Ursinus may deem it necessary to place a student on a College-initiated Leave of Absence (CLOA) when there is a significant risk to the safety, health, or well-being of the individual student or the College community which cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodations by the College, including by not limited to modification of policies, practices, or procedures, or by the provision of auxiliary aids of services. Considerations of whether a CLOA is warranted must be an individualized assessment based on the specific facts of each case. Circumstances in which Ursinus might consider a student for a CLOA include, but are not limited to, situations:

1. Where a student engages in behavior that poses a substantial risk to the health or safety of (a) member(s) of the College community.
2. Where a student’s behavior substantially or repeatedly disrupts or impedes the operation of the College, including educational, residential, or any other College activities, including causing or threatening to cause substantial property damage;
3. Where a student is unable or unwilling to attend to personal needs related to food, shelter, hygiene or personal safety, so that the student poses a substantial risk to their own health or safety.

College-initiated Leave of Absence Process and Procedures

When a student exhibits any behaviors described above triggering consideration of a CLOA, the student will be notified in writing that the College is undertaking an assessment to determine whether a CLOA is warranted. No student will be required to take a CLOA without an individualized, objective assessment, free from speculations, generalizations, and stereotypes to determine the nature and severity of risk, probability of harm, and whether the risk can be mitigated by reasonable modifications or accommodations which, if accepted by the student, would be expected to mitigate the risk and enable the student to safely participate in campus life. Potential accommodations the College may consider are whether the student may safely complete their course work and/or research while commuting to campus for classes and/or a reduced course load. The student may instead opt to take a voluntary leave of absence with the MLOA or LOA procedures described above.

The assessment will be an individualized assessment based on the most current medical knowledge and/or on the best available objective evidence, as applicable depending on the circumstances necessitating the CLOA. The student may be required to undergo an immediate assessment of their psychiatric, psychological, or other medical condition, as relevant, performed by Wellness Center staff, or other appropriate health care professionals on- or off-campus. The College may require a release from the student to enable Wellness Center staff, or other appropriate professionals, including Student Affairs, to discuss the student’s condition with the health care professional(s) conducting the assessment, and/or the student’s own treating health care professional(s). The College will give careful consideration to any opinions and recommendations of the student’s treating physician or mental health professional, if available, along with the opinions and recommendations of the healthcare professionals consulted by the College. The College will encourage the student to provide any other additional information that the student believes is relevant to the determination. The College will respect the student’s confidentiality, and only expects the student to provide a medical release for access to the student’s medical and mental health records as reasonably necessary to complete this individualized assessment.

Students subject to this policy will be notified in writing regarding the requirements for any mandated assessment. Should the student fail to follow the requirements for completing the mandated assessment, the student may be referred to the student conduct process for failure to comply and may face disciplinary action separate and apart from this process. In Such circumstances, the College will make a decision whether a CLOA is warranted based on the information available to the College at that time.

The decision to require a CLOA will be made by the Dean of Students or designee upon review of the individualized, objective assessment. The Dean of Students or designee will provide the decision to the student in writing, which may include (1) that the student may remain enrolled with no conditions; (2) that the student may remain enrolled subject to conditions, including a description of those conditions; or (3) that the student will be placed on a CLOA. The written decision will explain the rationale supporting the decision. If the College’s decision is to impose a CLOA or conditions for continued enrollment, the decision will include the details of the leave or conditions, the process for requesting a return to the College, any conditions the student is expected to satisfy prior to requesting to return, and an explanation of any appeal rights.

A student who disagrees with the College’s decision for a CLOA may submit an appeal, or review request, to the Vice President for Campus Life, but the leave decision will remain in effect while the appeal is pending. The Vice President for Campus Life must receive the appeal within 7 business days of the decision to mandate leave, unless the Vice President for Campus Life agrees to accept a late review request due to exceptional circumstances. The student must make the request in writing and include detailed information describing the rationale for the request to overturn or modify the leave decision. The student may submit any medical or other documentation that supports their appeal. The Vice President for Campus Life may meet with the student if deemed appropriate, review all pertinent materials associated with the leave decision, and consult with others who may have useful information. The Vice President for Campus Life may affirm, overturn, or modify the leave decision within 10 business days from the date of receipt of the request, although this period may be extended for good cause. The Vice President for Campus Life’s decision will be communicated to the student in writing and shall be final.

A CLOA may impact financial aid, student account, or academic progress, so students subject to a CLOA are required to contact Student Financial Services and their academic advisor to verify impact. For international students, a CLOA may impact visa status, so international students subject to a CLOA are required to contact International Student Services.

Interim Removal

If Ursinus has reason to believe, based on the information available and in consultation with professionals with appropriate expertise, that the student’s continued presence on campus poses an imminent threat of significant harm to the student or to others in the community, the Dean of Students may take immediate action to remove the student from campus pending receipt of relevant information and a determination in accordance with the CLOA assessment process set forth in this policy. At the Dean of Students’ discretion, the interim removal may remain in place pending completion of any appeal process.

Reinstatement From College-initiated Leave of Absence

Students seeking reinstatement following a College-initiated Leave of Absence must complete and submit a Request for Reinstatement following a CLOA form, the Authorization to Release/Request Confidential Information form, and any other documentation as may be reasonably requested by the Dean of Students, verifying that student no longer poses a significant risk to the safety, health, or well-being of the individual student or other member of the College community and is otherwise qualified to safely participate in the College’s educational program. The Request for Reinstatement and the Authorization to Release/Request Confidential Information forms must be submitted one month prior to the anticipated semester for return. A student may request early return from a CLOA, or, conversely, an extension of the CLOA, and may also request a change in the conditions for return or conditions for continued enrollment, if applicable. Students whose requests are denied may petition again in the event of a change of circumstances, and/or at any subsequent review period, and may also appeal, as described below.

In extraordinary circumstances (e.g. The College is concerned about a medical provider’s credentials), the Dean of Students or designee may request that the student undergo an additional assessment to allow the College to make a determination about the student’s readiness for return. In those rare instances, the Dean of Students or designee will notify the student of the rationale for making this request.

After submitting the above documentation, the student must meet with the Dean of Students or designee. Upon receipt of the documentation and after the meeting with the student, the Dean of Students or designee will review the Request for Reinstatement and consult with other College officials and the student’s treating physician or mental health professional, as necessary, and make a determination of whether is appropriate for the student to return. The Dean of Students or designee will promptly advise the student, in writing, regarding the determination of the student’s Request for Reinstatement, including the basis for the determination and an explanation of any appeal rights.

Should the Dean of Students or designee determine that student is not ready to return to the College, the student may appeal the decision by submitting an appeal letter in writing to the Vice President for Campus Life within 7 business of receiving notice of the decision. The student may also submit any information they believe to be relevant to the appeal. The Vice President for Campus Life’s decision will be communicated to the student in writing and shall be final.