# Leaves of Absence ## expand\_more There are two types of leaves of absence: [voluntary](#voluntary-leave) and [involuntary](#involuntary-leave). In addition, there are policies for the [effects of health issues on residency and enrollment](#health-issues). Students who go on leave of absence should be aware of their [responsibilities while on leave](#while-on-leave) and the process to return. ## Voluntary Leave of Absence for Master's Students If this procedure is not followed by the add/drop deadline of that term, the student will be recorded as Withdrawn and will be required to either petition for reinstatement or reapply to the program in order to return to their studies. See [Withdrawal and Reinstatement](/academic-procedures/status/withdrawal "Program Withdrawal and Reinstatement") for more information. For any request for a medical leave of absence, HDS reserves the right to consider at the time the leave request is made or at the time the student seeks to return whether it will require the student to be evaluated by Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) at the time the student seeks to resume their studies. Students who wish to interrupt their studies for part of a semester or longer must file a leave of absence request form with the Registrar. No leave of absence will be considered official until the student has given written notice of such. A student who wishes to take a leave should consult the Registrar in order to clarify such matters as tuition credit and insurance coverage. Students receiving financial aid must consult the Office of Financial Aid concerning the implications of a leave of absence. Students who have borrowed money or who have received financial aid from Harvard should contact the Office of Financial Aid before finalizing their plans. Students who request a leave of absence due to extraordinary circumstances (ordinarily medical) after the add/drop deadline will have a grade of “W” permanently notated for each course on their transcript. Students will be assessed tuition for that term based on the schedule detailed in [Withdrawal and Reinstatement](/academic-procedures/status/withdrawal "Program Withdrawal and Reinstatement"). International students who wish to go on a leave of absence are not allowed to remain in the United States. Students should contact the Harvard International Office to discuss their options (864 Smith Campus Center; phone: 617.495.2789; or visit [the HIO website](https://www.hio.harvard.edu/)). Ordinarily, leaves of absence for MDiv students will be granted for up to one year only and for MTS and ThM students one semester only. To be allowed a longer leave, students must petition the Executive Committee on Academic Programs (ECAP). If after an approved leave of absence a student fails to register and does not petition for an extension, they will be recorded as Withdrawn. See the [Withdrawal and Reinstatement](/academic-procedures/status/withdrawal "Program Withdrawal and Reinstatement") for more information. Degree candidates who take a leave of absence are still required to complete their programs within the number of years allowed by the requirements of their degree (two and one-half years for MTS students, four years for MDiv students, and one year for MRPL and ThM students). Additional time requires the permission of ECAP. Information on health care coverage while on leave is available through HUHS Member Services at 617.495.2008 or [online](https://hushp.harvard.edu/enroll/leave-of-absence-withdrawal/). ## Involuntary Leave of Absence Under certain circumstances, a student may be placed on an involuntary leave of absence. An involuntary leave of absence is not a disciplinary sanction. However, an incident that gives rise to a leave of absence, whether voluntary or involuntary, may subsequently be the basis for disciplinary action. A student who prefers to take a voluntary leave of absence for medical reasons rather than to be placed on an involuntary leave of absence for medical reasons is ordinarily allowed to do so. Transcripts do not distinguish between voluntary and involuntary leave of absence. The Dean at HDS may place a student on involuntary leave of absence for the following reasons: - **Medical circumstances** - The student’s behavior poses a direct threat to the health or safety of any person, or has seriously disrupted others in the student’s residential community or academic environment; and either the student’s threatening, self-destructive, or disruptive behavior is determined to be the result of a medical condition, or the student has refused to cooperate with efforts by Harvard University Health Services to determine the cause of the behavior. - The student is not cleared to return to enrollment and/or residence at HDS following either: (i) a hospitalization or emergency room visit that raises serious concerns about the student’s health or well-being; or (ii) other circumstances that raise serious concerns about the student’s health or well-being and reasonably call into question their ability to function as a student in the HDS environment. For more about the process of clearance to return to enrollment and/or residence after a hospitalization or emergency room visit, see Clearing to Return below. - The decision to place a student on an involuntary leave of absence for health-related reasons is made in consultation with Harvard University Health Services (which may consider information from the student’s current and/or former health care providers, if made available by the student) after an individualized assessment of all the pertinent factors, such as the nature of the student’s conduct, the nature, severity, and duration of the risks, the likelihood of potential injury, and whether reasonable modifications of policies, practices, or procedures will mitigate the risk. However, reasonable modifications do not include changes that would fundamentally alter the academic program or unduly burden the resources of staffing capabilities of HDS, or whether the required level of care or monitoring would exceed the standard of care that a university health service can be expected to provide. - **Failure to adhere to the terms of an agreement to engage in treatment**. The student’s continued enrollment and/or residence is conditioned on the student’s agreement to meet the expectations set forth in an agreement to engage in treatmen, such as following the recommendations of the student’s treatment team, and the student has failed to adhere to the terms of that agreement. - **Alleged criminal behavior**: the student has been arrested on allegations of serious criminal behavior, or has been formally charged by law enforcement authorities for such behavior. - **Risk to the community**: the student has allegedly violated a disciplinary rule of the Divinity School and the Dean concludes that the student poses a risk to the safety or educational environment of the community. - **Indebtedness**: the student’s term bill is unpaid and the student has not made arrangements acceptable to the School to address the issue. - **Failure to provide medical documentation of required immunizations**. - **Unfulfilled academic requirements**: the student has not met an academic requirement and has not taken steps acceptable to the School to meet the requirements. - **Failure to register**: the student has not registered at the beginning of each term. Prior to placing a student on involuntary leave of absence, the Dean will consult with the Associate Deans for Admissions and Enrollment Management and of Student Services, the Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs, and/or with the Administrative Board or the Executive Committee on Academic Programs and may also consult with other officers of the University (for example, with HUHS in the case of a leave for medical reasons), as appropriate. The decision to place a student on involuntary leave is made by the Dean in consultation with the Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs and in consultation with the Associate Deans for Admissions and Enrollment Management and of Student Services or such other person as the Dean designates and other officers of the University, as appropriate. As noted above, in the case of an involuntary leave of absence for medical reasons, the School will consult with the appropriate person at Harvard University Health Services. Students will be notified in writing that they have been placed on an involuntary leave of absence and may petition the Dean for reconsideration. If the student disputes any of the factual considerations underlying the decision, the Dean may refer the matter to the Administrative Board or Executive Committee on Academic Programs for fact-finding before making a final decision on reconsideration. ## Effects of Health Issues on Residency and Enrollment ### Responsibilities of Health and Counseling Services #### Medical Care and Medical Decision Making Medical care and medical decision-making are the province of clinicians. Thus, in consultation with patients, clinicians recommend hospitalization, arrange procedures, prescribe medications, conduct psychological evaluations, and recommend and implement ongoing treatment. Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) preserves the rights to privacy and confidentiality of students under its care, communicating with others about students only with those students’ knowledge and consent, except as noted below. ##### Exceptional Circumstances In certain circumstances it may not be possible or advisable for professional staff at HUHS to obtain a student’s consent to a disclosure of health or health-related information. Circumstances worthy of note include the following: - **Danger to Any Person**: One exception to obtaining a student’s consent is the rare instance in which a student’s medical condition or behavioral disturbance poses a danger to the student or threat to others or to the community. HUHS professional staff may then disclose any relevant information to any appropriate person, including HDS officials, for the purpose of protecting the student, others, or the community from harm. Generally, even in this situation, every effort is made to notify the student of the need to disclose and the reason for such disclosure. - **Treatment at Hospitals or Medical Facilities**: HUHS will notify HDS when it is aware of student hospitalizations or transfers to emergency departments. Such notification is provided to the Associate Dean of Student Services or their designee and is documented at HUHS. If HDS has reason to believe that a student may be in a medical facility, the School may contact HUHS regarding a student’s whereabouts. The HUHS clinician ordinarily will disclose only that the student is safely in care. When, in an HUHS clinician’s medical judgment, a student is in a life-threatening condition, or is psychologically unstable, or has sustained an illness or injury that likely will result in a hospital admission or require care after discharge, that clinician will notify the Associate Dean of Student Services or their designee , or an HDS administrator. Only information regarding the fact of the admission/discharge, location of the student, general medical condition, and prospects for return to enrollment or residence is shared; information regarding diagnosis or treatment is not shared. Students who are hospitalized or are receiving emergency care are expected to update HUHS; when the hospitalization or emergency room visit raises serious questions about the student’s health or well-being, the student ordinarily will be assessed regarding suitability to return to enrollment or residence (See [Clearance for Return](/academic-procedures/status/withdrawal#clearance "Program Withdrawal and Reinstatement")). - **Leaving Against Medical Advice**: When HUHS is aware that a student who has been hospitalized or received emergency treatment decides to leave a medical facility against medical advice, an HUHS clinician may apprise HDS of this decision, if in the clinician’s judgment the student’s decision may pose a significant risk of physical or emotional danger to the student or to members of the community. Depending upon the circumstances, the clinician may inform a HDS official of the student’s location, decision to leave a facility against medical advice, risk of further injury or relapse, or possible threat to the student’s own safety or to that of others. ### Consultation to Harvard Divinity School In addition to providing student health and counseling services, HUHS also acts occasionally as a consultant to HDS, advising HDS about individual students’ needs, ordinarily with students’ full knowledge and consent. Situations that routinely call for close coordination and consultation between HUHS and HDS involve: accommodations for students experiencing difficulties; leaves of absence and returns from leaves of absence; clearance to return to residence and enrollment; and agreements to engage in treatment. When considering the situation of a student who has an illness or is exhibiting behavior that affects functioning, HDS may need professional evaluation of the condition to determine appropriate next steps. In response to a request from HDS, HUHS clinicians may evaluate a student’s condition and make recommendations to HDS. In making such recommendations, HUHS clinicians ordinarily will not disclose information they know independently about a student’s medical or mental health condition without the student’s consent and, in all cases, will not disclose information about the student that is not relevant to the recommendations. ### Responsibilities of Harvard Divinity School HDS, in consultation with the affected student, determines: (a) whether an injured or ill student, or a student exhibiting disruptive behavior, may continue to be in residence and/or enrolled; and (b) whether a student may continue in or return to residence and enrollment after a short or longer-term absence due to accident, illness, or behavioral disturbance. In situations where a student’s medical illness or behavioral disturbance raises concerns about the practicality and appropriateness of the student’s residence and enrollment, HDS values the expert advice of HUHS in reaching its decision. ### Clearance for Return After a hospitalization or emergency room visit by one of its students that raises serious questions about the student’s health or well-being, or in other circumstances that raise serious questions about the student’s health or well-being and reasonably call into question their ability to function as a student in the Divinity School environment, HDS ordinarily will not permit that student to return to enrollment or participation in any Harvard-related programs or activities before making its own assessment of the suitability of the student’s return. (See “Procedure for Notice and Consultation”). To better inform that assessment, students are expected to notify both HDS and HUHS of any hospitalization or emergency department visit. HUHS can be notified by phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 617-495-5711. ### Reason for Policy An important consideration in the HDS’s decision as to whether a student may continue in or return to residence and enrollment is the impact of the student’s presence on the community. A student who is injured, ill, or exhibiting disturbing or disruptive behavior may require ongoing care. Serious alcohol- or drug-related problems, in particular, have the potential to disrupt life in the academic community significantly and impair a student’s ability to function academically and socially. HDS regards as unreasonable the expectation that roommates, suitemates, friends, or staff will take on health care responsibilities for other students. Any student may, of course, refuse to allow consultation between the student’s clinician(s) and HDS, but such a refusal will not prevent HDS from making a decision regarding a student’s return to residence or continued enrollment. ### Procedure for Notice and Consultation The Divinity School will consult with clinicians at HUHS and/or, if the student has been treated elsewhere, clinicians at other facilities or in private practice, ordinarily with the student’s permission. Depending on all of the relevant circumstances, such consultation may be initiated either by HDS or by clinicians at HUHS. Notice that a student has been hospitalized or treated in an emergency department of an area hospital may prompt HDS to begin a process of consultation through which it will decide whether and under what circumstances the student may continue in or return to residence or enrollment. HDS also may independently decide that, based on its observations or other information it has about a student, it should initiate the process of consultation with HUHS clinicians, which may include ascertaining whether that student has been hospitalized or treated by an emergency department. Consultation will be focused on the concerns raised by the student’s condition or behavior and requirements for continued care, in order to facilitate HDS’s decision about the student’s capacity to continue in or return to residence and enrollment. ## While on Leave of Absence Any student who goes on leave of absence during the academic year is charged tuition and any applicable fees, including rent, to the end of the period in which they leave. Students receiving scholarship or other financial aid should consult the Office of Financial Aid concerning the financial implications of going on leave. Foreign students should consult the International Office concerning their status. The date on which a student goes on leave will affect the student’s health insurance through Harvard. For details, review the Leave of Absence policy on the HUSHP website, or contact the Student Health Program (via phone at 617.495.2008 or via email at ). Libraries and other facilities normally may be used only by students who are currently registered. Students on leave may not participate in extracurricular activities. Exceptions to this rule must be specifically approved in advance by HDS. If so instructed by the Dean, a student on leave must remain away from the University campus. Students going on leave are reminded that all degree candidates, whether currently registered or not, are expected to maintain a satisfactory standard of conduct. Following an individualized assessment, HDS may require students who are on leave for medical reasons to comply with a treatment plan during their time away. ## Returning to School A student in good standing on a voluntary leave of absence ordinarily may return by notifying the registrar 12 weeks in advance of the start of any term, although it remains the student’s responsibility to ensure that they have adequate time to complete the degree within the time limits established by HDS. Students who were not in good standing at the time a voluntary leave of absence was granted and students who were placed on an involuntary leave of absence must petition the associate dean for student services for permission to return to HDS and must demonstrate that the circumstances that led to their leave have been satisfactorily addressed and that they are ready to resume their studies. The decision whether to allow a student to return is made by the associate dean for student services, in consultation with the chairperson of the Administrative Board, the Executive Committee on Academic Programs, or such other person as the Dean designates. If the leave, whether voluntary or involuntary, was for medical reasons, then the student must petition the associate dean for student services for permission to return to HDS and must demonstrate that the circumstances that led to their leave have been satisfactorily addressed and that they are ready to resume their studies. In addition, so that HDS may conduct an individualized assessment of their circumstances, students on medical leave ordinarily will be required to consult with Harvard University Health Services (and to grant permission to Harvard University Health Services to obtain their treatment records and communicate with their treatment providers) so that a professional assessment about the student’s stability and readiness to return can be shared with HDS. Please also note that if HDS learns of serious concerns about the health or well-being of a student who is away from HDS but not on a medical leave of absence, then the School similarly may require the student to consult with Harvard University Health Services (and to grant permission to Harvard University Health Services to obtain their treatment records and communicate with their treatment providers) so that a professional assessment about the student’s productivity during their time away and readiness to return can be shared with HDS. The purpose of such consultation is so that a professional assessment can be shared with the School about the student’s readiness to return and function in the student environment, with or without reasonable accommodation. Note that while the input of a student’s treatment provider is an important consideration in the petition process, Harvard University Health Services clinicians may have special knowledge of the University context to which students will be returning. In all such cases, the decision whether to allow a student to return is made by the associate dean for student services, in consultation with the chairperson of the Administrative Board, the Executive Committee on Academic Programs, the associate dean of admissions and enrollment management, or such other person as the Dean designates. Any disciplinary matter must be resolved before a student on leave of absence will be allowed to return and, if the student has been required to withdraw while on leave of absence, then any conditions for return after a required withdrawal also must be satisfied. Students returning from a leave who wish to apply for financial aid must notify the Office of Financial Aid and file the necessary application forms by mid-April for the following fall term, and by October 1 for the following spring term. Late applicants cannot be assured that their aid will be available in time for registration payment deadlines. Students who have been granted a leave and who have borrowed money through Harvard must submit an annual loan deferment form to the Student Loan Office upon their return to Harvard. Deferment forms may be obtained through either the Student Loan Office or the Office of Financial Aid and must be completed and certified by the Registrar immediately following Registration. Failure to file a deferment form upon return will cause payments to be due on loans and could affect future borrowing eligibility. A student will not be allowed to register in the University again until all previous term-bill charges have been paid and no loan is in default. ## Agreements to Engage in Treatment HDS may condition a student’s enrollment on certain terms or conditions, as set forth in a written agreement between HDS and the student, when the student’s conduct or circumstances have caused heightened concerns about the student’s safety and/or well-being and: (a) the appropriateness of the student’s continued enrollment; or (b) the student’s readiness to return to the Harvard community. The agreement may include, among other things, compliance with a medical treatment plan, regular consultations with health care professionals, communication with administrators, and limited disclosure of relevant medical information, on a need to know basis, such as compliance with treatment and restrictions on certain activities. The decision to require such an agreement is arrived at in consultation with Harvard University Health Services after an individualized assessment of the nature of the student’s conduct and circumstances, and any other pertinent factors.