Change of Status

Leave of Absence

A Leave of Absence may be granted with the following stipulations:

1. The student must plan to return to the college at the end of the specified period of time to complete an academic degree program;
2. The student must be in good academic standing at the time the leave is requested;
3. The student must be cleared by the Financial Aid Office at the time that the leave is requested and, if receiving financial aid, the student must meet with a financial aid representative.

To be granted a Leave of Absence, the student must complete a Leave of Absence form prior to the final withdrawal deadline. The Leave of Absence form is available at www.lesley.edu/forms/loa (log on with your Lesley username and password).

CLAS students must arrange to meet with the Director of Academic Advising. A student on a Leave of Absence will remain a degree candidate but will not retain the privileges of a registered student, which includes residence hall accommodations, student support services, student funded activities, and financial aid. Additionally, a student who currently has a Stafford Loan (formerly GSL) or is on deferment as a full-time student from a prior Stafford Loan or has been granted a one semester Leave of Absence is entitled to a one-time, one-semester deferment without using the grace period.

All policies and procedures regarding financial information and transcription of grades are in effect.       

Reinstatement Policy

All students who have been away from Lesley for one or more semesters must apply for reinstatement prior to registration except for those students who have taken an official Leave of Absence (LOA) and register within the timeframe indicated on their LOA documentation. As indicated below, CLAS students apply for reinstatement via the CLAS advising office (or LCAL office for LCAL students) or the CLAS Dean's office; LA+D students apply for reinstatement via the LA+D advising office.

Returning to Lesley following a Leave of Absence:

If a student takes an official LOA and returns during the time specified in the LOA documentation, the student needs only to register for classes within the normal registration window after consultation with their advisor or their advising office to obtain registration clearance. Students may also request an official extension of their LOA through their advising office. LOA’s may be requested for one semester, one term, or two terms. If the student takes a LOA but does not return within the LOA window, the student will need to be reinstated per below sections associated with withdrawals.

Reinstatement for students in good academic standing following a Withdrawal:

A student who left Lesley in good academic standing should submit to their advising office a request for reinstatement in which they,

(a) summarize what they have been doing since leaving Lesley;

(b) provide transcripts for course work, if any, completed during the interim period; and

(c) discuss why they wish to be reinstated.

The director of academic advising may reinstate such students without approval of the Dean. However, if the director of academic advising has concerns about the application, the Dean will make the final decision on reinstatement.

Reinstatement after Academic Probation or Dismissal:

A student who left Lesley while on academic probation, or after being academically dismissed, must apply to the Associate Dean of their undergraduate college for reinstatement per the guidelines below.

Academic Probation: A student who left Lesley on academic probation should submit to their Dean’s office a request for reinstatement in which they,

(a) summarize what they have been doing since leaving Lesley;

(b) provide transcripts for course work, if any, completed during the interim period;

(c) discuss why they wish to be reinstated; and

(d) explain their strategies for achieving academic success at Lesley.

The Associate Dean will review the request and send a recommendation to the Dean. The Dean will make the final decision on reinstatement.

Students who are returning after a period of absence from Lesley in order to complete degree requirements must be registered at Lesley for at least 1 credit during the semester preceding degree conferral.

Academic Dismissal: Normally, after one semester following academic dismissal, students may apply for reinstatement to Lesley. Although additional conditions for reinstatement may be included in the dismissal documentation, to reapply for reinstatement, a student who was academic dismissed must submit to the Dean’s office a request for reinstatement in which they,

a) Summarize the issues that led to their academic dismissal;

b) Outline what they have done since their dismissal to address these issues (and provide a transcript for any courses that they have taken elsewhere during this interim period);

c) discuss why they wish to be reinstated;

d) Provide evidence to support their position that they are successfully addressing these issues; and

e) Explain what they would do differently this time to be academically successful.

To demonstrate that they are prepared to return to Lesley, students who have been academically dismissed often take three or more college courses elsewhere and achieve grades of “B” or better in each. The Associate Dean will review the request and send a recommendation to the Dean. The Dean will make the final decision on reinstatement.

To ensure consideration, students must submit requests for reinstatement by the dates listed below:

Student Exchange Programs

Lesley University enjoys exchange relationships with universities around the world. There are unique financial and academic benefits to this type of study abroad program. Programs are not offered every year. To learn more, contact Lesley's Study Abroad Office at studyabroad@lesley.edu to request a planning guide.

Withdrawal

A CLAS student planning to withdraw from the college must make an appointment with the Director of Academic Advising to have an exit interview and to complete official withdrawal forms. A resident student is expected to vacate their room within 48 hours of the effective date of withdrawal. A resident student must make an appointment with the Resident Assistant to complete the checkout procedure.