Effective 3/2021

Policy Name	Academically Disengaged Student Policy
Policy Category	Academic
Policy Approved By	The highest level of authority required for the policy to be enacted. Vice President
Responsible Division Head or VP	Provost
Responsible Department	Academic Affairs
Responsible AVP or Director	Associate Dean for Student Academic Success
Original Policy Date	N/A
Last Known Revision Date	03/2021
Current Policy Effective Date	03/2021
Recommended Policy Review Date	09/01/2023
Policy Applies To	Students
Additional Authority/References	N/A

POLICY PURPOSE

Albright College recognizes that attendance and active engagement in class is essential for students’ academic success. It is each student’s responsibility to attend class and be accountable for all assignments. The purpose of this policy is to encourage consistent academic course engagement throughout the semester and to provide ramifications for disengaged students who continue to live on campus.

BACKGROUND

Albright College did not previously have a policy relating to academic disengagement, an area of concern since our migration to more online courses in Spring 2020, and stakeholders across both Student Life and Academic Affairs desired the means to encourage students to avoid this behavior.

DEFINITIONS

TERM	DEFINITION
Academic Disengagement	Two weeks of consecutive absences from all attempted in-person, hybrid or online courses.

POLICY TEXT

While individual faculty may hold stricter attendance or participation policies, the college identifies students as academically disengaged after two weeks of absences for all attempted in-person, hybrid, or online courses. Albright College may administratively withdraw academically disengaged students from their courses upon consultation with the Dean of Students and/or Associate Dean of Student Academic Success. Students who are administratively withdrawn must follow all normal college processes to separate themselves from Albright College. (See the Withdrawal Policy for more details). Students who have been administratively withdrawn must remove all personal effects from the residence halls and vacate within 24 hours. Withdrawal grades will be assigned according to the normal Registrar dates for the given term.

ASSOCIATED PROCEDURES LOCATION

An FAQ that outlines concerns that students may have will be included in this submission and should be located online on the same page/area as the policy.

REVISION LOG

DATE OF REVISION	MAJOR CHANGES *(Note: electronic copies of the former versions of the policy must be maintained within the unit, department, or division)*

IMPLEMENTATION PLAN – For decision-making purposes only. This will not appear in the Final Policy that is posted to the Policy Repository.

The Academically Disengaged Student policy was approved by the Faculty EPC committee on 2/16/21. Upon final review by the Policy Group on 2/25/21, the policy writers will distribute via email the final version of the policy and implementation instructions to key stakeholders. If requested, policy writers will meet with the key stakeholders to discuss policy implementation, which is as follows:

Lion’s Edge academic alerts will identify a student as academically disengaged from all their attempted courses.
If a student is identified as academically disengaged, the Associate Dean of Student Academic Success and Dean of Students will be notified for further intervention and/or consultation by stakeholders responsible for addressing academic alerts, including but not limited to the Student Success Specialists and the Assistant Dean of Academic Learning Center.
Consultation between the student, the Associate Dean of Student Academic Success, the Dean of Students, and any other relevant stakeholders as determined by the Deans will be attempted.
The Associate Dean of Student Academic Success and Dean of Students will determine if the student is to be disenrolled from their courses and, if so, will complete an administrative withdrawal process for the student and notify the students’ faculty members.
The administrative withdrawal will initiate the student’s removal from courses, student activities, and on-campus housing.

Key stakeholders for this policy include the Associate Dean of Student Academic Success, Dean of Students, Director of the Office of Student Success, Assistant Dean of the Academic Learning Center, Registrar, Director of Residential Life, and Student Success Specialists.

The policy will be immediately posted to the Albright College Policies website.

DECISION – For decision-making purposes only. This will not appear in the Final Policy that is posted to the Policy Repository.

Date of Draft Policy Review	2/25/2021
Name of Reviewing Committee/Individual	EPC – 02/16/21 Policy Committee – 02/25/21
Date Approved	2/25/2021	Comments:
Date Rejected		Comments:
Date Draft Tabled or Further Review Needed (provide comments including plan for re-submission)		Comments:

View this policy as a PDF.

Frequently Asked Questions

ACADEMICS

Will an administrative withdrawal affect my course grades? Yes. Being administratively withdrawn will affect students’ grades, as their courses will be in progress. Grades will be assigned accordingly to the normal Registrar dates for the given term. Please consult with the Registrar’s Office.

May I take Incomplete grades for my courses if I am administratively withdrawn? No. Students who are administratively withdrawn will be assigned grades accordingly to the normal Registrar dates for the given term.

Who should I contact if I have more questions about the academic consequences of being administratively withdrawn? Contact Dr. Julia Matthews, the Associate Dean for Student Academic Success at jmatthews@albright.edu

FINANCIAL AID

Will an administrative withdrawal affect my financial aid? Yes. Failing or withdrawing from classes may lower your Satisfactory Academic Progress and affect your eligibility for financial aid. Consult the Financial Aid office or the Financial Aid webpage for information about your specific situation.

STUDENT ACCOUNTS

Will an administrative withdrawal result in a refund of tuition and other institutional charges? This is possible and depends on the timing of your separation from the College. Consult the Student Account webpage for information about your specific situation.

RESIDENTIAL & STUDENT LIFE

Will an administrative withdrawal grant me a refund for my room and board? This is possible and depends on the timing of your separation from the College. Contact the Residential Life Office for information about your specific situation.

Will I have to vacate the Residence Hall if I am administratively withdrawn? Yes. If a student is administratively withdrawn from the College, they must remove all personal effects and completely vacate their assigned space within 24-hours of the dismissal.

Who do I contact in Residential Life for more information? Please contact the main Residential Life Office at 610-921-7641 or reslife@albright.edu.