Involuntary Leave of Absence Policy
I. Purpose
The University has established this Involuntary Leave of Absence Policy (“Policy”) for the purpose of maintaining a campus environment that supports student success, furthers academic achievement, and respects the rights and privileges of all members of the campus community. This Policy describes the criteria and process that the University will use to respond to reports that a student has engaged or threatened to engage in behavior that poses a significant risk to the health and safety of themselves or others, or a significant disruption to the programs, services, or activities of the University.
II. Covered Behavior
- The student has engaged or threatened to engage in behavior that poses a significant risk to the health or safety of one or more individuals, or to the community as a whole;[1]
- The student is unable or unwilling to carry out substantial self-care obligations and poses a significant risk to their own safety not based on mere speculation, stereotypes, or generalizations;
- The student has engaged or threatened to engage in behavior that poses a significant disruption to the programs, services, or activities of the University (“University operations”).
III. Procedures
A. Interim Involuntary Withdrawal
When the University receives credible information that a student has engaged in Covered Behavior that may require immediate action, the Dean of Students will conduct a review of the available information and confer with the Behavioral Consultation Team to assess the level of risk and/or disruption posed by the student.
Following this review, the Dean of Students may temporarily remove the student from the University and/or restrict the student’s access to the University’s campus, services, or activities. Before imposing an interim involuntary withdrawal, the Dean of Students will first seek the voluntary cooperation of the student. Imposition of an interim involuntary withdrawal is intended to be a temporary measure to protect health and safety and University operations and is not considered disciplinary in nature. It will remain in effect pending completion of the individualized assessment outlined below.
The Dean of Students will notify the student in writing of a decision to implement an interim involuntary withdrawal. The notice will include the rationale for the decision and a summary of the student’s rights under the process, including the student’s right to meet with the Dean of Students. The Dean of Students’ decision will be provided to the student’s academic dean and other University administrators as appropriate.
The student shall be provided an opportunity to meet[2] with the Dean of Students or designee within two (2) calendar days from the effective date of the interim involuntary withdrawal. During this meeting, the student may present information relevant to the question of whether the student has engaged in Covered Behavior. After considering all the information presented, the Dean of Students will determine whether to continue the interim involuntary withdrawal and the student shall be notified of the decision within two (2) calendar days. The outcome of the meeting shall not preclude,