Military Service Leave Policy

Purpose

To define the military service leave policy for students.

Scope

The scope of this policy applies to students in the United States military, including selected reserve forces, and students with a spouse or domestic partner in the United State military, including selected reserve forces, in all programs.

Policy

Students will be given appropriate accommodations for voluntary or involuntary active-duty service in the U.S. armed forces, including active duty for training and National Guard or Reserve service under federal authority.

Effective Date: September 7, 2022

Procedure

Short-Term Leave (less than 14 days within a term)

A student who will miss classes for short-term military leave or military training exercises (example: annual training for National Guard and Reserve members) of 14 days or less must notify their instructor(s) within 10 days of receipt of orders and prior to missing classes, exams or assignments.

The instructor may request review by the Dean of the student’s military orders to determine their validity and to consult on recommended reasonable due dates.
The instructor will provide the qualifying student with opportunities to complete class requirements with reasonable due dates accounting for the absence.
If the student and instructor are unable to come to a mutually satisfactory agreement concerning revised due dates, the Dean will work with the faculty member to make a final determination of adjusted due dates.
Coursework that was to be completed during the absence will not incur a reduced grade penalty when submitted by the agreed upon deadline.
The instructor may award an Incomplete (I) Grade if the absence is near the class end date and the student has completed all but a small portion of the coursework in accordance with the Incomplete Grade policy.

Longer Term Leave (14 days or more)

A student who is called to active duty or active service in a branch of the United States Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard or Reserve) for 14 days or more must complete a Military Leave of Absence Request form and provide documentation including military orders or a letter of activation from the student’s military unit indicating the specific dates of service. Enrolled students granted the military leave of absence will be given the option to:

Request an Incomplete (“I”) grade for any course in which they are were registered when granted the leave. The course instructor must approve the request for an “I” grade and the student must be able to complete the required activities by the conclusion of the fourth week of the term after their leave has ended. If the student is unable to complete the coursework by the deadline, the student may request a late military withdraw and a grade of “WM” will be assigned to the course.
Request a military withdrawal. A grade of “WM” will be assigned for any course in which they are were registered. “WM” grades do not impact a student’s GPA. Students approved for a WM grade will be allowed to retake the course at no cost when they return from leave. Students receiving financial aid or Veterans Benefits must notify the Financial Aid Office to determine the impact of a withdrawal.

Students approved for the military leave of absence are encouraged to return to the University within one year of completing their military service; students with an approved MLOA need not reapply or pay a readmission fee. Students are encouraged to meet with their academic advisor prior to registration.