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University Policies

Student Military Leave Policy (AE 7)

OWNER: Office of the Provost
Email: provost@nevadastate.edu
Phone: 702-992-2634
CATEGORY: Admissions and Enrollment, Academic Affairs/Faculty
POLICY ID#: AE 7
EFFECTIVE DATE: 06/03/2019
VIEWING/DOWNLOADING OPTIONS:
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POLICY STATEMENT

This policy provides clear guidelines for members of the Armed Forces who are enrolled at Nevada State College (College) and must be absent for military duty.

DEFINITIONS

Accelerated Term: Any academic session lasting less than fourteen (14) consecutive weeks.

Calendar Year: The period of 365 consecutive days after any given date.

Extended Military Leave: A military duty-related absence or inability to access technology necessary to complete coursework of thirty (30) or more consecutive calendar days. Includes active duty deployment, mandatory training or drills, reassignment to a different military base, natural disaster responses, and Travel Days.

Military Orders: A document from a state or federal military department, Department of Defense, or any other Armed Forces entity that outlines the activation of a service member into active duty status for any period of time.

Short-Term Military Absence: A military duty-related absence or inability to access technology necessary to complete coursework of no more than twenty-nine (29) consecutive calendar days. Includes active duty deployment, funeral honor guard detail, mandatory training or drills, service-related medical appointments, and Travel Days.

Travel Day: A day on which a member of the military must travel to a specific location stated in their military orders to report for duty.

Undue Burden: A proposed course of action would result in significant difficulty, hardship, or financial or administrative burden.

Working Day: For the purposes of this policy, Monday through Friday when College classes are scheduled and in session during any semester or term.

PROCEDURES

I. Introduction

Nevada State College recognizes that students actively serving in the Armed Forces, including the Reserves or National Guard, may encounter situations in which military obligations require them to be absent from classes, occasionally with little notice.

Military students will not be penalized for military service. Students will be given the opportunity to earn credit for missed assignments, assessments, or participation in the event of a Short-Term Military Absence. For Extended Military Leaves, students may choose between several options.

II. Documentation Requirements

A student requesting accommodations for a Short-Term Military Absence or Extended Military Leave must provide the Academic Advising Center with a copy of military orders outlining the dates of deployment and any Travel Days. If orders are not available, or the location of a deployment is classified by the Department of Defense, a verifiable letter on unit letterhead with information outlining the dates on which the student will be on active duty and Travel Days, signed by an appropriate officer, shall suffice.

In the case of medical treatment, documentation of a Veteran’s Administration (VA) or other military duty-related medical appointment may be requested to verify the reason for the absence.

III. Notification of Short-Term Military Absences

It is the responsibility of the student to notify the Academic Advising Center (AAC) as well as the student’s instructors of any absences that will occur during a term due to military-ordered obligations as soon as the student becomes aware of them. Students are also required to provide documentation to the AAC.

A. Preliminary Notification: The student should inform all instructors of the scheduled leave, verbally or via email, as soon as the dates are known.

B. Verified Notification: The student must provide appropriate documentation, as outlined in section II: Documentation, to the Academic Advising Center. When proper documentation is received, the AAC will formally notify the student’s instructors via email that the student qualifies for a Short-Term Military Absence, as well as the dates that must be accommodated.

IV. Accommodations for Short-Term Military Absences (Up to Fourteen Days)

During fourteen (14)- or sixteen (16)-week semesters, faculty members must make alternative arrangements, without any grade penalty, for students who miss class due to a Short-Term Military Absence of no more than fourteen (14) consecutive calendar days. During Accelerated Terms, a Short-Term Military Absence shall be granted for no more than fifteen (15) percent of the total number of class meetings or the contact hour equivalent for the specific course(s) in which the student is enrolled at the beginning of the period of the Short-Term Military Absence. The Academic Advising Center shall calculate the appropriate period and notify the student and instructor(s).

Upon their return, students must make up any missed work within twenty (20) Working Days. If both the faculty member and student agree, coursework may be completed in advance of a military leave instead of after the student’s return.

If all students have the right to drop a test, quiz, or assignment grade, coursework missed during a Short-Term Military Absence will not constitute the dropped grade unless the student chooses this option.

Reasonable alternative arrangements for coursework may include, but are not limited to:

  • rescheduled or alternative assignments, exams, and quizzes;
  • alternative dates and/or times for presentations;
  • opportunities to make up missed participation points;
  • converting the student’s enrollment to an independent study section of the course;
  • offering online alternatives for in-person content.

V. Short-Term Military Absence Limitations and Exclusions

A. Absences longer than fourteen days: Students whose Short-Term Military Absence will last fifteen (15) consecutive calendar days or longer are not guaranteed alternative arrangements within the course. Faculty are not required to provide alternative arrangements for work missed after fourteen (14) consecutive calendar days. If the structure of the course permits, an instructor may voluntarily continue to work with a service member beyond this period. However, some courses are designed such that success in the course – for the individual student or for functional teams of students – is compromised by longer absences. In such cases, the student should request an Extended Military Leave.

B. Safety concerns: Some courses include class sessions in which important safety information and procedures are explained; examples include science laboratory classes in which students engage with sensitive or potentially dangerous materials or equipment. In such courses, faculty should take reasonable measures to accommodate students on a Short-Term Military Absence. However, if a make-up session would cause an Undue Burden, faculty will not be compelled to provide an accommodation. In this case, the student should request an Extended Military Leave.

C. Satisfactory academic progress: Students must be making satisfactory academic progress and have a passing grade in the specific course(s) for which accommodations are requested at the time the Short-Term Military Absence would begin.

D. Student options: Any student who qualifies for a Short-Term Military Absence may instead request an Extended Military Leave. This option may be preferable during accelerated sessions and/or when the length of absence make it unreasonable for the student to complete missed work and successfully complete one or more courses.

VI. Extended Military Leave

When military-related obligations require a student to miss more days than allowed by a Short-Term Military Absence, or an absence falls under one of the categories listed in Section V: Short-Term Military Limitations and Exclusions, the student should request to withdraw from courses via an Extended Military Leave. A student may request to withdraw only from specific courses or to withdraw completely for the term. The student’s transcript will note all such withdrawals as due to military leave.

As soon as a student receives military orders that extend beyond the length of a Short-Term Military Absence, the student should fill out an Extended Military Leave Form and submit it to the Academic Advising Center. The student must follow procedures described here to qualify for an Extended Military Leave.

If a student withdraws through other means, such as withdrawing independently through their myNSC portal, the student may not be eligible for refunds and other accommodations described in this section. Students may retroactively request an Extended Military Leave. Retroactive requests should be submitted in a timely manner, preferably within one (1) Calendar Year of the last day of activity duty; however, timeliness will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

A. Tuition refunds: If a student files a request for Extended Military Leave prior to the deadline to withdraw from classes for the term, the student will receive a full refund of tuition and fees. If a request for Extended Military Leave is received after the last day to withdraw from classes for the term, the student has the following options for each course:

    1. A full refund of tuition and fees, with no credit awarded for the work completed in the course;
    2. A grade of Incomplete in the course (if agreed upon by the instructor), with the right to complete all remaining coursework without penalty;
    3. Receive a grade in the course, if the instructor believes sufficient work has been completed to warrant assigning a final letter grade.

B. Financial aid and military benefits: Students receiving aid must meet with a financial aid advisor to discuss the implications for their awards. The Office of Financial Aid will review the student’s eligibility for financial aid funds received before the date of withdrawal and inform the student about the status of financial aid awards and actions required to defer loan repayments based on military obligations.

C. Housing and meal plan refunds: Students will receive prorated refunds based on the percentage of days of the term completed, beginning with the first day of class and ending with the last day of the term.

D. Other College property: Students must return any College property (e.g., computers, keys, course equipment) before departure. A family member or other designated party may accomplish this on the student’s behalf.

E. College accounts: All accounts must be paid in full before the Extended Military Leave begins.

VII. Re-Enrollment after Extended Military Leave

To resume studies, a student must provide notice of intent to re-enroll by submitting the Intent to Re-Enroll after Extended Military Leave Form to the Academic Advising Center within three (3) Calendar Years of the last date of active military duty. If submitted within this time frame, the student is entitled to re-enroll in the same academic program or major with the same enrollment status, number of credits, catalog year rights, and academic standing as when the student’s leave began, without paying re-admission fees. The student will be granted re-enrollment in the term following the notice of intent to return, or, if the student chooses, at the beginning of the next full academic year. At the student’s request, the Dean of Students will make reasonable efforts to assist the student in acquiring on-campus housing for the term in which the student’s re-enrollment begins.

If a student does not submit a notice of intent to re-enroll within three (3) Calendar Years of the end of the approved Extended Military Leave, a student will be classified as a new student and will not be entitled to the rights listed above.

A. Tuition and fees: During the student’s first year of re-enrollment into the same program, the student will be assessed tuition and fees at the level the student would have been assessed during the academic year the student left the institution, unless veterans’ education benefits cover the full cost of tuition and fees for the year the student re-enrolls.

VIII. Re-Enrollment Limitations and Exclusions

A. Re-enrollment in certain degree programs where courses are offered on a rigid schedule may require a student to wait until the beginning of the next term when the student’s remaining classes are offered again.

B. If a notice of intent to re-enroll and/or any supporting documentation is submitted without sufficient time to process the request, including financial aid applications, in time to enroll in the next term, the student’s re-enrollment may be delayed to the subsequent term.

C. If the academic program determines that the student is not prepared to resume the program at the point the student left off, program directors and faculty must make reasonable efforts to enable the student to resume and complete the program, at no extra cost to the student. Reasonable efforts include, but are not limited to, providing a refresher course and/or allowing a student to retake a pretest or placement exam. Reasonable efforts may not place an Undue Burden on the program or College. If reasonable efforts are unsuccessful or the program determines there are no reasonable efforts that it can take, the program is not required to re-enroll the student at the same point the student left off.

D. If the program to which the student was originally admitted is no longer offered, the student must be admitted to the program that is most similar, unless the student requests admission to a different program. The student must meet all requirements for admission to the alternate program; additional prerequisites may be necessary.

E. Periodic revisions to degree requirements are made due to advances in knowledge, changes in occupational qualifications, or the expectaitions of accrediting authorities. If such revisions occur while a student is on Extended Military Leave and following the original degree requirements would place an Undue Burden on the College, the student may be required to adhere to reasonable degree requirements of a more recent catalog.

F. The cumulative length of the student’s Extended Military Leave and all previous military-related leave from the College cannot exceed five (5) years total, including only the time the student spent actually performing military service.

G. All College policies that affect re-enrollment eligibility, including those related to past-due accounts, registration holds, and disciplinary actions, apply to students re-enrolling after military leave.

H. The College is not required to provide the rights to re-enrollment stated above to students who receive a dishonorable or bad-conduct discharge from any branch of the military, are dismissed via court-martial or Order of the President, or who are dropped from military rolls due to a criminal conviction or unauthorized absence.

IX. Exceptions

Circumstances or requests that cannot be addressed by this policy will be forwarded to the appropriate Academic Dean and/or Dean of Students for a decision.

X. Record Security and Retention

Military orders contain sensitive information. Copies of all documentation related to military duty will be stored by the Office of the Registrar according to campus confidentiality and privacy procedures. The College will follow a “FY + 3 years” retention scheduled as set forth in the NSHE Procedures and Guidelines Manual, Chapter 16. Documentation will be kept for three (3) years past the student’s graduation or last term of attendance. After that time, all documents will be deleted or securely destroyed.

FORMS/INSTRUCTIONS

  • Extended Military Leave Request Form
  • Notification of Intent to Re-Enroll after Extended Military Leave

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS

Academic Advising Center
Alex Kunkle, Director
Phone: 702-992-2162
Email: Alexander.Kunkle@nevadastate.edu

Stefanie Coleman, VP of Student Affairs
Phone: 702-992-2600
Email: Stefanie.Coleman@nevadastate.edu

RELATED INFORMATION

HISTORY

Military leave accommodations required by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008.

APPROVALS

Approved by Faculty Senate Chair Dr. Abby Peters, March 12, 2019.
Approved by Provost Dr. Vickie Shields, March 19, 2019.
Approved by President Bart Patterson, June 3, 2019.