Leave of Absence and Withdrawal
A student wishing to withdraw from all of their courses prior to the end of the semester consults with their advisor and submits a completed withdrawal form to the Dean of Students office to withdraw from the College, or to the Office of the Registrar to request a Leave of Absence from the College (if the student plans to return within 180 days, typically one semester). First semester students are not eligible for a leave of absence and must request to withdraw. These forms can be found on the Office of the Registrar website or in the Offices of the Registrar (Johnson Hall East Wing) or Dean of Students (2nd floor Park Center). Tuition, fees and financial assistance adjustments are determined based on the date the withdrawal form is received in the Office of the Dean of Students or the leave of absence form is received in the Office of the Registrar.
Students who withdraw or request a leave of absence from the College in the first 5 days of the semester, during the add/drop period, will be dropped from all of their classes. Classes that are dropped within the first 5 days of the semester (during the add/drop period) do not appear on an academic transcript. Classes dropped after the first 5 days of the semester and before the last day to drop a class with a W are dropped with a grade of W. The grade of W on the academic transcript will indicate withdrawal from a course. A grade of W does not affect a student’s GPA or earned credit hours. A grade of W is included in the calculation of attempted credit hours for academic standing and financial assistance eligibility. The deadline to withdraw or request a leave of absence from the College and receive grades of W is the last day to drop a class with a grade of W as published in the academic calendar.
Students who cease attendance in registered classes and fail to turn in either the withdrawal form or the leave of absence request will receive the calculated final grades earned at the end of the semester.
Exceptions to the deadline to withdraw will be considered upon appeal for medical or other documented emergencies and must include documentation demonstrating the student’s inability to withdraw by the designated deadline. Acceptable documents include, but are not limited to, medical records, a letter from a treating physician or counselor, or documentation of a family medical emergency. If a student wishes to appeal the deadline for withdrawing from multiple courses, the student must submit a written appeal via email to the provost. If a student wishes to appeal the deadline for (1) withdrawing from an individual course, (2) adding or dropping of an individual course, or changing the grade status of a course, the student must submit a written appeal to the academic dean of the school in which the course resides.
A student who withdraws or receives an approved leave of absence from the College and lives on campus is expected to vacate their residence within 48 credit hours or through arrangement with Residence Life. If the student has appealed the drop deadline, the time to vacate their residence begins when the decision concerning their appeal is communicated to the student.
A student who has withdrawn from the College must submit an application for re-admission to re-enter the College. A student who receives an approved leave of absence will remain an active student and does not need to reapply for readmission to return to the College if returning within one semester of their approved leave.
Involuntary Withdrawal
Involuntary Course Withdrawal: The College may immediately remove, suspend, or restrict a student from any class for significant disruption. This may result in the student being involuntarily withdrawn from the course. For full information about the involuntary withdrawal policy, see the Provost's MyMeredith page.
Leave of Absence Eligibility
A currently-enrolled student may request from the Registrar a leave of absence for up to 180 days (typically one semester) without having to apply for re-admission as long as they are in good academic, social, and financial standing at Meredith. First semester students are not eligible for a leave of absence and must request to withdraw. If a student should decide to take college work elsewhere while on a leave, they must apply for off-campus credit through the Office of the Registrar at Meredith. A student on leave of absence who does not re-enroll within the allotted leave time will be officially withdrawn from the College. After any withdrawal or non-compliance with the leave policy, a student must follow the re-admission procedure described in the Undergraduate Catalog.
A student is in good academic standing if they will not be on academic recovery at the end of the term in which they apply for the leave of absence. The student is in good social standing if they are not on social probation and if there is no Honor Council case pending that would involve probation, suspension, or expulsion. To be in good financial standing, a student must have paid all tuition, fees, and other charges in the accounting office.