C. Procedures for Voluntary and Military Leave
C. Procedures for Voluntary and Military Leave of Absence
Procedures for the various types of leave are detailed below. While each contemplates that the student is available to submit the necessary paperwork and secure the needed signatures to approve leave, the College of Law recognizes that extenuating circumstances may exist where the student is not on campus or is otherwise unavailable to complete any required actions in person. In such circumstances, and with the approval of the Dean or the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, the Registrar is empowered to effectuate alternate procedures that may be necessary to process leave requests.
(1) Application for Military and Voluntary Leave of Absence. A student seeking a Voluntary Leave of Absence or a Military Leave of Absence must initiate the process by completing and submitting to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs the Leave of Absence form, which is available through the myJU portal. The form must be signed by the student and must set forth the circumstances necessitating a leave and the length of the requested leave. If the request is for Military Leave, the student should also submit a copy of the military orders calling the student to service. All leave requests will be considered unless it conflicts with ABA time to graduation requirements.
The Associate Dean may grant the request — with or without conditions — or deny the request. In the Associate Dean’s absence, the Dean or Chair of the Academic Standards Committee may review the leave request. If a student has previously been granted a one-year of leave of absence, any subsequent leave also must be approved by the Academic Standards Committee.
The student must meet with and obtain the signatures of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs (or designee) and representatives from the Office of Financial Aid and the Controller’s Office. These signatures are necessary to prove that the student has fulfilled all outstanding obligations to the University, financial and otherwise. The student must then return the completed form to the Registrar’s Office.
A leave request is not complete until the completed Leave of Absence form is returned to the Registrar’s Office. If the request is granted by the Associate Dean (or designee), the Registrar will respond in writing and set forth the period of the approved leave and any conditions associated with the leave. A copy of this approval letter will be placed in the student’s file in the Registrar’s Office with copies to the Office of Financial Aid and Controller’s Office. If the leave is denied, the student is expected to complete the semester; alternatively, if the student is in good standing, they may withdraw.
(2) Time of Leave. To be eligible for a Voluntary or Military Leave of Absence, the student must intend to return to the College within the granted leave period, which typically should not exceed one calendar year. If the requested leave exceeds one year, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will forward the petition to the Academic Standards Committee for approval.
(3) Returning to School. At least four weeks before the start of the semester in which the student plans to return, or when otherwise requested, the student must submit a letter to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs indicating the intent to return to school. If special conditions were attached to the leave, the student must demonstrate compliance with those conditions in the letter and provide accompanying documentation where needed. A student who fails to submit a letter, does not satisfy the special conditions, or goes beyond the time of the granted leave (1) will not be able to return automatically and must petition the Academic Standards Committee for readmission, and (2) is subject to administrative withdrawal. The Associate Dean or Academic Standards Committee may require additional documents, as warranted in their discretion, to verify that the student has met all stated conditions of the leave and/or is ready and able to return to school. If the leave was a Military Leave, the Associate Dean or Academic Standards Committee may require documents relating to the student’s service or military discharge type in support of the request for readmission.
Except when otherwise required by regulations governing the return of service members to school, a student who does not return to the College within two years of the beginning of the leave of absence or withdrawal risks losing all credits already earned and may be required to reapply for admission as a new student. The Academic Standards Committee has discretion to readmit a student who has been out of school for more than two years if good cause is demonstrated. The Academic Standards Committee shall review the transcript of any readmitted student who has been out of school for more than two years to determine what credits, if any, will be counted toward substantive or credit-based graduation requirements and what credits, if any, cannot be used to meet substantive or credit-based graduation requirements. Unless granted an exception by the Academic Standards Committee, a full-time student must complete all degree requirements within six calendar years, counting all periods of leave or withdrawal.
(4) Matriculation at Another School. If the leave petition is granted, the student may not enroll as a degree candidate at another institution. If a student enrolls as a degree candidate at another school, the leave of absence will be converted to a withdrawal. A student may enroll as a nondegree seeking student at another institution only with the permission of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
(5) Tuition and Fees. Normal rules regarding tuition refunds as stated in Jacksonville University’s Student Financial Services policies typically will apply if the student is granted a Voluntary or Military Leave of Absence after the start of the semester. Students with scholarships should refer to the conditions contained in the scholarship notification for details on the impact of leaves on scholarships. In the case of a Military Leave or a Voluntary Leave of Absence for medical reasons or other extraordinary and compelling circumstances, a student can appeal to the Tuition Appeals Committee via the process outlined in Jacksonville University’s procedures.
(6) Financial Aid Impact. For purposes of financial aid under Title IV, a Military or Voluntary Leave of Absence is treated as a withdrawal under Title IV. Students should contact the Office of Financial Aid for details on the return of funds.
(7) Petition to Receive Course Credit with Military Leave. If the student requesting Military Leave due to being recalled to military or other national-defense service has attended at least 70 percent of the classes in a particular law course, the student may petition the Academic Standards Committee to grant course credit. If a student is in the first 30 credit hours of the Juris Doctor program, there will be a presumption against granting credit in courses in which the sole or primary grade is based on a final examination.
a. To pursue this option, the student should prepare a written memorandum to the Academic Standards Committee and submit the petition to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. The memorandum should contain at least the following information:
i. A brief statement that the student has been called to military or other national-defense service;
ii. A list of courses for which the student is seeking credit;
iii. A statement regarding how many class sessions the student has attended in each course, stated in terms of days and a percentage of overall class sessions in the course;
iv. A list of assignments, if any, completed in the course, along with any grades the student has received to date; and
v. A request for relief (examples of requests for relief are to receive an “S” in a course, to receive a specific grade based on work performed to date, the option to take an incomplete in a course, and any other relief the student would like the Committee to consider).
b. Upon receiving a petition seeking course credit, the Academic Standards Committee will review the petition and seek input and recommendations from the student’s professors and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. The Committee has the authority to award “S/U” credit in a graded or non-graded course, a specific grade based on work already completed in the course, an “incomplete” grade, or any other relief deemed equitable. The Committee also has the authority to deny the petition. If the petition is granted, tuition and fee refunds— if any — will be based on the amount of credit awarded for the semester. For example, if a full-time student is awarded course credit for 10 or more credit hours, the student will not receive a tuition or fee refund. If the Committee awards less than 10 hours of credit for a full-time student, the student will receive a pro-rata tuition and fee refund.
(8) Petition to Graduate with Military Leave. If a student is called to service within four weeks of his or her graduation date, the student may petition the full faculty to be allowed to graduate on time. The petition should be submitted to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, who will then present the petition to voting members of the faculty, as defined in the College of Law Faculty Bylaws.