Returning after Academic Suspension – Albright College

Returning after Academic Suspension

Academic suspension is a period of time for a student to strengthen their academic skills and to resolve some of the issues that may have prevented satisfactory academic progress, such as family stress, financial challenges, or health and wellness issues. Readmission is not guaranteed. To be considered for return, students must demonstrate that they have addressed the issues that hindered their progress and are able and prepared to do serious academic work at the College. This can happen through at least one of the following ways:

  1. You may take at least 3 concurrent courses at an accredited institution and earn at least a B (3.00) average with no grade less than a C-. The courses should be comparable to Albright College courses; approval from the Albright College Registrar’s Office should be obtained before enrolling in the courses. Please send your transcript and a letter describing your academic success to the Registrar’s Office.
  2. You may work, do community service, and/or engage in volunteer activities that will demonstrate a seriousness of purpose. The level of engagement should be approximately full-time for a minimum of three months. There must be a direct connection between the experience and your readiness to return to the rigor of college. To document your achievement, include a letter of reference from your supervisor and a personal statement that explains how your experience has prepared you to return to campus. These materials should be forwarded to the Registrar’s Office.
  3. If you believe that your academic struggles were significantly impacted by a mental health condition, you may participate in an extended treatment program. This means that you will work with a licensed mental health professional (social worker, psychologist and /or psychiatrist) consistently for a minimum of 4 months and follow the treatment recommendations. The treating professional will submit a detailed letter to the Director of Counseling Services documenting your compliance and progress in treatment and readiness to return and ability to function in a residential college environment including diagnosis and recommendations for future treatment. The Director of Counseling Services will make a recommendation to the Enrollment Development Committee for their consideration. Please direct any questions about treatment to the Director of Counseling Services.
  4. You may address a physical ailment that you believe contributed to your academic struggles by providing documentation from a licensed medical professional. The treating physician must attest to the fact that the physical ailment significantly impacted your ability to progress as a student during the defined semester. The documentation should provide a detailed description of the treatment, any lingering physical concerns, and your ability to function in a residential college environment. The student should send this documentation to the Gable Health and Counseling Center.

When you are ready to return to Albright, you must take action at least six weeks prior to the beginning of the next semester. You should:

  • Contact the Admission Office to indicate your intent to return, and follow their steps for readmission;
  • Submit the appropriate documentation to demonstrate how you have used the time away from Albright to prepare for academic success:
    • If you took courses at an accredited college, send to the Registrar’s Office your transcript and a letter describing your academic success or
    • If you did paid or voluntary work or community service, send to the Registrar’s Office your supervisor’s letter of recommendation and your personal statement or
    • If you received extended treatment for a mental health condition, your treating professional must send to the Director of Counseling (Gable Health and Counseling Center) a letter documenting treatment and readiness to return or
    • If you received treatment for a physical ailment, send the documentation to the Gable Health and Counseling Center

NOTE: These materials should be sent to Albright College at least six weeks prior to the beginning of the semester.

The Enrollment Development Committee determines whether to grant or to deny requests for reinstatement and determines the conditions of reinstatement. In certain circumstances, students must be cleared by the Albright Health Center or Student Accounts office before they are permitted to return to full-time study. A student returning to Albright College after suspension will be on academic probation for the next semester.