Guideline for accommodating absences for military service:
The university, in compliance with agreements to support students who are serving on active duty or with reserve components of the United States military, will reasonably accommodate student military service obligations regarding leave and readmission.
Upon receipt of orders resulting in an impending short-term or long-term leave, students must request a verification of absence letter from the Student Veterans Resource Center within five working days of receiving their orders. Students must present supporting documentation at the time of request for verification. Students using VA education benefits must also submit a copy of their orders to the school certifying officials in the Registrar’s Office.
It is the student’s responsibility to request accommodation for their leave by notifying all instructors and discussing a plan for missed materials and course assessments within five working days from receipt of the verification. It is the course instructor’s responsibility to provide reasonable opportunities for students to complete course assignments and assessments missed due to military absence based on the guidance below.
Short-term leave procedures for military service:
A short-term leave is defined as an absence from the University for 14 consecutive calendar days or less. Accommodations may be requested on a course-by-course basis.
Course instructors should make reasonable accommodations to allow students to make progress in the course and complete work that provides assessment of the course’s learning outcomes. In cases where there is significant concern for a student’s opportunity for successful completion of the course learning outcomes, the student and instructor should work with the Student Veterans Resource Center and academic unit to discuss alternative resolutions that minimize academic disadvantages to the student.
In the event it is in the student’s best interest to drop a course(s) because of serious academic disadvantage, the university will issue a full refund of the course tuition and fees.
Long-term leave procedures for military service:
A long-term leave is defined as an absence from the University for 15 consecutive calendar days or more. A student whose military service will require more than 15 days of leave from the University has three options:
- A student may withdraw, in-full or in-part, from the semester with proof of military orders that exceed 15 days. In such cases, the student will receive a full refund of any tuition and fees paid for the term in which the student withdraws.
- A student may discuss absences with individual instructors to make accommodations for competition of required coursework, or equivalent assessments, during a mutually agreed upon timeframe. If the timeframe meets the criteria for an extension or incomplete in the course, the student must comply with university policies related to this decision.
- Students may choose a combination of dropping individual courses and planning to complete other courses, depending on the guidance of their instructors, keeping the student’s academic success and progress at the forefront of consideration. If a student chooses to drop multiple courses, the student will also be entitled to a full refund for each course.
If military leave results in a student’s need to be readmitted to MSU, the student and institution will comply with 34 Code of Federal Regulations section 668.18 (
https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CFR-2011-title34-vol3/CFR-2011-title34-vol3-sec668-18).
Graduate students concerned about their time to degree should work with their graduate advisor and Graduate Program Director to request a time extension from the MSU Graduate School. Although extensions are not guaranteed, they are considered for the each student’s unique situation.