Student Leave Of Absence Policy

Reviewed By: Administrative Council on November 03, 2003

Approved By: President Karnig on November 05, 2003

Reviewed By: Administrative Council on March 02, 2023

Approved By: President Morales on March 02, 2023

For interpretation of this policy, please contact the responsible department: ASUA Academic Advising (909) 537-7345.

The leave of absence policy covers both involuntary and voluntary interruptions. In most instances, with an approved leave of absence, a student may be absent from the campus without losing their rights to specific degree requirements under an earlier catalog.

Petitions for leaves of absence should be filed in advance of the interruption in enrollment. Each leave commences with the first regular semester of non-attendance. Medical and military leaves may be considered retroactively if supported by individual circumstances, but those leaves must be filed no later than census date of the third regular semester of non-attendance. Personal and planned educational leaves cannot be retroactive since they constitute an agreement or 'contract' which must be set in advance. The maximum duration for any leave is two calendar years.

Leaves of absence will not be approved for students subject to disqualification or dismissal due to academic deficiencies or disciplinary action.

Other students ineligible for leaves of absence are those who are not completing any degree applicable course work, those who are enrolling only in extension courses, or those who are only auditing courses.

Students who do not return to CSU, San Bernardino at the conclusion of their planned leaves and those who enroll elsewhere without permission of the Office of the Registrar, will be considered to have withdrawn from the university at the end of their last semester of regular enrollment.

International students must submit a copy of the leave of absence petition to the Center for International Studies and Programs (CISP), CGI-309. Visa students must be registered as full-time students except, when after three consecutive semesters of regular enrollment, they decide to take a semester off. All leave of absence periods must be approved by CISP prior to taking the leave in order to report the students properly to the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS). As a general rule, visa students must go back to their home country when applying for a leave of absence, as their primary goal in the U.S. is to obtain an academic degree.

The following Leaves of Absence may be requested:

Medical Leave of Absence: Requests must be accompanied by a statement from a medical doctor explaining why the student must interrupt enrollment. Exceptions to the two-year limit may be granted under extenuating circumstances.
Military Leave of Absence:
- For absences longer than two consecutive quarters (long-term), please reference the Military Long Term Absence Policy.
- For absences within the two consecutive quarters (short-term), please reference the Military Short Term Leave Policy.
- For any questions regarding either Military Leave of Absence policies, please contact Marci Daniels, Director, The Veterans Success Center, at 909-537-5196 or daniels@csusb.edu.
Personal and Planned Educational Leaves of Absence: is defined as a planned interruption or pause in a student's regular education during which the student temporarily ceases formal studies at CSU, San Bernardino. The student must plan to return to CSU, San Bernardino at the end of the leave. Such activities may be for the purpose of clarifying or enriching educational goals or to allow time to address personal matters and thus enhance the prospect of successful completion of the student's academic program.
Since students usually maintain their catalog rights, courses completed at other institutions must have received prior approval in order to be transferred back to CSU, San Bernardino. Therefore, a student must also file a concurrent enrollment form with the Office of the Registrar (UH-171 -- (909) 537-5200) to obtain that approval. Failure to file a concurrent enrollment form may result in coursework not being accepted and revised General Education and major requirements being required.
Returning from Approved Leave of Absence : When students plan to return from their leave, a readmission form, available through the Office of the Registrar (UH-171 -- (909) 537-5200), must be submitted within the filing period for the semester of return. No application fee will be assessed for leaves of absence that meet the terms of the leave agreement.