Leave of Absence, Withdrawal, and Dismissal
Course Withdrawal
Enrollment Services may grant a student permission to withdraw from a course beginning Monday of Week 2 through Friday of Week 9 for medical reasons (with proper documentation from a health care provider) or special circumstances beyond the student’s control.
Students must maintain full-time status (a minimum of 12 units) until their Course Withdrawal Request form is processed. This does not apply to students on an approved ArtCenter Lite term.
For all courses, students must obtain their Department Chair’s signature on the Course Withdrawal Request form, available from Enrollment Services. A withdrawn course will be graded with a letter grade of "W." GPAs will not be affected by the "W" grade. It is the student’s responsibility to check Inside ArtCenter (inside.artcenter.edu) for confirmation that the Course Withdrawal Request was approved.
International students are not permitted to withdraw from classes and drop below 12 units without prior permission from the International Student Advisor in the Center for the Student Experience. A signature from the International Student Advisor is required on their Course Withdrawal Request form.
Leave of Absence or Withdrawal
Students intending to take a Leave of Absence (LOA) or Withdrawal from ArtCenter must complete and submit a Leave of Absence Request or a Withdrawal form, both available in Enrollment Services, by the Friday before the start of the term to avoid any charges for that term. For example, students who intend to be on an LOA for the Summer term, or to withdraw from ArtCenter permanently, will have until the Friday before the start of Summer term classes to file the request with no penalty. Suspended or dismissed students are not eligible for an LOA.
International students are allowed to take a Leave of Absence only when they have attended two consecutive full-time terms prior to the LOA term and must obtain a signature from the International Student Advisor on the LOA form before submitting it to Enrollment Services. Exceptions may apply; however, prior authorization by the International Student Advisor in the Center for the Student Experience is required before they submit the LOA form to Enrollment Services.
An LOA or Withdrawal is effective according to the date that the form was approved and signed by Enrollment Services. If you take an LOA or Withdrawal from the term prior to Friday of Week 5, a portion of your tuition for the term will be forgiven (please see the Tuition and Fee Forgiveness Policy). Students who take an LOA or Withdrawal from classes between Weeks 6 and 12 are not eligible for any tuition forgiveness. Students may not take an LOA or Withdrawal in Weeks 13 or 14.
Exceptions to the above LOA policy are only granted in the case of documented medical reasons. This must be approved by the Associate Provost for Student Affairs/Dean of Students or designee (see Medical and Psychological Leave Policy). There are no exceptions to the above policy for students withdrawing from ArtCenter. Students who stop attending classes without completing an LOA or Withdrawal form will receive a grade of "N" for the registered courses. The last day to file a Withdrawal request for the term is Friday of Week 12.
Please note that taking an LOA or Withdrawal from ArtCenter may have financial implications. Changes in financial aid support, recalculation of financial aid packages and delays in refunds may result from the decision to take an LOA. By law, the Financial Aid office must refund certain kinds of aid (government grants, loans, ArtCenter scholarships, etc.) to their respective sources if a student is not enrolled at ArtCenter.
Students may take an LOA for no more than three consecutive terms. Students on an LOA will be eligible to enroll in the term following the leave and are not required to reapply.
International students must meet with the International Student Advisor prior to taking an LOA or Withdrawal from ArtCenter. International students are only permitted to take a term off for their annual vacation or for an internship after having completed two consecutive terms. International students who do not follow the requirements and deadlines to take a term off for an LOA or Withdrawal and then do not properly enroll for the term will fail to maintain visa status, and their United States SEVIS I-20 records will be terminated.
International students who have their SEVIS I-20 records terminated may not be permitted to remain in the United States.
Students on an LOA who withdraw or take a term off from the College are not covered by student health insurance. Please contact the Center for the Student Experience at 626 396-2323 for further information on alternative insurance options, including the option of purchasing the school’s health insurance plan.
Students who do not file the LOA or Withdrawal form by the Friday before the start of the term are subject to fees and charges.
Dismissal
ArtCenter reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to dismiss students for violations of academic or student conduct policies.
Rescind Offer of Admission
ArtCenter, at its discretion, reserves the right to rescind an offer of admission if any information contained in the Admission Application is found to be incomplete, inaccurate, or misleading, if subsequent information leads to serious concerns, or if any submitted documents, materials, or test scores are inaccurate or are the result of wrongful or fraudulent activity. Violation of this Policy may result in rescinding an offer of admission, expulsion after enrollment, and retraction of degrees awarded.