Open Yoga University

Policy & Rules

Preamble

This document summarizes the body of academic regulations in place at Open Yoga University for the conduct of education. 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF OPEN YOGA UNIVERSITY (OYU)

General Admission Requirements

General and Technical Requirements & Conditions for all Studying Programs at OYU

High-speed internet connection in order to take part in online classes and tutorials. Students' computers must meet the requirements set out by OYU

Each student provides volunteering services, activities weekly to promote yoga, engage in mentoring activities or for the benefits of the university community in order to improve, optimize or restructure the learning process.

Each student agrees to abide by the Terms and Conditions of the OYU.

Average approximate learning time per week for standard programs: 5-7 learning hours.

Associate Degree

Age above 18.

Filled and handed application form with all required documents.

Successfully completed basic pre-university courses (including IQ-Test) with a minimal score of 80%. 

Successfully completed pre-university program (not compulsory).

Successfully completed personal interview.

The equivalent of a suiting English certificate (TOEFL / IELTS).

College-level course in mathematics or a related quantitative area (SAT / ACT / GMAT / GRE), depending on a program.

Bachelor of Science (BS)

Filled and handed application form with all required documents.

Successfully completed Associate Degree (at least 60 credits).

Master of Science (MS)

Filled and handed application form with all required documents.

Successfully completed Associate and Bachelor Degree (at least 120 credits).

1.Credit Hours Policy

Open Yoga University uses the Carnegie Classification definition of a credit hour. A credit hour is defined as at least 13 hours of direct faculty instruction (in class or remote sites) with at least 17 hours of student work outside of that direct instruction, usually spread over 17 weeks, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time.

Typically, courses are 4 credits each, meaning that students meet in class and/or online for 3 hours a week and do academic work outside class at least 4 hours a week over a 17-week semester or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time.

Courses that meet less than 3 hours a week for 4 credits must require students in those classes to do additional work outside of class in order to achieve the expected learning of a 3 hours a week class.

Research, internships, independent studies, labs, practice, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of academic credit, at a minimum, should state clearly learning objectives and expected outcomes and workload expectations that meet the standards set forth above.

2. Graduation Requirements

For any certification students must have paid all required fees and tuitions for all studying semesters.

2.1. Minimum Requirements for Associate Degree

2.1.1. Students must complete at least 60 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or better.

2.2. Minimum Requirements for Bachelor Degree 

2.2.1. Students must complete at least 120 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or better.

2.3. Minimum Requirements for Master Degree

2.3.1. Students must complete at least 160 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or better.

3. Grading System

3.1. Grades Calculated in Grade Point Average

*Academic Fail: Academic fail indicates the student’s continued enrollment in the course and he or she did not satisfy the Instructor’s summative requirements for passing the course.

**Administrative Fail: Administrative fail is assigned by the instructor in lieu of a grade of F when a student never attended or ceased attending the class, rendering an assessment of academic performance impossible. Instructors will be asked to provide the last date of attendance.

3.1.1. Students are responsible for identifying and immediately informing their academic advisors about any implications for their progress and status at the Open Yoga University, including decision to stop or pause their education, impact on financial aid or other essential circumstances which result from any change in registration and studying conditions. Students are also responsible for verifying that all changes in registration are reflected in their official student record.

3.2. Additional Posting Symbols for Grades in Courses

R = Follows grade entry indicating course has been repeated.

N = No grade or invalid grade submitted (assigned by the academic unit or appropriate administrative officer when an expected final grade has not been received before the grade posting deadline. The academic unit and the registrar are expected to secure an appropriate final grade within one semester).

IP = Course in progress.

3.3. Grades Not Calculated in Grade Point Average

I = Incomplete

L = Audit (no credit)

P = Pass

W = Withdrawal from course (Assigned when a student, under regulations governing changes in registration, withdraws, or is administratively withdrawn from a course after the final date for adding a course).

ZX = Administrative Fail in Pass/Fail Course

FZ = Academic Fail in Pass/Fail Course

3.4. Incompletes

3.4.1. At their discretion and before the end of the semester, professors may give an Incomplete status for a grade when a student, who could otherwise pass a course, is prevented from completing it during the semester due to extenuating circumstances.

3.4.1.a. The instructor must provide to the student the conditions for satisfying the Incomplete and must enter those same conditions when posting the grades for the course. Those conditions must include what work needs to be completed, when the work must be completed, and what the course grade will be if students fail to complete that work, which, at the latest, must be before the end of the following semester absent an agreement to the contrary. Students are responsible for verifying that the conditions were entered correctly.

3.4.1.b. Instructors will submit the grade of “I” and the aforementioned conditions when submitting all other final grades for the course.

3.4.1.c. If students do not meet the conditions or if they are separated from the University, OYU will assign the default grade automatically. 3.4.2. Students may not retroactively withdraw from Incomplete courses.

3.4.3. An Incomplete may not stand as a permanent grade and must be resolved before a degree can be awarded.

3.5. In Progress

3.5.1. An In Progress (IP) grade is only available for designated courses and is a temporary posting that indicates the course is in progress.

3.5.2. A faculty member may post an IP in lieu of a final grade for a course, research project, thesis, or capstone which has not been completed by the conclusion of the semester of registration and for which a final grade is not yet due.

3.5.3. An IP grade may not stand as a permanent grade and must be resolved before a degree can be awarded.

4. Evaluation and Course Policies

4.1. Online-Class Attendance

4.1.1. Individual instructors may have different attendance requirements; it is the student’s responsibility to check each course syllabus to determine policy and to speak to instructors regarding excused absences. Excused absences include medical or mental health events or other individual reasons, discussed with the instructor.

4.1.2. Unexcused absences may affect a student’s grade.

4.1.3. Students may not be penalized for excused absences but are required to make-up all work missed as a result of the excused absence by the end of the term. If the student cannot complete the work by the end of the term, they may receive an Incomplete grade only at the instructor’s discretion.

4.2. Final Exam Policy

4.2.1. Students are expected to take final exams at the times scheduled by OYU. Accommodations are made for students with excused absences and for students with documented disabilities.

4.2.1.a. Students with two exams scheduled for the same time, and students with three or more final exams on a given day should submit a request to reschedule an exam to their academic advisor.

4.2.1.b. This request must be submitted via email no later than a month before exams.

4.2.1.c. The academic advisor will contact all faculty concerned to see if an accommodation can be reached.

4.2.1.d. If that effort fails, the exam from the class with the lowest enrollment will be rescheduled.

4.2.1.e. All rescheduled exams must occur during the final exam period.

4.2.2. Unexcused absences at final exams may result in a failure for the course or other substantial penalty.

4.2.3. Students must follow any additional policies or procedures for final exams set by individual academic units.

4.3. Repetition of Courses

4.3.1. Students have a maximum of 3 attempts to pass a course. Withdrawal from a course counts as an attempt.

4.3.2. Once students pass a course taken at Open Yoga University, they may repeat it one more time unless the repetition exceeds the maximum number of 3 attempts.

4.3.3. Students are responsible for determining any academic or financial implications for repeating courses. In the context of this policy, passing a course includes meeting any stipulations needed to satisfy a University or major or minor requirement. Grades for each attempt are computed in the overall cumulative GPA, but only the highest grade and the credit associated with that grade counts toward the major GPA requirements.

5. Evaluation of Academic Performance

Students are responsible for: Identifying and immediately informing their academic advisors/instructors about any implications for their progress and status at the Open Yoga University, including decision to stop or pause their education, impact on financial aid or other essential circumstances which result from any change in registration and studying conditions.• Verifying that all changes in registration are reflected in their degree audit report and other official student records,

• Reporting to their instructors any errors in calculating grades on assignments, tests, or other activities before the day of the final examination as posted on Final Exam Schedule, and for

• Reporting to their instructors any errors in calculating or posting a course grade no later than one year from the day the course grades were posted by OYU.

Judgment regarding standards of evaluation for a student’s academic performance is a faculty responsibility; therefore students may not request a second evaluation of any work leading to the final grade for the course.

5.1. Cumulative Grade Point Average

5.1.1. Computation of the cumulative grade point average includes only those courses  taken for conventional grades (A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D, F, or FX).

5.1.2. The following courses are not included in the grade point average:, courses numbered below the 100 level, and courses with an Incomplete or In Progress grade.

5.1.3. GPA’s will not be rounded for purposes of evaluating academic progress toward degree completion of academic standing (e.g., a cumulative or semester GPA of 1.99 will not be rounded to 2.00).

5.1.4. A course with a grade of C- or D may be used as an elective toward graduation requirements and the C- or D grade is calculated in the cumulative average.

5.2. Good Academic Standing

Undergraduate students are in Good Academic Standing if they are either enrolled in semester classes or are eligible to enroll in subsequent semester classes. There may be higher requirements for students receiving financial aid or other awards.

5.3. Academic Progress toward Degree Completion

5.3.1. To maintain academic progress toward degree completion, undergraduates are to maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA and complete 80% of all attempted credits with grades that meet the program and University-Wide requirements.

5.3.2. A Withdrawal (W) in a course constitutes an attempt but not a completion.

5.3.3. Students who are not achieving these requirements may be subject to a warning, probation, or dismissal.

5.4. Academic Warning

5.4.1. When the academic unit determines that a student has failed to make academic progress toward degree completion, the academic unit may issue to the student in writing an academic warning.

5.4.2. An academic warning is not recorded on the transcript.

5.5. Academic Probation

5.5.1. OYU will place students on academic probation when their cumulative GPA falls below 2.00.

5.5.2. A student will be placed on probation when the academic unit notes that a student has failed to meet other conditions for academic progress toward degree completion that may apply in some majors.

5.5.3. OYU will notify students of their academic probation status and the teaching unit will provide a description of any conditions associated with the academic probation.

5.5.3.a. Conditions that students must adhere to during the academic probationary period may include, but are not limited to, successful completion of specific courses, minimum grades in courses, or the overall GPA to be achieved in the academic probation period.

5.5.4. A student on academic probation may be subject to restrictions as to the load for which he or she may register.

5.5.5. Once placed on academic probation, students must maintain a minimum semester GPA of 2.33 and show academic progress toward degree completion towards raising their cumulative GPA to the required level and meeting any other requirements unrelated to GPA, as stated in their notification letter from their academic unit.

5.5.6. Students are to check with OYU to determine if any additional criteria are required in order to retain their financial aid.

5.5.7. Students can be placed on academic probation for no more than two semesters in total, or three semesters in total. After that threshold is reached, students will be dismissed from the University.

5.5.8. Academic probation is permanently recorded on the transcript.

5.6. Academic Dismissal

5.6.1. A student who fails to meet the conditions of probation may be dismissed.

5.6.2. Students who have been on academic probation for two semesters in total or three semesters in total and do not achieve good academic standing will be dismissed.

5.6.3. The University will dismiss immediately students whose cumulative GPA, after attempting or completing 24 credits (excluding courses in which the recorded grade is W, I, or IP), falls below 1.0 (D).

5.6.4. The dismissal will be included in the letter from the teaching unit, and recorded by OYU on the transcript.

5.6.4.a. When dismissing students from the University, the University may give students the option of applying for re-admission after one calendar year has passed from the final day of the session during which the dismissal was implemented.

5.6.4.b. Dismissed students are not allowed to enroll in OYU courses on a non-degree basis at any time after being dismissed from OYU. 

5.6.4.c. Students who are dismissed with a GPA lower than 1.0 will not be considered for re-admission.

5.6.4.d. Re-admission applications are evaluated based on the total record of the student and consistent with the admission practices in effect at the time of application.

5.6.4.e. A readmitted student is governed by the academic requirements in effect at the time of readmission.

5.6.5. Academic dismissal is permanently recorded on the transcript.

6. Student Status

6.1. Students’ Class Standing

6.1.1. Class standing is determined by the total number of credits that students have earned, with adherence to the policies for repetition of courses.

6.2.2. Credits that are not included in calculating class standing are credits not completed (N, I, IP), or credits not accepted through examination or experiential learning. 6.2.3. Range of Hours for Class Standing:

6.2.3 Range of Hours for Class Standing

6.2. Course Levels

6.2.1. Students must follow the Graduate Academic Regulations as they pertain to taking graduate level courses.

7. Major and Minor Requirements

7.1. Minimum Requirements for Majors and Minors

7.1.1. A major requires a minimum of 36 credit hours.

7.1.1.a. A grade of C or better is required for each course used to satisfy the major.

7.1.2. A minor requires a minimum of 18 credit hours.

0-29  credit hours:  freshman standing

30-59 credit hours: sophomore standing

60-89 credit hours:  junior standing

90 credit hours or above:  senior standing

7.1.2.a. A grade of C or better is required for each course used to satisfy the minor.

7.2. Declaration of Majors and Minors

Students are expected to declare a major before completing 60 earned credits. The declaration must be approved by the academic unit or teaching unit designee in charge of the proposed major. The academic units or teaching units may require higher than minimal performance in major and related courses as a condition for acceptance as a major. Students who decide to declare a minor field of study are expected to declare their minor no later than one year prior to the intended date of graduation, usually 90 credits earned at Open Yoga University or the end of the junior year.

7.3. Changes in Major

To change majors within OYU, students must be in good academic standing and receive the permission of the teaching unit designee in charge of the program to which they wish to transfer. The various teaching units may establish additional requirements which must be met by each of their candidates for a degree.

7.4. Individualized Majors and Minors

7.4.1. Students may design their own majors and minors by applying to a review committee overseen by OYU. Individualized programs must meet the minima described above in the section on Minimum Requirements for Majors and Minors. Students are awarded a degree from an individual academic unit. A maximum of 18 credit hours completed prior to the semester in which the application is being submitted may be included in an individualized major. No such restriction applies to an individualized minor.

7.4.2. Students intending to pursue an individualized major must submit his or her proposal at least a year before their intended graduation date. 7.4.3. Students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 in order to submit proposals for individualized majors and for individualized minors.

8. Certificate Programs

8.1. All credit certificate programs must include a minimum of 12 credit hours.

8.2. Admission to credit certificate programs is open only to those students who meet University minimum non-degree enrollment requirements. Admission requirements in excess of University minimums must be stated explicitly in the credit certificate program proposals.

8.3. Minimum Standards: Academic Probation, Dismissal, Readmission

8.3.a. Students enrolled in undergraduate certificate programs must maintain a 2.0 grade point average to remain in good academic standing. Non-degree certificate students may be placed on academic probation, dismissed, or readmitted to certificate study.

8.3.b. Certificate students who are also enrolled in undergraduate programs may be placed on academic probation, dismissed, or readmitted to certificate study.

8.4. Grades of C- or D in certificate program courses will not be accepted toward the fulfillment of certificate requirements although these grades will be included in the calculation of the cumulative grade point average. Students in other than graduate certificate programs must have at least a 2.0 grade point average in certificate courses in order to be awarded a certificate.

8.5. Students in certificate programs must take a minimum of 6 credit hours during each 12-month period after they are admitted. All certificate programs must be completed within four years.

9. Special Course Types

9.1. Community Service-Learning

9.1.1. Students may earn degree credit toward graduation for community service-learning projects in conjunction with some courses offered by their teaching unit. A community service-learning project consists of at least 40 hours of approved field work. To qualify for academic credit, the project must also have an academic component related to the course with which the project is associated.

9.1.2. Students earn one semester hour of credit for each project they complete satisfactorily. A maximum of 3 credit hours of community service-learning credit may be applied toward graduation. Credits are offered only as pass/fail grades. 

9.1.3. Students must obtain the approval of the instructor before adding a community service learning project to their registration for the semester.

9.2. Internships

9.2.1. Qualified, degree-seeking students may enroll in credit-bearing, paid or unpaid Internship work assignments with a significant academic component under the guidance of an Open Yoga University instructor. Instructor and teaching unit approvals are required for internships. An important component of any internship is the availability of an internship placement opportunity that will provide sufficient substantive work to merit academic credit. The work for the internship must meet the requirements defined below.

9.2.2. To enroll, students must be making academic progress toward degree completion in their major and must have completed 30 earned credit hours at the University. Teaching units may specify additional requirements before enrolling students in internships.

9.2.3. The table below illustrates the earned credits associated with the required minimum interned hours. While the table includes the average weekly interned hours associated with earned credits, students, with the permission of their instructors, may vary their scheduled hours as long as they meet the total minimum requirement by the end of the semester or term. Students who elect to work in excess of the minimum for fewer academic credit hours should consult their academic advisor.

9.2.4. The maximum number of internship credit hours that may count toward a major is six credit hours.

9.2.5. Teaching units may require fewer than six credit hours to count toward the major.

9.2.6. Students may take up to a maximum of 12 internship credit hours that count toward the 120 credit hours of their degree program.

9.2.7. To receive academic credit, the work for the internship must be more substantive than administrative, with non-administrative work comprising in general at least 85% of the work performed. The instructor must provide the student an academic syllabus, with clear learning outcomes for the internship, communicate regularly with the student, and require academic assignments designed to provide an academic foundation and support for the internship. The instructor is responsible for the assessment of the student’s performance which may include an assessment by the workplace supervisor. If the workplace supervisor provides an assessment of the student’s performance, that assessment can count for no more than half the final course grade. The academic component of the course must be valued as at least half of the final course grade.

10. Registration

10.1. Initial Course Registration

10.1.1. Students are responsible for identifying implications for their satisfactory academic progress and enrollment status at the University, including impact on financial aid, which results from any change in registration.

10.1.2. Students are also responsible for verifying that all changes in registration are reflected in their official student record.

10.1.3. Students must be registered in order to participate in a class.

10.1.4. Students must initially register or be on a waitlist for the courses in which they wish to enroll prior to the beginning of each session or they will incur a late registration fee. Before registration, students should plan their program with their academic advisor.

10.2. Add-Drop Period

The add/drop period is the first 10 business days of the semester. During the add/drop period, students may add or drop courses or change course sections, except when teaching unit explicitly prohibits it, without penalty or notice on their transcript.

10.3. Waitlist Rules

At an instructor’s discretion, a student on the Waitlist may participate through the end of the add/drop period. If, by the end of the add/drop period, the student is not able to register for the course, the student must stop attending. This does not apply to students who audit the course.

10.4. Drop or Withdraw from a Course or from All Courses

Dropping a course results in no record of the course on the student’s academic transcript. Withdrawing from a course results in a W recorded on the student’s academic transcript. In both cases, the cumulative GPA is not affected.

10.4.1. Drop a Course or Drop All Courses

10.4.1.a. Students may drop a course or all but the last course on the student portal before the tenth day of classes.

10.4.1.b. In order to drop from all courses or from the last course, students must work with their academic advisor and file a Drop or Withdraw from All Classes Form. The date of the drop from each class will be based on the last date of attendance which must be provided by the instructors and included with the submission of the Drop or Withdraw from All Classes Form. If a student’s last date of attendance is after the last day to drop a class and before the end of the tenth week of class, the student will receive a “W” for each course per the regulation on withdrawing from a course or from all courses.

10.4.1.c. If a student drops all courses before the tenth day of classes and does not enroll in any other courses, the student will be separated from the University. Discontinuation of attendance at a class or notification to the instructor is not sufficient to constitute an official drop from a course. Occupied University housing must be vacated promptly by students who drop all classes.

10.4.1.d. A student who drops all courses should consult with an advisor to obtain a temporary leave if they wish to return the following semester.

10.4.2. Withdraw from a Course or from All Courses

10.4.2.a. After the tenth day of classes students may withdraw from all but the last course on the student portal, up until the end of the tenth week of the semester. Some additional restrictions on course withdrawals may apply to academic programs. Additional restrictions may also apply to courses used to satisfy the University minimum requirements. When students withdraw before the end of the tenth week of the semester for other terms, a grade of "W" is entered for each course. Discontinuation of attendance at a class or notification to the instructor is not sufficient to constitute an official Withdrawal.

10.4.2.b. In order to withdraw from all courses or from the last course, students must work with their academic advisor and file a Drop or Withdraw from All Classes Form. The date of the withdrawal from each class will be based on the last date of attendance which must be provided by the instructors and included with the submission of the Drop or Withdraw from All Classes Form. Occupied University housing must be vacated promptly by students who withdraw from all classes.

10.4.2.c. If a student leaves for non-medical reasons after the last day to withdraw from classes, the student will receive no reimbursement and should expect to receive failing grades for that semester, unless the student has made arrangements for an Incomplete.

10.5. Withdraw from All Courses Due to Medical or Catastrophic Events

In the event a student encounters medical difficulties or a catastrophic event after the tenth week of the semester and wishes to withdraw from all courses, the student must arrange with OYU to initiate the process for leaving the University.

All affected instructors will be consulted during this process. If a student is passing a class as of the date of last attendance, they may request an Incomplete grade per the regulation on Incomplete Grades, rather than withdraw.

Students are responsible for providing OYU with documentation supporting the receipt of Incompletes and/or Withdrawals at this late point in the semester. Upon receiving and approving the documentation, OYU will initiate a petition to have the Incompletes and/or Withdrawals recorded on the student’s transcript. The academic advisor makes the final decision for such Incompletes or Withdrawals from all courses.

11. Interruptions of Studies due to Temporary Leaves

A temporary leave is an interruption in studies from the University for a specified period of time after which the student is expected to return. A Temporary Leave is initiated by the student in consultation with the student's academic unit. Student financial aid, merit awards, University housing, and immigration status may be affected by any leave or separation from the University. Students should consult with their academic unit or the appropriate University office for help in determining the effects of the separation in their case.

There are three kinds of temporary leaves: general, medical, and military. Medical covers only personal health reasons. Family health reasons are covered under a general temporary leave. Students who are issued a Permit to Study will be placed on Temporary Leave until the completed transcript from the Permit to Study is provided to OYU.

General Conditions for All Temporary Leaves

• The leave period is counted as part of the time allowed for completion of degree requirements.

• Students on temporary leave are not registered with the University. Students are responsible for understanding the implications of a temporary leave for housing, financial aid, health insurance, and progress toward the degree.

• This policy will not be used in lieu of disciplinary actions to address violations of Open Yoga University’s rules, regulations or policies. A student may be required to participate in the disciplinary process coincident with the request for a temporary leave. A student permitted to take a temporary leave while on academic or disciplinary status will return on that same status.

• Students who do not return to the University at the end of the leave will be automatically separated. Separated students must apply for readmission and must meet the program requirements.

11.1. All Temporary Leaves

Students may not take more than two semesters of leave.

11.2. General Temporary Leave

11.2.1. Students desiring a Temporary Leave for reasons other than study at another collegiate institution should meet with their academic advisor. At the teaching unit’s discretion, based on whether or not it seems desirable to guarantee the student an automatic readmission, the teaching unit will notify OYU to issue a Temporary Leave. The Temporary Leave will specify the duration of the leave (one or two semesters) as well as a limitation of one year maximum automatic continuance in the same undergraduate program. Students must request the leave no later than within the first two weeks in the semester in which the leave will begin. The academic unit can extend the leave only once and must notify OYU accordingly.

11.2.2. The Temporary Leave becomes void if the student attends any domestic or foreign collegiate institution during the period of leave, unless the student obtains a Permit to Study at Another Institution or a Medical Permit to Study from the academic unit.

11.3. Medical Temporary Leave

11.3.1. Students must request a medical leave of absence. Only students who receive a medical temporary leave are eligible to receive a medical permit to study.

11.3.2. A student may request from OYU to take a Medical Temporary Leave for up to one year for personal health reasons. The student should provide medical documentation that supports the requested action only to OYU.. If OYU approves the Medical Temporary Leave, students may request from the academic unit a Medical Permit to Study.

11.3.3. Students must request OYU to return from a Medical Temporary Leave or to return from a semester during which they withdrew from all courses or received a reduced load that was approved for medical reasons. OYU will provide the teaching unit with verification when the student is ready to resume studies at the University.

11.4. National Service or Military Temporary Leave

11.4.1. Students may be required to leave the University to fulfill short-term or long-term national service or military obligations that are unrelated to war or ongoing hostilities. In the instance of shorter term absences (e.g., fulfilling periodic training obligations to serve in the U.S. National Guard) students must inform their instructors in advance of their absence(s) during a semester and a plan to complete course requirements should be agreed upon by the instructor and the student.

11.4.2. Students who require short term leaves for military reasons must provide a copy of their military orders to their instructor.

11.4.3. In the event of a longer-term absence the student may alert the academic advisor to notify OYU for a General Temporary Leave for national service or military reasons or for an extension of an existing Temporary Leave. Students applying for leave for this reason must provide documentation for the leave.

11.5. Interruption of Studies Caused by Emergencies, Hostilities, or War

11.5.1. Students whose work toward a degree is disrupted as a direct result of pandemic, hostilities, war, or some similar emergency shall be given every possible consideration. Included in the categories of students affected are those who cannot travel, are called to active duty, enlist in the armed forces, or are assigned to nonmilitary duties.

11.5.2. Students called to active military duty while enrolled at OYU must provide a copy of their military orders. The orders should confirm the begin date and the end date of service. This policy is in addition to that described in the Military Temporary Leave policy elsewhere for events unrelated to hostilities or war.

11.5.3. Students should consult their teaching unit and instructors on how best to complete their studies through alternative methods such as online learning and may be eligible for refund of tuition in some cases.

11.5.4. Students may resume their studies at the University if arrangements are made for their return within the six months following the end of their enforced absence and if their degree program is still offered by the University. They may continue to work for the same degrees in which they were enrolled at the interruption of their studies in accordance with the regulations in effect at the time they left.

11.6. Trauma and Bereavement Policy

11.6.1. In the event of a personal tragedy or trauma, students may need to coordinate alternative arrangements to complete coursework. Students or their authorized representative may contact the academic unit.

11.6.2. If students think it is not in their best interest to complete the semester or to return to study the next semester, they may elect to take a Temporary Leave or separate from the University.

12. Suspension or Separation from the University

12.1. Voluntary Separation

12.1.1. Students in good academic standing wishing to separate from the University the following semester must notify OYUand may do so at any time up to and inclusive of the last day of classes, provided their academic progress during the semester does not result in academic dismissal.

12.1.1.a. A Separation can be initiated by the student or a representative of the University.

12.1.1.b. Separations requested after the last day of instruction or by students on academic probation will only be approved by the teaching unit if the student’s academic progress does not result in academic dismissal.

12.1.1.c. If students are considering separating from the University, they should consult with their teaching unit as soon as possible to determine whether there are other more viable alternatives.

12.1.2. A Separation from the University results in the loss of active student status.

12.1.3. Students who are eligible to enroll in courses for a semester, but who do not enroll, will be separated from the University.

12.1.4. Students whose grades would have led to academic dismissal may not voluntarily separate from the University.

12.1.5. Following a separation, students in good academic standing can apply to the University admissions office for readmission in the following semester and regain active student status.

12.1.5.a. Students on academic probation may apply for readmission after two full semesters (fall, spring, or summer).

12.1.5.b. Students who separate from the University without notifying OYU will only be considered for readmission under exceptional circumstances.

12.1.5.c. Students who separate from the University and are subsequently readmitted, will not be readmitted again after they separate from the University a second time for any reason.

12.2. Involuntary Suspension

12.2.1. The University may suspend a student from the OYU for an interim period pending disciplinary or criminal proceedings or medical evaluation regarding behavior relevant to such proceedings.

12.2.1.a. The interim suspension will be effective immediately without prior notice whenever there is evidence that the continued presence of the student at the University poses a substantial and immediate threat to him or herself, to others, or to the stability and continuance of normal University functions. Interim suspension excludes students from University premises and other privileges or activities.

Glossary

Active Status: A student is considered to have active status with the University when one of the following criteria has been met; enrolled in courses (institutional and consortium), has arranged a Temporary Leave for a semester or is taking classes through another institution while on a Permit to Study. Students no longer have active status with the University when they withdraw, are academically dismissed or fail to enroll in a subsequent semester without arranging a Temporary Leave or Permit to Study. Students who fail to enroll in a subsequent semester and do not arrange a Temporary Leave or Permit to Study will be Administratively Separated from the institution.

Excused Absences: Students may receive an excused absence from class or exam attendance for reasons that include, but are not limited to, a medical reason, or a family emergency. Instructors may require documentation for excused absences.

Documented Disabilities: Students who provide documentation of a disability may request reasonable accommodations. Examples of disabilities for which accommodations may be provided include learning disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Deaf and hard-of-hearing, blind and visually impaired, as well as medical, psychological, and physical disabilities. Students may enter the University with or without identifying their disability in the admissions process. 

Teaching Unit: A department, division, program, institute, or center.