Re-Enrollment Process and Criteria

Re-enrollment from a Leave of Absence

Any student on leave from the College—including medical leave, academic suspension, or disciplinary suspension—must request, and be granted, re-enrollment before the student is permitted to return to Bowdoin and engage in campus life and the College’s programs and activities.

The Office of the Dean of Students will notify students who are eligible to apply for re-enrollment via the student’s Bowdoin email, which will remain active during the student’s leave. Students are responsible for checking their Bowdoin email during their time away.

Students on most forms of leave are typically not eligible to register for classes or make housing arrangements until they have been re-enrolled. Typically, a student will be able to participate in course registration for the semester in which they are expected to return upon approval of the request for re-enrollment during a special re-enrolled students registration period. Course registration instructions will be sent to their Bowdoin email once re-enrollment has been approved Similarly, students will be able to participate in the selection of housing after re-enrollment approval.

Re-Enrollment Committee

Requests to return to Bowdoin from a leave of absence shall be considered by the Re-enrollment Committee. The committee is chaired by the Dean of Students or their designee, and it includes representatives from the Office of Admissions, the Office of the Dean of Students, and the Office of Residential Life. Depending on the type of leave, the committee may also consult with the Registrar, the Director of Counseling Services, the Director of Health Services, and the Conduct Review Board advisor.

The committee meets twice a year to consider re-enrollment requests: at the end of the fall semester and at the end of the spring semester. Requests made outside this timeframe may not be considered and will be referred to the committee for consideration at the next available meeting.

Re-enrollment Procedure

A student seeking re-enrollment following medical, disciplinary and academic leaves must submit a written request, not to exceed three pages (double spaced, Times New Roman in 12-point font with one-inch margins). Depending on the type of leave (see below), the student may need to provide specific information. Detailed instructions for re-enrollment materials will be sent to the student’s Bowdoin email address.

Students seeking re-enrollment shall receive written notice of the outcome of their request from their dean. If a request for re-enrollment is denied, the student will receive a written explanation of the College’s decision, including reasons for the denial. In the case of denial of a medical leave, the letter will also provide objective medical information upon which the decision was based. A student whose request is denied may appeal (see below) and/or re-apply during a future re-enrollment meeting.

Re-enrollment Following Medical Leave

In addition to requesting re-enrollment from the Dean of Students, a student on medical leave must complete and submit the Return from Medical Leave of Absence Form. Additionally, their treating physician, therapist, and/or health care provider must send a report to the Director of Health Services and/or the Director of Counseling Services using the Clinical Documentation Report Form. The Clinical Documentation Report Form, which must be fully completed, requests information regarding the professional assessment of the student’s current health status, the course of treatment undergone during the leave, the student’s compliance with any treatment plan, and any specific treatment recommendations for the student.

Additionally, in completing the Clinical Documentation Report Form, the provider will be asked to consider the following:

(a) Readiness to return to the academic and cocurricular demands of college life;

(b) Readiness to live on-campus;

(c) The student’s treatment plan, if the student’s medical and/or health care needs are on-going, including the steps the student will take to attend to their health; and a plan for accessing continued medical support upon return to campus;

(d) Fitness to return to competitive sports, if the student is a collegiate athlete; and

(e) Any other suggestions that the health care provider deems appropriate.

The student’s healthcare provider must maintain a current license to provide the necessary treatment and must have a specialty and credentials appropriate to the student’s condition(s). Further, all providers must be unrelated by family lineage to the student. The student is responsible for any cost associated with the provider’s evaluation.

The Re-enrollment Committee will review the information provided by the student and evaluate whether it is appropriate for the student to return. The committee may request further information from the student’s healthcare providers. In order to provide for such requests, the student will be asked to sign and return a limited release form so that those individuals at the College who are involved in evaluating the student’s readiness to return may consult with the student’s outside health care provider(s); such inquiries will be limited to aiding the College in assessing the student’s readiness to return to campus life and if so, under what conditions. In addition, the Director of Health Services and/or the Director of Counseling Services may also request to meet with the student as part of the evaluation. The College reserves the right to request an assessment by an outside medical provider, of the College’s choice at the College’s expense, when it believes the circumstances so warrant.

In some instances, re-enrollment may be contingent upon the student’s ability to continue and maintain the treatment plan created by their healthcare provider. This plan must be reviewed by the Director of Counseling Services and/or the Director of Health Services as part of the re-enrollment process. The re-enrollment letter will specify whether adherence to a treatment plan is required for re-enrollment. The College reserves the right to revoke re-enrollment at any time if the student fails to comply with their provider’s treatment plan during a semester in which the student is enrolled and engaged in the life of the College. If re-enrollment is revoked for noncompliance, the student will be required to resume their medical leave immediately, which may have academic or financial implications for the student.

Re-enrollment from Disciplinary Suspension

In addition to requesting re-enrollment from the Dean of Students, a student on disciplinary leave must provide a letter that reflects meaningfully on the following:

(a) The circumstances and situation that lead to the student’s disciplinary suspension;

(b) How the student plans to either prevent or address such circumstances in the future, should they occur;

(d) The student’s plan to reintegrate to Bowdoin and/or use what they learned during their time away; and

(e) any other information the student wishes to share.

Re-enrollment from Academic Suspension

In addition to requesting re-enrollment from the Dean of Students, a student on academic leave must provide a letter that reflects meaningfully on the following:

(a) The circumstances and situation that lead to the student’s academic deficiencies;

(b) How the student plans to either prevent or address such circumstances in the future, should they occur;

(d) The student’s plan to reintegrate to Bowdoin and/or use what they learned during their time away; and

(e) any other information the student wishes to share.

Right to Reconsideration

If a request for re-enrollment is denied, the student may request reconsideration of the decision. A request for reconsideration must be made, in writing, within five (5) calendar days from the date of the decision letter to the Senior Vice President and Dean for Student Affairs. The Senior Vice President and Dean for Student Affairs may rely upon the information submitted by the student, consultation with Director of Health Services and/or the Director of Counseling Services, the Registrar, and/or the Director of Community Standards.

The Senior Vice President and Dean for Student Affairs shall communicate their decision in writing to the student’s Bowdoin email address, typically within five (5) business days from the receipt of the request for reconsideration. The decision is final.