Leave of Absence + Withdrawal

Leave of Absence

A student in CIA who is in academic good standing may apply to receive permission to take one or two terms (up to 1 academic year) of leave of absence, provided that the student departs in academic good standing at the end of a term and returns to the same level and major, returning at the beginning of the new semester. Students who wish to return in a new major must go through the change of major process as outlined in the College Catalog. Such permission will not be granted to first-year students during their first term of enrollment. CIA assumes that students who take leaves of absence will inform their parents or guardians in good time that they intend to do so. The College does not notify parents or guardians that a student has taken a leave of absence.

For a fall-term leave of absence, a student is requested to submit a petition by July 15. Since a student’s plans often change during the summer, however, a petition for a leave that is received on or before the first day of the term will be considered on a case-by case basis. For a spring-term leave of absence, a student’s petition must be received on or before the first day of the term in the spring.

Student-Initiated Withdrawal

Students can initiate a withdrawal from the College for personal or medical reasons by submitting a Withdrawal Form, available at the Registrar’s Office. If a student has made the decision to separate from the College, it is imperative that the student begin the withdrawal process with the Registrar within 10 days of the last class attended. The last day of attendance is defined as the last day a student attends class for Federal Purposes. Reasons for withdrawing are documented for purposes of evaluating CIA’s quality of service and in consideration of special or extenuating circumstances.

Students who withdrew from the College in good standing and who are interested in returning to CIA are required to complete a formal application for readmission, as outlined in the Readmission policy in the College Catalog. Students who are reinstated will be expected to follow the curriculum in place at the time of their return.

If, at the time of withdrawal, the student is on academic probation or is dismissed from the College, stipulations may be applied for readmission. These may include, for instance, coursework at another institution, documentation from a medical professional of readiness to resume a full course of study, or an appeal to the Financial Aid Office for not meeting the criteria for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).

Administrative Withdrawal

CIA strongly encourages students to initiate the withdrawal process. However, Administrative Withdrawal results when a student has failed to register for the current term, does not complete payment or stops attending classes without official notification to Academic Services. The College is required to return federal funds if a student stops attending classes for 14 consecutive days and will therefore initiate the student’s withdrawal on the 14th day.

When administratively withdrawn, students will be charged for tuition, applicable fees, and room based on the schedule described in the Withdrawal Refund Policy

Academic Implications of a Withdrawal or a Leave of Absence

In cases where students withdraw before the withdrawal deadline (end of week 10 of the semester), their courses will appear on the transcript with a “W” grade designation. There will be no academic credit earned. In cases where the student withdraws after the withdrawal deadline (end of week 10 of the semester) their courses will appear on the transcript with “F” grades. Any exception to this policy would occur when a “late withdrawal” is approved by the Vice President of Academic Affairs following a successful student petition.

Such withdrawals are only approved in exceptional cases.