calling and Career. If approved, the form will be forwarded to the Registrar for recording and the student and appropriate parties will be notified. If denied, the form will be returned to the student with the reason(s) for denial. Additional documentation to support the leave of absence request may be requested by school officials. The decision is not subject to appeal.
The student will be responsible for making arrangements with instructors to complete missed assignments/course requirements. This must occur no less than the third day of class meetings after returning from the STLOA.
[1] Or family member with whom the student lives (based on existing institutional records)
[2] The student would need to be issued an incomplete grade in order to submit coursework after the end of the semester in which the course was scheduled.