WITHDRAWAL FROM COURSE BY THE PUBLISHED DEADLINE (overall MCLA Policy):
A withdrawal from a course may occur after the end of the drop period and up to the weekday following the tenth week of the semester (two-thirds completion mark for a 15-week semester). Courses that do not run the full semester will have withdrawal dates that adhere to a weekday following the two-thirds completion point of the course. While it is the ultimate responsibility of the student to be aware of all deadlines for withdrawal, the college will publicize important academic deadlines (such as the withdrawal deadline) to students.

WITHDRAWAL FROM INDIVIDUAL COURSES AFTER THE PUBLISHED DEADLINE
When extraordinary circumstances arise after the published withdrawal date that prevent a student from continuing enrollment, a student may request a late withdrawal from a course. Such examples might include, but are not limited to, death of an immediate family member, extreme personal financial hardship, military deployment or training, or new information about the student’s academic progress. 

In order to request a late withdrawal from a course, the student must meet with their academic advisor (either in-person or remotely) who will inquire about the reasons for withdrawal and will assist the student in completing the required late withdrawal forms. Supporting documentation, including a detailed letter outlining the reasons for the request, should be attached to the late withdrawal forms. The student must present a compelling reason for this exception in the letter. The student will then present the forms to the Dean of Academic Affairs for a decision regarding course withdrawal. Late course withdrawals are not automatically approved. Any decision(s) reached by the Dean of Academic Affairs are considered final.

CONSEQUENCES OF WITHDRAWING FROM INDIVIDUAL COURSES

• Course withdrawals will be indicated on the student’s transcript with a “W” and will not affect the calculation of the student’s grade point average.
• Course withdrawals may extend a student’s time for degree completion. Students should consult with their advisor regarding implications of course withdrawal and any timeline regarding repeating the course.
• Course withdrawals are subject to the college’s refund schedule.
• Course withdrawals may affect eligibility for financial aid, health insurance, participation in extracurricular activities, on-campus housing, and veterans’ benefits.
• Approved withdrawals requested by a student are considered final, and students will not be reenrolled.

NURSING SPECIFIC WITHDRAWAL FROM COURSE POLICY LANGUAGE (in addition to MCLA Withdrawal from Course Policy): 
Withdrawal from a nursing (NURS) course may affect progression in the nursing program as all nursing (NURS) courses must be taken in order of the prescribed curriculum. Students considering withdrawing from a nursing (NURS) course must meet with their nursing faculty advisor prior to initiating a course withdrawal.

WITHDRAWAL FROM COLLEGE (overall MCLA Policy):
Students leaving the College must complete a Withdrawal from College form and a brief online survey.  Students officially withdrawing before the first day of final examinations will receive a notation of WX in all courses. After this time, students will receive a final grade in all courses.  In adherence to best reporting practices, if a student withdraws from all individual courses during a semester, the student's record will reflect that they have withdrawn from college and must apply for readmission. This is necessary due to financial aid implications and National Student Clearinghouse reporting.

Students are encouraged to meet with Student Financial Services to address any questions related to withdrawals.

Residential students: Please note that the Residency Occupancy Agreement states that a resident who withdraws from the College during the period covered by that Agreement must turn in keys, remove belongings, and arrange for a room inspection within 24 hours from the effective date of the withdrawal/leave. Students processing a withdrawal with an effective date on a weekend will have their meal plan deactivated on the Friday before the effective date.

NURSING SPECIFIC WITHDRAWAL FROM COLLEGE POLICY LANGUAGE (in addition to MCLA Withdrawal from College Policy):
Nursing Majors who withdraw in good academic standing (as defined in the College’s Academic Standing Policy) from the Nursing Program must request readmission to the program. Requesting readmission to the nursing program does not guarantee readmission. Readmission is dependent on space availability and may require an additional year of study.

Students who have left the Nursing Program or College and are not in good academic standing at the time of departure are not guaranteed readmission to the College or to the Nursing Program. The student must first gain readmission to the College before consideration for readmission to the Nursing Program is given.

Immediate Involuntary Withdrawal and Involuntary Withdrawal

In situations in which a student presents a significant risk of harm to the safety, health or well-being of any person including themselves or the campus community or where the ability of the college to carry out its essential operations is seriously threatened or impaired (collectively referred to as a “serious risk of harm”), the college may withdraw the student in accordance with the following procedures. This process differs from leaves/withdrawals initiated by the student.

An Involuntary Withdrawal is meant to be used in cases where students' need exceeds what the college is able to provide through its services or resources. In such circumstances, the student will be advised to consider a voluntary withdrawal. The student will be afforded the opportunity to voluntarily withdraw from the institution until the time in which an Involuntary Withdrawal Process decision is communicated. If the student declines to voluntarily withdraw from the college, the college may involuntarily withdraw the student in situations where:

1. the student is unable or unwilling to carry out substantial self-care obligations;
2. the student has physical or mental wellbeing needs requiring a level of care or support that exceeds what the college can appropriately provide;
3. the student presents a substantial risk of seriously affecting the health or well-being of any student or other member of the college community;
4. the student causes a substantial disruption to the college community.

This policy does not take the place of disciplinary action and sanctions associated with a student’s behavior that is in violation of any law or college rule, code or policy, including, but not limited to, the College’s Community Standards or the policies set forth in the Equal Opportunity, Diversity and Affirmative Action Plan, or the Academic Integrity Policy. Such processes may run concurrently.

Upon learning of credible evidence, including observed or recorded behavior, that a student may pose a serious risk of harm, the Dean of Students or designee may initiate the following processes:

Immediate Involuntary Withdrawal Process

In circumstances where a student’s behavior may pose an imminent serious risk to themselves or the campus community, the Dean of Students or designee may implement an immediate involuntary withdrawal or other measures. Under such circumstances:

• the student will receive notice of the immediate involuntary withdrawal
• through an appeal process, the student will have an opportunity to respond to the evidence; and provide additional information.  
• However, any appeal decision will be delayed until it has been determined that there is no imminent serious risk of harm, in accordance with the process outlined below.

Involuntary Withdrawal Process

In instances where an Immediate Involuntary Withdrawal was not initiated, the Dean of Students or designee will consult directly with the Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) to review all available information and assess whether the student poses a serious risk of harm and provide a formal recommendation whether to proceed with the Involuntary Withdrawal Process.

In instances where the BIT recommends to proceed with the Involuntary Withdrawal Process, the Dean of Students or designee will:

• notify the student that an involuntary withdrawal is under consideration;
• provide the student with a copy of this policy;
• provide the student with a description of the reasons involuntary withdrawal is under consideration;
• and provide the student with information outlining the implications of an involuntary withdrawal.

During this process, the student will be offered the opportunity to meet with the Dean of Students or their designee to address the evidence and provide additional information relevant to the college’s evaluation, including information from the student’s treatment provider(s) if provided.

If the student chooses, they will have the right to have an advisor assist them throughout the process. The student may select as an advisor their academic advisor, a faculty or staff member or family member. At the student’s request, the college will provide them with an advisor.

• The college does not limit the choice or presence of an advisor in any meeting; however, the college may establish restrictions regarding the extent to which the advisor may participate in the proceedings.
• The college maintains the right to remove an advisor from any meeting or proceeding if the advisor is disruptive.
  • The meeting or proceeding may then be delayed allowing a student to secure another advisor.

After gathering this information, the Dean of Students or their designee will consult with the BIT to review any additional information and then determine whether to impose an involuntary withdrawal.

1. If an involuntary withdrawal is imposed, the college will proceed with following:
   1. Provide the student written notice of the decision, including the beginning date and notification of any conditions that must be satisfied to return to the college.
   2. The student will be directed to leave campus (or the applicable college program or activity) within the time frame established in the written notice.
   3. In accordance with FERPA or other applicable laws, the college may notify a parent, guardian or other individual, if notification is deemed appropriate.
   4. Inform the student that during the duration of the involuntary withdrawal, the student may visit the college’s owned or leased property only with prior written authorization from the Dean of Students or designee.
   5. Communicate conditions for return after an involuntary withdrawal, which will be determined by the college on an individual basis and documented in the involuntary withdrawal notification.
2. If an Involuntary Withdrawal is not imposed, the college will provide written notice of that decision.

Immediate Involuntary Withdrawals and Involuntary Withdrawals will adhere to the College Refund Policy.

Reinstatement and Readmission following an Involuntary Withdrawal

Students wishing to be reinstated or readmitted after an involuntary withdrawal must satisfy all re-enrollment conditions established at the time of the withdrawal. If medical documentation was established as a condition for re-enrollment, the college will give significant weight to the opinion of the student’s treatment providers regarding the student’s readiness to return to the academic environment at the college, with or without accommodations.

In extraordinary circumstances, the college may require the student to undergo an additional individualized assessment to make a determination regarding the student’s readiness for return. The college may also impose conditions on the student as part of their return, based on the student’s situation.

If a student is permitted to re-enroll following a withdrawal, the student is responsible for coordinating their return to the college community with the appropriate college offices. A student must resolve any outstanding Code of Conduct issues with the Dean of Students and/or Title IX offices prior to their return. Likewise, if a student withdraws with pending academic integrity issues, they will be subject to the applicable college policy or procedure. 

Requests for Withdrawals from Others

In accordance with the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a request to alter registration status typically comes from the student themself. In extreme circumstances, a FERPA release form may be signed by the student and someone other than the student may request a course or semester withdrawal for that student. Withdrawals may be completed after the published deadline (if they are completed within an academic year), but students should delay future registration decisions until they can complete the requests themselves.

Accommodations for Students with Documented Disabilities in the Withdrawal Process

At any point in the withdrawal process, a student may seek input or discuss with Disability Resources the availability of a reasonable accommodation. A student with a disability who desires an accommodation must request an accommodation by following the procedure for requesting an accommodation through Disability Resources.

The office will make a decision regarding the request and notify the appropriate parties. For this policy, a student will not be considered to have a disability unless and until the student registers with Disability Resources. Disability Resources can be contacted via phone at 413.662.5314 or by email at disabilityresources@mcla.edu for further information. 

Reasonable accommodations will be provided as required by law. Reasonable accommodations depend upon the nature and degree of severity of the individual’s documented disability and the setting for which the accommodations are requested. The college is not required to grant a requested accommodation that is unreasonable, ineffective, an undue burden or substantially alters a college program, service or practice.

Appeal

The College provides a process for students to appeal an Involuntary Withdrawal decision. Appeals are not a re-evaluation of the facts of the case, but an examination of the procedure and/or outcome. General dissatisfaction with the outcome of the process is not an appropriate basis for an appeal.

The outcomes(s) resulting from an Involuntary Withdrawal Process decision will be considered on hold until the decision is affirmed, modified or reversed in the appeals process. Additionally, only the student involved in the Involuntary Withdrawal Process, and who has been involuntarily withdrawn from the college can file a written appeal.

An appeal must be submitted in writing via the Community Standards appeals form within (3) business days of the notification of the outcome of the case to the parties involved in the original decision and should include the grounds for the appeal and all relevant information.

Appeals must be submitted directly to the Appeal of Involuntary Withdrawal form located on the MCLA website.

Please see the appeals form link located below:

Appeal of Involuntary Withdrawal Form

Character statements, character witnesses, and letters of support that do not pertain to the incident(s) in question cannot be considered. The decision to consider the appeal is a separate action from actually determining the appeal.

If the appeal officer determines that the appeal does not meet any of the criteria for appeal, the student will be notified in writing via Case Management System and/or College email address within three (3) business days after the appeal request has been submitted.  

The possible criteria for appeal are:  

• Criterion A
  The original review process was not conducted according to established procedures or had significant procedural errors or irregularities that denied the student(s) a fair meeting/hearing.  
• Criterion B
  The student has new information that was not reasonably available prior to the original review process and that information is likely to substantially change the outcome of the meeting/hearing.  

All requests for appeal must outline the following:  

Any appeal based on Criterion A must include all of the following:  

• Citation of specific procedural errors or irregularities with appropriate reference to the Involuntary Withdrawal Process policy;  
• Reason(s) why procedural error was not mentioned in the original review process;  
• Reason(s) why correction of error can contribute to a decision other than that which was originally made.    

Any appeal based on Criterion B must include all of the following:  

• Nature of the new evidence/information;  
• Name(s) of anyone who will present this evidence/information;  
• Reason(s) why evidence was not discussed at original review process;  
• Reason(s) why evidence/information can contribute to a decision other than that which was originally made.    

The appeal officer may take the following actions after considering or determining an appeal:  

• Refer the matter to the Dean of Students or designee to be reviewed again in whole or in part.
  • At the discretion of the appeal officer a different official or review method may be designated;  
• Affirm the original decision and outcome(s);  
• Reverse the original decision and outcome(s);  
• Affirm or reverse the original decision in part and/or alter the outcome(s) which could increase or decrease the severity of the outcome(s).    

If an appeal meets at least one of the appeal criteria, the Vice President for Student Affairs or designee will serve as the appeal officer and will review case related information. A notification of the decision regarding the appeal will be made to the student in writing via their College email address. The appeal decision will be rendered within (10) ten business days of the written appeal being received by the College. The decision of the appeal officer is final and effective immediately, the case is closed. All outcomes must be completed as stated in the original Notice of Decision and/or Notice of Appeal Decision letter.