Academic Status

Click on a link to be taken to the entry below.

Students participating in off-campus study options not conducted by Oberlin College itself are classified as being on an academic leave of absence. A study away fee is charged for certain programs. (Please see the “Expenses” section in this catalog.) Student applications for leaves are processed by the Associate Dean of Studies and granted by the Off-Campus Study Committee prior to a student’s departure from Oberlin. Information about applying for academic leave of absence is online at www.oberlin.edu/studyaway. Academic leaves are approved when students can demonstrate the value of such leaves for their Oberlin education and meet the following criteria:

– A student must have completed at least two semesters at Oberlin.
– A student must have declared a major.
– A student must be in good academic standing.
– A student must carry a minimum of 12 semester hours when on an academic leave of absence.
– A student who is considering an academic leave of absence must take into account the maximum allowable limits for transfer of credit at Oberlin and how many credits will be earned during the academic leave. Please see the policies regarding Transfer of Credit in the College of Arts and Sciences or the Conservatory of Music in this catalog.

There are specific limits on credit transfer from off-campus study programs. For the College of Arts and Sciences they are (a) 16 hours per single semester, (b) 10 hours per quarter or trimester, (c) 32 hours per academic year, or (d) 20 hours per academic year at a quarter or trimester based school. For Conservatory of Music and double-degree limits, please consult the appropriate section of this catalog.

For academic leaves for the fall semester or for the full academic year, students must apply by March 15 of the preceding academic year. For leaves starting in the spring semester, students must apply by October 15. Requests for extensions of academic leaves, including a new application form, must be received by the same deadlines.

This category generally applies to students who are participating in programs sponsored by individual departments of Oberlin College: the Danenberg Oberlin-in-London Program, the Oberlin in Italy Program, the Studies in Spain at the University of Córdoba Program, and the Oberlin-in-Europe Program.

Students wishing to participate in these programs apply directly to the appropriate on-campus department in consultation with their academic advisor (and in the case of double-degree and Conservatory students, the Associate Dean). Once accepted to the program, students must file Enrolled-Not-in-Residence forms with the appropriate office. Credits earned in these programs are internal Oberlin credits and no transfer of credit is involved.

Under special circumstances, students may arrange for independent study in appropriate off-campus locations. This independent study status is limited to students who have completed two or more semesters at Oberlin.

Such independent study is arranged with and overseen by Oberlin faculty members and is approved in advance by the Associate Dean of Studies for students in the College of Arts and Sciences and by the Conservatory Associate Dean for Conservatory students. This status is normally granted for less than full-time study. Students pay Oberlin College tuition for this work, which must be completed within a specified semester. Deadlines for application for the following semester are the first Friday in December for a spring program and the first Friday in May for a fall program.

In both types of Enrolled-Not-in-Residence, students’ matriculation deposits will be refunded upon graduation. Students are responsible for notifying the appropriate offices of any change in plans and face forfeiture of their matriculation deposits if such notice is not given.

Students who wish to pursue primarily non-academic activities away from Oberlin may apply for a Personal Leave of Absence through the Office of the Dean of Studies. A maximum of six hours credit per semester or four semester hours for each quarter or trimester of leave may be transferred to Oberlin for work taken at other institutions during a personal leave. Completed applications for leaves beginning the following semester are due the first Friday in December and the first Friday in May. Requests for extensions of personal leaves must be received by the same deadlines. Applications received after these deadlines will be given consideration; however there is a late filing fee of $300. Information and forms are available online at www.oberlin.edu/dstudies/leaves/ploa.html.

Students may also apply for a medical leave of absence but must have appropriate supporting documentation from a health care professional and prior approval from the Associate Dean of Studies.

Students who wish to take a leave from Oberlin for physical or psychological reasons may apply for a medical leave of absence through the Office of the Dean of Studies. A maximum of six credit hours per semester or four semester hours per quarter or trimester of leave may be transferred to Oberlin for coursework taken at other institutions during a medical leave. Students applying for a medical leave must provide appropriate supporting documentation from a healthcare professional. Students who submit applications by 4:30 p.m. on the Friday before the semester begins are eligible for a full refund of semester expenses.

Students may submit an application for medical leave at any time during a semester. From the first day of classes through the end of the tenth week of classes (November 20, 2007; April 21, 2008), the student who is granted a medical leave will be withdrawn from all courses and W’s will be recorded on his or her transcript. For information on refund of tuition and fees, please see “Expenses” in this catalog. Students who submit applications for medical leaves effective for the current semester from the first day of the eleventh week to the last day of classes have two options. First, if the student wishes to complete coursework, he or she can apply for Incomplete grades. (Please see “Grading” in this catalog.) In this case, the student will receive grades for all courses. The medical leave will take effect at the end of the current semester, and the student will be on leave for the subsequent semester. Second, if the student elects not to complete coursework, he or she will be withdrawn from all courses and W’s will be recorded on his or her transcript. The medical leave will take effect immediately, and the student will be on leave for the subsequent semester. Records for students taking a medical leave after the tenth week may be reviewed by the appropriate Academic Standing Committee and may be subject to academic standing action. Students who are granted medical leaves after the tenth week of classes are not eligible for a refund.

An application for a medical leave received after 4:30 p.m. on the last day of classes will be processed for the subsequent semester; the transcript for the current semester will include the grades assigned by the faculty, and cannot be expunged or altered in any way.

Students withdrawing permanently from Oberlin must apply through the Ofifce of the Dean of Studies. Conservatory and double-degree students should first consult their principal advisors and the Associate Dean of the Conservatory. All students who receive financial aid from Oberlin College must consult with the Office of Financial Aid before withdrawing. Students who have withdrawn from Oberlin and seek readmission may not transfer credit for courses taken at other institutions while withdrawn. More information is available at www.oberlin.edu/dstudies/leaves.

Students may be asked to leave Oberlin for academic or disciplinary reasons. Suspension is usually for a specified period of time and/or until specified conditions have been met. Additional information about academic standing statuses of probation, suspension and dismissal is available in the College Arts and Sciences and Conservatory of Music sections of this catalog. Also, please see the document Student Regulations, Policies, and Procedures at www.oberlin.edu/students/links-life/rules-regs.html.

Students who have been suspended and seek reinstatement may not transfer credit for courses taken at other institutions while suspended unless an appropriate office of Oberlin College (e.g. Dean of Studies or the Conservatory Associate Deans) had required or recommended that work be completed elsewhere.

In order to return to Oberlin, a student who has been withdrawn or suspended must submit a Readmission/Reinstatement form to the Office of the Registrar. Appropriate forms and materials must be received by August 1 for fall semester and by January 2 for spring semester. No exceptions are made. Relevant offices review the request for readmission/reinstatement and the student will be informed about the decision as quickly as possible. The entire readmission/ reinstatement process is explained on the Registrar’s web site: www.oberlin.edu/regist.

A student in the Arts and Sciences who has been suspended must also complete an appeal process through the Office of the Dean of Studies. The deadlines for this process are stated in the student’s letter of suspension.

When Conservatory or Double-Degree students wish to return to the Conservatory of Music, the Associate Dean of the Conservatory reviews the academic record with representatives of the appropriate major departments. Students withdrawn for two or more consecutive semesters may be required to re-audition for readmission/reinstatement. Those withdrawn for more than four semesters must meet the graduation requirements for the major in effect at the time of their return to the Conservatory of Music.