Leaves of Absence

There are two kinds of leaves:

personal leaves, when you don’t expect to transfer credit back (or less than a semester of credits) to your Smith record (class year will change)
approved off-campus study leave for full-time study elsewhere (class year remains the same)

You can only be on a personal leave, off-campus study in the U.S., and/or off-campus study abroad for two consecutive semesters; if you wish to stay away for a third semester, speak with your dean.

Deadlines

Deadlines for form submission are the same for personal leaves or for off-campus study in the U.S.

For fall: June 1
For academic year: June 1
For spring: December 1

Important Information

Students in good academic standing can consult with their class dean for exceptions to these deadlines by emailing classdeans@smith.edu. Please note: if approved, these exceptions are subject to a $500 administrative processing fee.

Students may not request a leave of absence on or after the first day of classes.

Consult with the Registrar’s Office to submit your transfer credit application for full-time study elsewhere in the U.S. and to have your credits pre-approved.

If you wish to study abroad, please consult with the Study Abroad Office for information and application instructions.

Forms

Personal Leave

Request for Personal Leave of Absence (Google Form) (preferred)
Request for Personal Leave of Absence (PDF) (for those unable to access Google Form)

Off-Campus Study in the U.S.

Request for Approved Off-Campus Study (Google Form) (preferred)
Request for Approved Off-Campus Study (PDF) (for those unable to access Google Form)

Coming Back to Smith

Rescinding a Personal Leave

If you decide to rescind your leave of absence before it begins and come back to Smith for that semester, you must notify your class dean in writing (email). You should do so as soon as possible. Include your ID number and explain the change you are requesting.

Students who rescind a leave can register for courses once registration opens during add/drop. A meeting with your adviser will be required in order to remove your registration hold in Workday. You cannot rescind a leave after the start of classes.

Registration

The Office of the Registrar and the Office of Residence Life will email you materials about registration and housing during the semester immediately preceding your scheduled return.

Remember to check your Smith email even if you are away!

Housing

Students who rescind a leave of absence are housed on a space-available basis. Contact the housing coordinator in residential life for more information.

If you wish to leave/withdraw while on a yearlong study abroad program, you must consult with the Office for International Study. You may be required to withdraw, depending on the program.