4.5 Leave of Absence Policy
[University Policy No. AC2022]
POLICY PURPOSE
This policy describes the circumstances under which a student may be granted a Leave of Absence and the effect of that Leave of Absence.
DEFINITIONS
- Leave of Absence — an approved period of time during which a student ceases to work towards their credential program at Concordia University of Edmonton.
JURISDICTION/SCOPE OF THE POLICY
This policy applies to all students (undergraduate, graduate, etc.) registered in a credential (degree, diploma, certificate) program at Concordia University of Edmonton
POLICY
Purpose of a Leave of Absence
A Leave of Absence may be granted when a student is unable to work on their program as a result of serious constraints such as family emergencies, medical requirements, parental or care-giving responsibilities, or required military service; but work, holiday, or travel during a single term is not justification for a leave of absence.
Application and Approval
A student may apply for a leave of absence for a period of four, eight or twelve months. The leave will begin on the first day of an academic term. Whenever possible, the student should apply for the leave of absence before the starting date of the anticipated leave, or as soon as possible after the event necessitating the leave occurs. Leave is not granted retroactively beyond the beginning of the current term nor to students that have withdrawn or are deemed to be withdrawn from their program.
A student may apply for an extension of a Leave of Absence, but only to a total maximum of 20 months for that Leave of Absence.
A Leave of Absence is normally available only to students who have successfully completed 9 credits at Concordia University of Edmonton. Students are only eligible for a second or subsequent Leave of Absence after they have successfully completed a minimum of 15 credits since their last Leave of Absence.
For graduate students, the Dean of Graduate Studies approves or denies requests for Leave of Absences upon recommendation by the Program Director. For all other students, the Dean of their program approves or denies requests for Leave of Absences; if a program has a Program Director the Dean shall consult with the Program Director.
Registration & Fees
Registration in courses during the leave period will be cancelled. If the cancellation occurs before the add/drop deadline for these courses, the courses will not appear on the transcript. If the cancellation occurs after the add/drop deadline, the courses will appear with the notation W (Withdrew with Permission) and fees will be assessed for these courses. Tuition fees will be assessed in the normal fashion for any terms in the program before or after the leave period.
Effect of a Leave of Absence
During the period of a Leave of Absence, a student is not considered to be registered as a student at Concordia University of Edmonton, except that
- for the purposes of maintenance of registration and determination whether the student needs to reapply to resume their studies, and
- for the purpose of the statute of limitations (Section 9.1.1 of the CUE Academic Calendar) the student is considered to be registered through the entire period of the Leave of Absence.
During a leave of absence the student is expected not to be working on their program. Normally, for the period of a Leave of Absence no Letter of Permission to study towards their program elsewhere will be granted and all existing Letters of Permission will be canceled. With concurrence of the Dean, the Registrar may issue a Letter of Permission to take courses elsewhere if this is compatible with the reasons the student was granted the Leave of Absence.
Students on Leave of Absence are not eligible to receive awards. The leave period is not included in the time period for award tenure. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the proposed leave is compatible with the regulations of any granting agency from which funding would normally be received during the leave period, and that such agencies are informed of the proposed leave. Recipients of student loan funding should clarify the consequences that such a leave will have on their repayment status. International students should consult the immigration authorities regarding their immigration status during the proposed leave.
For programs with time limits, the period of time spent on a Leave of Absence is not included in the time limit for completion of the credential.
If students wish to be covered by the CSA Benefit Plan or the International Student Medical Insurance Program while on Leave of Absence, they have to contact the Benefit Provider to make arrangements. There may be additional student association fees in order to be considered a member eligible for the benefit plan.