The CHSU Student Withdrawal Policy identifies the rules and procedures for a student’s separation from the University and is applicable to all students enrolled at California Health Sciences University (CHSU). Students may voluntarily withdraw or be officially administratively withdrawn or involuntarily withdrawn.
Instances where the student’s intention is to temporarily halt their educational program but return to the University are governed by the Student Attendance and Leaves of Absence Policy of the applicable college.
There are different reasons why students withdraw from the University. Students may choose to discontinue studies by voluntarily withdrawing from the University or may be administratively or involuntarily withdrawn at the instruction of the University. This policy outlines the types of withdrawals and procedures that apply to a student’s withdrawal from the University and eligibility of tuition and fees refund.
Definitions
Voluntary Withdrawal: A request made by a student to discontinue studies at the University occurring on the first day of a course session or clinical rotation block of the semester up and until the last day of a course/clinical rotation of the semester. A student may voluntarily withdraw from the University for personal or medical reasons. A withdrawal applies to all courses in which the student is enrolled at the time of the effective withdrawal date. Unlike a Leave of Absence, a withdrawal from CHSU is a permanent discontinuation of enrollment.
When a student has voluntarily withdrawn, the University records both a withdrawal status and the effective date of the withdrawal on the student’s academic transcript. The effective date of the withdrawal is determined consistent with applicable state and federal laws and regulations. For students who officially withdraw from the University, the effective date of withdrawal is the later of the date that the student begins the official withdrawal process, or the date that the University receives the student’s Withdrawal form. For students who do not provide official notification to the University, the effective date of withdrawal is the date that the University becomes aware that the student has ceased attending.
Administrative Withdrawal: Administrative withdrawals may be implemented by the University based on deficient academic performance, non-attendance, or violation of the student code of conduct.
Students who are dismissed may appeal the decision to the Director/Dean of the College in which they were enrolled. The effective date of withdrawal is the date of the final decision of the appeal. In the event an appeal is not filed, the appeal process will be deemed to have been exhausted on the deadline date for filing of an appeal.
Involuntary Withdrawal: An involuntary withdrawal may be utilized for situations where a student poses a direct or substantial threat to themselves or a threat to the safety of the campus community or substantially impedes the educational or other activities of the university community.
Voluntary Withdrawal
Withdrawing from the University can have financial and academic implications that students should consider when making this decision. Prior to withdrawing from the institution, students are strongly encouraged to meet with the Office of Student Affairs (OSA), to seek individual guidance regarding all available options. The OSA will be able to help the student prepare an individualized checklist so that the student can gather the necessary information regarding these topics prior to making any final withdrawal decisions.
Students also are strongly advised to meet with the Business Office who will explain the potential implications of the withdrawal on the student’s account. A student who withdraws from the University may be entitled to a refund of tuition and fees depending on the effective date of the withdrawal. Any refunds that the student is entitled to following a withdrawal will be determined by the Tuition Refund Policy and applicable legal requirements.
Students who have loans or scholarships must meet with the Office of Financial Aid (OFA) for required exit counseling. If the student has received Title IV funding, the OFA will determine the amount of financial aid that was earned by the student based on the amount of time the student attended the University.
Voluntary Withdrawal Procedures
Below are the steps students must follow to officially withdraw from the University:
Step 1: Arrange a time to meet with the OSA to discuss withdrawing from the University.
Step 2: The Withdrawal form will be provided to the student by the OSA. The form is also available from the Office of the Registrar on the CHSU website. The student must complete, sign and return the Withdrawal form to OSA
Step 3: The signed form will be forwarded by OSA to the Director/Dean of the College for final approval.
Step 4: After final approval from the Director/College Dean, the Withdrawal form will be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar to process the withdrawal.
Step 5: The student must return all university property to the OSA.
Incomplete forms will be returned to the student to provide the missing information.
Administrative Withdrawal
Administrative Withdrawal Due to Attendance Issues
A student may be administratively withdrawn from CHSU based on lack of attendance for an extended period of time without advising or communicating with the Office of Student Affairs or providing other verbal notice to the college in which the student is enrolled. Students who do not complete the Withdrawal Form but stop attending all courses will be considered administratively withdrawn for purposes of any tuition refund calculations under the Tuition Refund Policy. The withdrawal date will be recorded as the date the University becomes aware that the student has ceased attending.
As soon as the University learns of a student’s unexcused absences , the Office of the Registrar will send a confirming letter by electronic mail and U.S. mail to the student explaining that the student will be considered administratively withdrawn by the University unless they contact the Office of Student Affairs within ten (10) calendar days of the date on which the letter is sent and indicates that there is no intent to withdraw from the University.
Administrative Withdrawal Due to Academic Performance or Unprofessional Conduct
Students who are dismissed from the University for academic reasons or based on violations of the Student Conduct and Professionalism Policy will be administratively withdrawn from the University.
Involuntary Withdrawal
Involuntary Withdrawal Due to Health and Safety Concerns
California Health Sciences University (“CHSU”) is committed to maintaining a learning environment where all persons feel safe and secure on campus. CHSU values the safety and well-being of each individual in its community. To ensure the safe operation of CHSU’s services, programs and activities, CHSU may determine that it is necessary to place a student on an involuntary withdrawal from the University
Students who pose a direct or substantial threat to their own health or safety or the health and safety of others may be subject to involuntary withdrawal procedures if they are:
- Engaging or threatening to engage in behavior that poses a high probability of substantial harm to themselves or others; or
- Engaging or threatening to engage in behavior which would cause significant property damage, would directly and substantially impede the lawful activities of others, or would interfere with the educational process and the orderly operation of the University.
Involuntary Withdrawal Procedures
If it becomes evident (through observed behavior or by report(s) from faculty, staff or students) that a withdrawal from the University may be in the best interest of a student or the University, and the student does not agree, then the following procedures will apply.
The Director/Dean of the College will review all available information obtained from incident reports, conversations with students, faculty and staff, and the expert opinions of appropriate professionals.
The Director/Dean of the College will make a determination on an individualized, case-by-case basis and will apply the direct threat analysis, taking into consideration the nature, duration and severity of the risk and the likelihood, imminence and nature of the future harmful conduct, either to the student or to others in the College community.
The Director/Dean of the College will meet with the student (if possible), giving notice to the student of the meeting and providing an opportunity for the student to provide evidence to the contrary and/or to make suggestions for reasonable accommodation(s) short of involuntary withdrawal from the College.
If, after conversation, the student chooses to withdraw voluntarily, a Withdrawal form will be processed indicating that the withdrawal is voluntary and, if applicable, setting appropriate conditions for the student’s return.
If, after conversation, the student still would like to remain enrolled, the Director/Dean of the College will consult with appropriate persons (e.g., medical professionals if there are health issues), if necessary, regarding the evidence presented by the student. (Failure by the student to sign the Consent to Release Information form so that medical/clinical or other professionals may be consulted will result in the involuntary withdrawal from the College because the College will have insufficient evidence to render an individualized determination). The Director/Dean of the College will also consult with other College officials as appropriate.
The Director/Dean of the College will render a decision and present that decision to the student in writing. Should the decision be to withdraw the student involuntarily, appropriate conditions for return (if applicable) will be identified within the withdrawal letter. Where a student’s self-injurious behavior is at issue, the College will not as a condition of return mandate that self-injurious behavior ceases unless that behavior is a direct threat to the student or others in the University community. If appropriate, the College may require, as a condition for return, a release and consent form be signed by the student that will authorize the Director/Dean of the College and appropriate College officials to discuss the student’s readiness to return to the College with appropriate health care providers and/or public safety professionals for assistance in developing reasonable accommodation(s) to mitigate any direct threat to self or others.
Students can appeal an Involuntary Withdrawal decision. Students who choose to appeal the Dean’s decision must make such appeal to the Provost within ten (10) days of receiving the Dean’s decision. The Provost will render a final decision or, in the event that the Provost has a conflict of interest, then the appeal will be decided by the University President, who will render the final decision.
Transcript Notations
Students withdrawing voluntarily or who have been administratively or involuntarily withdrawn from didactic courses will have a Withdrawal (“W”) mark recorded on their official transcript for all uncompleted courses remaining during the specific semester that the withdrawal occurs. The class from which the student withdrew will not be included in calculating the student’s grade point average. However, the W marks will remain on the official transcript. Thereafter, if a student applies for readmission to the program and is reinstated, the student will be required to retake any course required to satisfy degree requirements.
Students in the College of Pharmacy program withdrawing from didactic courses during the week of final examinations and students who withdraw from an experiential rotation will receive a grade of Withdrawal Pass (“WP”) or Withdrawal Fail (“WF”), which will be recorded on their official transcript.
Students withdrawing after final examinations: If a student withdraws from the University following all final exams, the withdrawal will not become effective until the upcoming semester and the withdrawal will not impact the student’s final grades in the semester in which the student took final exams.
All CHSU Students who have been dismissed for academic reasons will have the notation “Dismissed” and the effective date of the dismissal recorded on their transcript.
Students who have been dismissed due to student conduct reasons will have the dismissal recorded on their transcript consistent with the Student Conduct and Professionalism Policy.
Readmission/Reinstatement Procedures
Voluntary withdrawal is generally understood to reflect a student’s intent to not return to the University. However, in some cases, students may be interested in resuming their education.
Reinstatement of a student is a discretionary determination of the University. Students who are interested in reinstatement must complete the following process:
- Students must seek reinstatement under this policy within one year of their withdrawal. Student seeking reinstatement more than one year after their withdrawal will be required to complete the standard admissions process.
- Students interested in re-enrollment should submit a written request to the Director/Dean as soon as possible, but no later than sixty (60) days prior to the start of the academic year.
- The student seeking reinstatement may also be required to provide the Director/Dean with additional documentation verifying completion of the terms of the approved withdrawal, if any.
- If the request is granted, as a condition of re-enrollment, students will be required to complete pre-enrollment requirements, including, without limitation, a drug screen and background check. Students will be advised of the specific process to conduct the screening process by the student affairs staff. At the time re-enrollment is granted, the student will be placed into the appropriate academic class distribution lists and have access to the learning resources for that class.
- CHSU has the right to require that students satisfy additional conditions upon the student’s return or prior to returning to the College. Any conditions will be communicated to the student either in the initial letter to the student approving the withdrawal or in subsequent correspondence to the student. For students who withdrew from CHSU while under investigation, the conditions may include resumption of the investigation process and a requirement that the student participate in the investigation or grievance process.