effective 11/2018

Withdrawal from College

Students are expected to be enrolled, and attending classes, continuously from their initial enrollment through graduation. Understanding that unexpected events may occur, the College allows for a student to request a full withdrawal. Albright College reserves the right to initiate or mandate withdrawal and reserves the right to defer or refuse readmission. References in this policy to “withdrawal” refer to full withdrawal from all courses.

The following types of withdrawal are addressed in this policy: voluntary, voluntary medical and mandated medical. Issues of Community Standards violations or academic dismissals will be handled by the appropriate department.

Voluntary Withdrawal Policy
A student who wishes to leave the College for personal or medical reasons may request a withdrawal. A withdrawn student is no longer considered a degree candidate, may not remain living in residence on campus, and may not participate in College activities as an enrolled student.
1. Procedure
  1. To initiate a withdrawal, a student must access Student Withdrawal Information and Form by logging into student eDocs, Student eDocs.
  2. If the student is unsure about the decision to withdraw, or has questions, the student should contact Dr. Anne Coleman, Assistant Provost, at 610-929-6653 or acoleman@albright.edu to schedule an appointment.
  3. The student’s withdrawal is effective immediately once the form is submitted, or on the last date of the semester if the student is completing the semester’s coursework. Resident students are expected to remove all personal belongings from their assigned space and return keys and student ID cards to Residential Life or Public Safety when they leave.
    Note: Non-attendance in class does not constitute withdrawal. Unless a student has filed an official withdrawal, instructors must assign final grades that reflect the student’s academic performance and work completed.
2. Readmission
  1. If less than a year has lapsed since a student’s withdrawal from Albright and he/she has not attended classes at another institution, the student should contact the Admission Office for readmission. Readmission will be granted after review and approval by College administration.
  2. If more than a year has lapsed since a student’s withdrawal and/or a student has attended classes at another institution, he/she must contact the Admission Office and reapply for admission.
  3. The College reserves the right to refuse readmission.

Voluntary Medical Withdrawal
All requests for medical withdrawals require the recommendation of the College’s health or counseling care providers.
1. Procedure
  1. Students seeking a medical withdrawal must access Student Withdrawal Information and Form by logging into student eDocs, Student eDocs.
  2. A letter from the physician or clinical psychologist must be provided to the Gable Health and Counseling Center, or Dean of Students Office.
  3. The student will be allowed to register for classes again only after the health center and/or counseling center has authorized a return to classes. Documentation should be provided to the college at least 45 days prior to anticipated return.
  4. If a student has taken coursework at another institution after withdrawal, he/she may need to reapply as a transfer student through the Admission office.
2. Readmission:
  1. A student seeking readmission after a voluntary medical withdrawal should contact the office of the Vice President for Student and Campus Life and Chief Health Officer, or the Dean of Students Office.
  2. Readmission will require providing relevant medical information to the Gable Health and Counseling Center such as certification by the student’s physician or psychologist that the student is able to attend classes. Return to the College may be contingent upon signing a behavioral contract. Such contracts may require the student to acknowledge that certain behaviors are proscribed.

Mandated Withdrawal Policy
A key component of Albright College’s mission is to provide a safe residential learning community where students are able to pursue their academic and social goals. The College may require a student to withdraw from the college if reason exists for the College to believe the student’s continued presence on campus poses a significant threat to self or to others or to the stability and continuance of normal college operations.
1. Mandated Medical or Psychological Withdrawal: Typically, a mandated medical or psychological withdrawal will arise from a student exhibiting acute or persistent health or behavioral problems, despite having been offered or provided with reasonable accommodations, such as those made in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The College may initiate the mandated medical or psychological withdrawal process if, in the judgment of the Vice President for Student and Campus Life and Chief Health Officer, or the Behavioral Intervention Team, a student:
  1. Engages or threatens to engage in behavior that poses a danger of harm to self or others, causes significant property damage, or substantially affects the health or safety of others.
  2. Interferes with or disrupts the operations, activities, or functions of the College or fails to comply with the behavioral requirements of a College official in the performance of his/her duty with regard to the College’s commitments to both the individual and the community.
2. Procedure
  1. Any individual who believes that a student meets the criteria described above should contact the Vice President for Student and Campus Life and Chief Health Officer, or the Behavioral Intervention Team.
  2. The Office of the Vice President for Student and Campus Life or the Behavioral Intervention Team will conduct a preliminary investigation and, if necessary, consult with Academic Affairs, Counseling Services, or other appropriate offices. The student may be required to undergo assessment by a medical/psychological provider identified by the Vice President for Student and Campus Life and Chief Health Officer, in consultation with the Director of Gable Counseling Center. If the student fails to complete this assessment, the Vice President for Student and Campus Life and Chief Health Officer, or designee, may implement a mandated medical or psychological withdrawal immediately.
  3. If a mandated medical or psychological withdrawal is implemented, the terms of the leave will be communicated to the student in writing.
  4. The decision of the Vice President for Student and Campus Life and Chief Health Officer concerning a mandated medical or psychological withdrawal is final.
3. Readmission
  1. A student seeking readmission after a mandated medical or psychological withdrawal should contact the office of the Vice President for Student and Campus Life and Chief Health Officer, or the Dean of Students Office.
  2. Readmission will require providing relevant medical information to the Gable Health and Counseling Center, including certification by the student’s physician or psychologist that the student is able to attend classes. Documentation should be provided to the college at least 45 days prior to anticipated return.
  3. The Vice President for Student and Campus Life and Chief Health Officer, or designee, has the authority to make the final decision regarding return to the College, including return to activities and residential life, and may determine additional criteria for a student to return.
  4. Return to the College may be contingent upon signing a behavioral contract. Such contracts may require the student to acknowledge that certain behaviors are proscribed and that if they reoccur, withdrawal from the College will be mandated.
  5. Occasionally, a student is released within hours or within a day or two of entering a hospital. If the student lives on campus, he/she must find alternative accommodations off campus until his or her case is reviewed and readmission is approved.
  6. In no case will the student be permitted to attend classes or dining hall meals or participate in extracurricular activities until the review assessment has been completed.