CHAPTER 12: STUDENT ACTIVITY, LEAVE OF ABSENCE, AND RE-ENROLLMENT PROCEDURES It is the student's responsibility to inform the University of the People about his/her academic plans each term by either (1) registering for classes (2) applying for a leave of absence (LOA), or (3) withdrawing from the University. Inactivity UoPeople allows students to be inactive for up to three (3) consecutive terms but not inactive for more than three (3) terms in a given academic year (September to August).13 Under special circumstances such as military service, a student's inactivity may be extended for a maximum of five years. Students must apply for a leave of absence when planning to be away from their studies in an upcoming term. Students requiring an extended period of inactivity at UoPeople may wish to consider withdrawing from the University. Students are considered inactive during a term in the following instances: with an approved leave of absence (LOA) when dropping and/or withdrawing and/or being granted an administrative course withdrawal from all classes The time granted for a student's inactivity will not count against the total time allowed to complete the degree. Leave of Absence (LOA) Students not planning to register for classes during an upcoming term are required to request a leave of absence (LOA) via the Student Portal (https://students.uopeople.edu/login.aspx) using the online form. Students have until one (1) week before the term begins to make this request.14 Students cannot apply for a leave of absence after the term begins, and do not need to apply for a leave of absence if they drop and/or withdraw and/or are granted an administrative course withdrawal from all courses during a term; it will be counted as an inactive term for the student. Students are encouraged to learn and comply with all LOA procedures; failure to comply with the LOA policy is grounds for University administrative actions including administrative withdrawal from UoPeople. Notes about a Leave of Absence Questions about applying for a LOA may be directed to the Office of Student Services at student.services@uopeople.edu. Any approved leave of absence from the University will be revoked for students who are dismissed or suspended. Students granted a leave of absence while on Academic Warning, Academic Probation, or Probation Continued will return to their studies with the same status. Students returning from an academic or disciplinary suspension are eligible to request a leave of absence before returning to their studies. Administrative Withdrawals Students will be administratively withdrawn from UoPeople if they fail to comply with University policies and procedures. 1. Students who fail to apply for a LOA and do not register for classes will be administratively withdrawn from the University on the first day of the term. In highly specialized cases, the University will grant administrative leave to the student; it is counted as an inactive term.
On the first occasion that students are administratively withdrawn for failing to apply for a LOA, they will have the option to appeal within thirty (30) days by sending a formal appeal request to the Office of Student Services at student.services@uopeople.edu. On the second occasion that students are administratively withdrawn for failing to apply for a LOA, they will be required to apply for re-enrollment, reinstatement or academic renewal depending on the number of terms separated from the University. Students who are administratively withdrawn on more than two occasions will not be allowed to request to return to their studies for a minimum of five (5) terms. 2. Students exceeding the maximum number of inactive terms, either consecutively or in an academic year, will be administratively withdrawn from UoPeople and will be required to apply for re-enrollment, reinstatement or academic renewal depending on the number of terms separated from the University. Withdrawal from the University Students who wish to withdraw from the University must send an email to the Office of Student Services at student.services@uopeople.edu with their name, Student ID, and a request to withdraw from UoPeople. Students are also asked to indicate their reason for withdrawing from UoPeople in the email. 1. Students in good academic standing may withdraw from the University with no limitation on their ability to request re-enrollment within 5 consecutive terms after withdrawing. 2. Students in good academic standing may withdraw from the University for a period of 6-15 consecutive terms with no limitations on their ability to request reinstatement at any time during this period. 3. Students in good academic standing may withdraw from the University with no limitation on their ability to request academic renewal after more than 15 consecutive terms away from the institution. Students are required to re-apply for admission and pay the Application Fee and the Examination Processing Fees then in effect if they withdrew and have been away from the University for more than 15 terms. Re-enrollment Students who have interrupted their otherwise continuous enrollment at the University, with a minimum or higher cumulative GPA required at the time they left, and are in good disciplinary standing with UoPeople and have been out of residence for five (5) or fewer consecutive terms, may contact the Office of Student Services to request re-enrollment. Once re-enrolled, students will be eligible to register for courses in the subsequent term. 1. Students applying for re-enrollment are required to be in good standing. However, the Student Affairs Committee will review re-enrollment requests for students with a cumulative GPA below a 2.00. The Office of Student Services will inform students whether their request has been approved or denied, and students may only begin registering for courses during the course registration period after their re-enrollment has been approved. Under very unusual circumstances, students with a cumulative GPA below a 2.00 will be accepted for re-enrollment under the supervision of the Dean of Student Affairs. These students will be permitted to register for one (1) course per term until returning to good academic standing. 2. Students who were on approved leave of absences, had the minimum or higher cumulative GPA at the time their leave began, and are in good disciplinary standing with UoPeople after being out of residence for five or fewer consecutive terms, may register for classes in the term immediately following the end of their leave, effectively serving to re-enroll themselves into the University. These students therefore are not required to contact the Office of Student Services in order to re-enroll in the University. Students interested in requesting re-enrollment should contact the Office of Student Services at student.services@uopeople.edu. Requests for re-enrollment should be initiated at least fifty (50) days before the first day of the term in which re-enrollment is sought to allow sufficient opportunity for students to register for classes for the subsequent term. Reinstatement Reinstatement is a procedure that allows former students the opportunity to return to the University. 1. Students who had been suspended from the University of the People for academic or disciplinary reasons for five (5) or fewer terms must apply for reinstatement and return to their studies in the term immediately following the end of the suspension period. 2. Students who have formally withdrawn or administratively withdrawn from the University and have been out of residence for more than five (5) but fewer than fifteen (15) consecutive terms, may apply for reinstatement. 3. Students applying for reinstatement must be in good standing. However, the Student Affairs Committee will review reinstatement requests for students with a cumulative GPA below a 2.00. Under very unusual circumstances, students with a cumulative GPA below a 2.00 will be accepted for reinstatement under the supervision of the Dean of Student Affairs. These students will be permitted to register for one (1) course per term until returning to good academic standing. The Office of Student Services will inform students whether their request has been approved or denied, and students may only begin registering for courses during the open registration period after their re-reinstatement has been approved. 4. Once reinstated, students are required to maintain good standing, and are encouraged to be in contact with an Academic Advisor in the Office of Student Affairs. Students who are reinstated and fail to achieve or maintain a minimum 2.00 term GPA, will be placed on Academic Warning, Academic Probation, Probation Continued, or may ultimately be dismissed. Students interested in applying for reinstatement should contact the Office of Student Services at student.services@uopeople.edu. Requests for reinstatement should be initiated at least fifty (50) days before the first day of the term in which reinstatement is sought to allow sufficient opportunity for students to register for classes for the subsequent term. Academic Renewal Former students who have been out of residence from the University for a minimum of fifteen (15) consecutive terms, or who had formally withdrawn from the University or may been academically dismissed, may apply for Academic Renewal by contacting the Office of Student Services at student.services@uopeople.edu. Also, former students who have been academically dismissed from UoPeople and wish to return to their studies are required to apply for Academic Renewal after being away from UoPeople for a minimum of fifteen (15) terms. Academic renewal requests should be initiated at least fifty (50) days before the first day of the term in which academic renewal is sought. Former students applying for academic renewal will be required to complete a new application for admission and to pay the Application Processing Fee and Examination Processing Fees then in effect. If readmitted, the former student will be notified by the Office of Admissions and will be required to sign and submit an enrollment agreement to the University as part of their enrollment confirmation, after which the relevant University official will sign the agreement on behalf of the University. Students who are readmitted and/or granted Academic Renewal are required to satisfy all graduation requirements and follow all the University rules and regulations listed in the Catalog during the academic year in which they resume their studies. Individuals may be granted only one academic renewal and the University has the sole discretion at the time of the Academic Renewal to determine which, if any, credits previously earned will be applied toward a University degree. At the start of Academic Renewal, a notation is added to the student's previous UoPeople transcript listing the student's academic renewal status. Additionally, the student's cumulative grade point average and cumulative credits start anew with their return to the University. Students may only begin registering for courses during the course registration period after their academic renewal has been approved. Students who are approved for Academic Renewal are strongly encouraged to enroll in only one course under the advisement of an Academic Advisor in the Office Student Affairs, and are required to maintain good standing at the University.
