The Leave of Absence Virtually every college and university allows students to take a leave of absence for any assortment of personal reasons. Students may use the time to volunteer, travel, complete an internship, or engage in any number of other activities. To some extent, colleges encourage their students to take leaves if the time away would bolster their personal or professional growth. The Harvard Crimson posted an article with the following byline: Roughly one in 20 students take a leave of absence from Harvard every year. But no two stories are the same. The University of Pennsylvania website describes a leave of absence as follows, “Students take time away from their studies for a wide variety of reasons, including to work on a political campaign, manage a medical concern, fulfill a family obligation, pursue career-related opportunities, complete military service, take a break… While interrupting one’s studies to take time away may seem intimidating, a leave is a means to the successful completion of a degree, not a barrier to graduating.” In an ideal situation, a student would recognize that he or she is struggling with a mental health condition, and work with school personnel to determine whether or not the school environment is conducive to the wellbeing of that student. The student would understand the supports and accommodations that are available, and he or she would be able to easily and efficiently access those supports and accommodations. If the available supports are not comprehensive enough to meet the needs of that student, or if the student would benefit from time away from the stressors associated with campus life, that student would opt to take a leave of absence in order to get well and return to campus refreshed and more able to take advantage of all that campus life has to offer.
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