Frequently Asked Questions
A good first step is to meet with your class dean or the College Case Manager. We’re here to help you think through your options and walk you through any next steps.
To meet with the college case manager:
-
Contact Kassie Gillis-Harry: schedule an appointment
-
Email leavesandreturns@barnard.edu.
If you’re not feeling well in the middle of the semester and need to take a few days to recover, that is not a leave of absence -- you should get doctors’ notes and communicate with your instructors and class dean, but those are just absences, not a Leave of Absence. If, for whatever reason, you believe you will need to spend more than two weeks away from Barnard, we advise you to go through the formal Leave of Absence process. You can take a leave as short as a single semester, or as long as five years, and return through the process outlined on this website. After five years on leave, you can still return, but the process is slightly different - contact the Dean of Studies for more information.
In order to receive the leave of absence form you first need to schedule a meeting with the college case manager to learn more about the leave of absence process:
- Contact Kassie Gillis-Harry by scheduling an appointment
- Email leavesandreturns@barnard.edu
| Type of Leave | Case Manager Meeting | Notice of Leave of Absence Form | Medical and Mental Health Leave of Absence Form | Campus Housing Cancellation Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Personal |
✓ | ✓ | If applicable you can find the form here | |
| Medical or Mental Health | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | If applicable you can find the form here |
| Things to know | Set up a meeting when interested on taking a leave. Note: Meeting needs to occur in order to gain access to the notice of leave of absence form. | You can submit the form at any point, whether that is during or at the end of a semester, to indicate when you would like to take a leave of absence. | Submit within 30 days of the student's departure. | Refer to the link above for form dates. |
|
Type of Leave |
Intent to Return Form | Request to Return Form | Case Manager Meeting | Medical and Mental Health Form | Written evidence that you have complied with all conditions specified for your return | Requesting Housing Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Personal |
✓ |
✓ | ✓ | If applicable you can find the form here. | ||
|
Medical or Mental Health |
✓ |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | If applicable you can find the form here. | |
| Required Leave | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | If applicable you can find the form here. | |
| Things to know | Submit if your Barnard login credentials are not active. |
For a spring return: November 1 For a summer return: March 1 For a Fall return: June 1 |
Set up a required meeting when interested on returning from a leave |
For a spring return: November 1 For a summer return: March 1 For a Fall return: June 1 |
e.g.: official transcripts, summer approval forms, etc. and employment verification letter on letterhead, W2 forms, etc., to the Registrar. |
For a spring return: November 1 For a Fall return: June 1 |
It’s more common than you might think. In a typical semester, approximately 40 students are either taking a leave of absence or returning after a leave.
Housing is not guaranteed upon return from a leave of absence. Students who wish to seek housing must follow the housing application process. Students returning from medical/mental health leave may be given housing preference, based upon timely receipt of return paperwork and housing applications. Students returning from far away may also receive preference.
Depending on when in the semester you begin your leave of absence, you may be eligible for a partial refund of tuition and/or housing costs. You may contact the Bursar’s Office with questions about tuition. You may view the schedule of housing costs on the Housing Cancellation website, and you may contact the Office of Residential Life and Housing with further questions.
Students may receive financial aid for a maximum of 8 semesters. If you are leaving in the middle of a semester, you should consult with your financial aid counselor to discuss options and next steps. You will apply for financial aid again as usual along with your request to return to Barnard.
After a grace period, your email address will be temporarily deactivated. During this deactivation period, Barnard offices will communicate with you using the alternate email you provide when you fill out the Notice of Leave of Absence form. When your request to return to Barnard is granted, your email will be reactivated. The schedule for email address deactivation is as follows:
- If you take a leave during or after a fall semester, your account is deactivated the following July.
- If you take a leave during or after a spring semester, your account is deactivated the following January.
Your mailbox will be closed and reassigned during your leave. When you return, you will be given a new mailbox with a new number. Please be sure to update anyone who is writing to you at Barnard.
Students who elect to take a leave are not permitted to use any College facilities, including housing, the gym or fitness center, health services, counseling services, or financial aid.
Students who wish to take courses during their leave of absence at another institution should arrange with the Registrar to confirm in advance the approval to do so, and complete the necessary process to transfer the credits from that institution.
Students taking time off from Barnard should be in touch with the College Case Manager to discuss any plans to take classes elsewhere during their leave. A maximum of 9 credits per semester may be transferred back to Barnard during a voluntary leave of absence. Students who are required to take a leave of absence may transfer back additional credits if required by the college's Committee on Programs and Academic Standing (CPAS) in the term of their leave. All credits are subject to approval by the student's adviser, College Case Manager, Registrar's Office, and academic department where necessary.
Due to the unusual circumstances impacting the 2020 - 2021 academic year and the need to manage student enrollment, students who took a leave of absence during that academic year are not allowed to transfer coursework taken elsewhere during their leave.
To check the progress on a form and if it's been received, reviewed, or approved:
- Log into Slate directly or find it on the Barnard Portal under the Academics tab
- In the Home tab of Slate, scroll down to the bottom of the page, to Forms Submitted. There you'll see any forms you have submitted and can track them along their route from submitted to approved and processed.
- That's it!
Email your suggestion to: leavesandreturns@barnard.edu.