MRU has no leave of absence: what to do instead

How automatic withdrawal happens

Fourteen consecutive calendar days of unexcused absence from all of your courses triggers withdrawal. For students using VA benefits, the window is 12 days. The rule counts absence across every course you are enrolled in, not one course at a time.

Attendance rules still apply course by course. The catalog expects you to email faculty before a missed class, and excessive absence can lead to course failure or withdrawal on its own. If an illness or family emergency is coming, tell every instructor in writing before it starts.

The automatic rule matters most when a clinical course stalls. A student waiting on a new preceptor can drift away from the rest of their coursework without meaning to. Stay active in every course while the placement problem is being solved, even if the clinical part is on hold.

When a preceptor falls through mid-term

This is the situation that most often makes students wish MRU had a leave of absence. Without one, the order of your next few moves matters.

1. Tell your clinical instructor the same dayPut it in writing. The earlier the course team knows, the more room there is for make-up time or an extension.
2. Decide how the replacement will be foundYou can bring a new preceptor for approval, or MRU will appoint one for an additional fee, the one-time Practicum Affiliation Fee. No hours count until the new preceptor is approved.
3. Check the calendarFind your course's W deadline and last day. For Fall 2026, the semester W deadline is November 6 and the semester ends December 20.
4. Keep up with every other courseStay active in your coursework so the 14-day automatic withdrawal rule never comes into play.
5. Weigh an IncompleteIf you will have completed 80% of the course by the last day, an Incomplete can buy time to finish with a new preceptor.

The preceptor dropped out page walks through the first week in more detail, and our placement desk can start looking for a replacement straight away.

Coming back after a withdrawal

Re-entry is an application, not an automatic return. The catalog routes it through Admissions, with the request made on the portal. Apply early enough to register: self-registration opens 20 days before each semester and closes at the add/drop deadline.

Expect to bring your clearance up to date. The catalog says background checks may be run at the start and again during enrollment, and any change must be reported in writing to the Office of Academic Affairs within 24 hours. Immunizations, the annual flu shot and liability insurance also need to be current before any externship, with insurance proof due at least 15 days before it starts.

Check the University Addenda page before you return, because rules can change while you are away, as the 2026 calendar and DNP changes show. Then line up your preceptor before the returning term opens; the own-preceptor rule still applies, and the academic calendar page shows when each term and module begins.