Returning From Leave
We at Dudley House are eager to welcome you back from your leave and to make your return as smooth a transition as possible. You should keep in mind that it can be extremely helpful to meet with Advisers in your concentration, as well as with your Dudley House Adviser and your resident dean, to discuss how best to get back into the swing of your academic and extracurricular college life. A good starting point in your concentration is usually to arrange a meeting with the Director of Undergraduate Studies or Head Tutor to review your plan of study and make any necessary adjustments.
A Note about Housing: You are guaranteed Housing only if you file the Returning Student Application by the appropriate deadline and only if you have been on leave for less than two years. Otherwise, you will be housed on a space-available basis. To find out about returning to or entering the Dudley Co-op, you need to contact the Dudley House Office at ududley@fas or at 617-495-2256.
Returning in Good Standing
If you took a voluntary leave in good standing and now wish to return, you must:
- contact your resident dean eight weeks in advance of your desired return and tell her you wish to return
- submit a written statement to your resident dean, describing what you did during your time away
- make sure you have submitted a Returning Student Application to the University Housing Office, indicating your projected return date and whether you wish to live in campus housing (including the Co-op) NOTE: All students should complete this form—even those intending to live off campus; Students who wish to live in campus housing must submit this form by February 25 for a Fall return and by October 25 for a Spring return
- contact the Dudley House Office at ududley@fas or at 617-495-2256 if you wish to live in the Dudley Co-op
Returning on Academic or Disciplinary Probation
If you wish to return from a leave and you will be returning on academic or disciplinary probation, or if your return carries an Administrative Board Rider, or if you wish to return after having been required to withdraw, but you do not have a UHS Rider on your return, you must:
- contact your resident dean eight weeks in advance of your desired return and tell her you wish to return
- submit to your resident dean a written statement, addressed to the Members of the Administrative Board, describing what you did during your time away and why you now feel ready to return
- make sure you have submitted a Returning Student Application to the University Housing Office, indicating your projected return date and whether you wish to live in campus housing (including the Co-op) NOTE: All students should complete this form—even those intending to live off campus; Students who wish to live in campus housing must submit this form by February 25 for a Fall return and by October 25 for a Spring return
- contact the Dudley House Office at ududley@fas or at 617-495-2256 if you wish to live in the Dudley Co-op
Your resident dean will present your petition to return to the Administrative Board, and she will notify you of the Board’s decision after the Board votes.
Returning carrying a UHS Rider
If you wish to return from a leave and your return carries a UHS Rider, you must:
- contact your resident dean eight weeks in advance of your desired return and tell her you wish to return
- submit to your resident dean a written statement, addressed to the Members of the Administrative Board, describing what you did during your time away and why you now feel ready to return, being sure to explain how any medical or mental health issues involved in your leave have been addressed and what support systems you have in place to help ensure a successful return
- make an appointment with an appropriate clinician at Harvard University Health Services, to be held approximately four weeks before your desired return (If you have questions about this appointment, please refer to the letter from your resident dean explaining the conditions of your leave or contact your resident dean at dd-abrd@fas.)
- in advance of your UHS consultation, submit to the UHS clinician a copy of the statement you will present to the Administrative Board, the names and telephone numbers of the health care providers who treated you while you were away, and any authorizations that those providers may require both to permit them to speak with the UHS evaluating clinician and to provide the UHS clinician with any relevant medical records that s/he may need
- make sure you have submitted a Returning Student Application to the University Housing Office, indicating your projected return date and whether you wish to live in campus housing (including the Co-op) NOTE: All students should complete this form—even those intending to live off campus; Students who wish to live in campus housing must submit this form by February 25 for a Fall return and by October 25 for a Spring return
- contact the Dudley House Office at ududley@fas or at 617-495-2256 if you wish to live in the Dudley Co-op
After your resident dean receives the UHS clinician’s assessment of your readiness to return, she will present your petition to return to the Administrative Board. She will notify you of the Board’s decision after the Board votes.
Should you anticipate the need for academic or other accommodations upon your return from leave, you should be in touch with the College's Accessible Education Office (AEO) as far in advance of your expected return as possible. In consultation with Harvard University Health Services clinicians and the College, AEO makes determinations about accommodations based on a student's provision of appropriate supporting clinical documentation, in keeping with generally accepted guidelines. The AEO serves as an important resource for students who may be in need of accommodations, either on a temporary or more long-term basis. In obtaining necessary information and in developing recommendations regarding accommodations, AEO consults with students' clinicians, with Harvard University Health Services, and with senior members of the College staff, but AEO does not otherwise release information about students and does not otherwise discuss students' clinical information with others, without students' knowledge and agreement. Louise Russell, the Director of AEO, may be contacted by telephone at 617-496-8707 and by e-mail at lrussell@fas. Information about AEO, the resources that it offers eligible students, and guidelines for clinical documentation may be found at http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~aeo/.