Considering Time Away
Before deciding to take time away, your undergraduate dean can help you consider how you might use campus resources to complete the term successfully.
- Academics: If you aren't sure how to manage your current courseload, talk to your undergraduate dean about course withdrawal and other academic options and consider the academic support resources available.
- Personal/Wellbeing: If you are feeling overwhelmed or feeling like you might benefit from additional support around your emotional and/or physical wellness, consider reaching out to the Student Wellness Center, the Counseling Center, and/or Primary Care at Dartmouth College Health Services. Students may also consider using UWill to access teletherapy.
All time away will fall under specific categories, outlined below. If you're considering taking time away, we recommend talking with your undergraduate dean or the Director of Time Away to discuss options before making a final decision.
Leave term: A leave term is an academic term during which a student is not enrolled in classes but retains active student status.
Time Away: Time away allows students to be away from Dartmouth for one or more academic terms. While still considered matriculated Dartmouth students, students are placed in inactive status for the duration of their time away. Students taking time away are ineligible to enroll in Dartmouth courses, live in college housing, and participate in any Dartmouth activities that are not open to the public. Students taking time away have access to campus as a member of the general public.
- Medical: Time away for medical reasons allows students to take time away from Dartmouth so that they may receive treatment beyond what can appropriately be provided by or accessed at Dartmouth College while actively enrolled.
- Personal: Personal time away allows students to take time away for any reason. Students' grades at the time they initiate their time away from the term will impact the terms of the personal time away. See the relevant sections of the Student Handbook.
- Administrative: Students who do not complete the check-in process, fail to clear administrative holds, or enroll in an unapproved courseload will be removed from the term. The student's enrollment pattern will be changed to an 'A' for that term, reflecting the change in status. Students who are placed on time away for administrative reasons retain an inactive status until the start of their next term of active enrollment. Students who are placed on time away for administrative reasons can access campus facilities as a member of the public.
- Suspension: A student may be suspended for misconduct or poor academic performance warranting removal from the College community for a specified number of terms.
- Personal time away after suspension: A student may choose to take additional time away after the time of suspension has been completed. Students will remain suspended unless they request that their status be changed to "time away for personal reasons". Students will need to communicate with their undergraduate dean to update their record accordingly. Students remain in inactive status until the start of the term in which they are approved to return.