Leave of Absence
One of the benefits of MyWay at UMHB is to allow students to take a Leave of Absence from their coursework for a brief time to attend to family, work, or other personal situations while intending to return to their coursework. A Leave of Absence allows a student to temporarily discontinue participation in the program for up to one (1) six-month term, without charge for that term, and to return to the program where they left off with no additional application or fees. Students may access the temporary leave of absence form on MyCampus.
Number of Allowable Leaves of Absence:
Students may not take more than two (2) Leaves of Absence in any six (6) consecutive term periods.
Leaves of Absence of any length cannot be taken in consecutive terms; the student must reenter and fully participate in the program for at least one (1) full six-month term before a second Leave of Absence can be taken.
Types of Leave:
- Leave of Absence Between Terms: A leave of absence between terms can be requested in writing at least fifteen (15) calendar days prior to the beginning of the student’s next term. A Leave of Absence can be requested in one (1) month increments, not to exceed six (6) months in duration.
- Emergency Leave of Absence During a Term: This type of leave will only be granted in catastrophic emergency situations by contacting the Associate Dean of Digital Learning and Innovation . If granted, it will determined with the student the needed length of the emergency leave of absence, not to exceed six (6) months.
The refund policy, found within the Refunds section of this catalog, will apply to leaves of absence requests.
Prior to a Leave of Absence:
Any outstanding balance must be paid prior to starting a Leave of Absence. The student must participate in a Leave of Absence guidance session with the success coach no later than the 9th day of the month in which scheduled (non-emergency) leave begins.
During a Leave of Absence:
A student’s degree plan assessments and corresponding resources (success coaches, courses of study, learning communities, and online learning resources) are not available to the student during a Leave of Absence. However, the student is encouraged to stay in touch with the success coach and also to check UMHB email regularly.
Extension of Leave:
If the leave is initially granted for less than a 6-month increment, but the student’s circumstances require leave for the remainder of the six-month period, the student may request to extend the leave for the remainder of the six-month term by submitting a written request for extension at least fifteen (15) calendar days prior to the program reentry date designated on the original Leave of Absence granted.
Abbreviation of Leave:
If the student ultimately needs less than the approved amount of leave, he/she may request early reentry by submitting a written request.
Re-entry into Program:
If the Leave of Absence is granted, the student must reenter the MyWay at UMHB program and resume active program participation on the date designated. Failure to resume active program participation status on that date will be deemed by the University as voluntary withdrawal and the student must apply for re-admission.
Students must contact the success coach no later than fifteen (15) calendar days prior to the scheduled return date to enroll in the next term and to discuss other procedures for returning. The next term’s tuition must be paid according to the payment policy. Although the University will make every effort to assist the student in reentering the program, the student is not guaranteed that space will be available for the next term following a leave of absence.
Students returning after a Leave of Absence will remain under the academic requirements in place at the time of the beginning of the Leave of Absence. Upon completion of the Leave of Absence, the student’s access to the University’s Learning Management System (LMS) will automatically be reactivated and the student will be charged all applicable tuition and fees for the next term.
The student’s academic standing will be determined by the academic work completed in that term prior to the Leave of Absence, using the same criteria outlined within the Academic Standards section of this catalog. (i.e. If the student completes at least 3 credits, he/she will remain in good standing but graduation may be delayed. If a student completes less than 3 credits, he/she will be placed on academic warning upon return for the next 6-month term, etc.).
Leave of Absence as outlined in this policy may be requested as an accommodation for a student’s own disability by contacting UMHB’s Disability Services office
directly. More information can be found in this catalog in the Students Seeking Disability Accommodations section.