Academics

Returning to Ohio State?

Leave of absence

If you have been on a Leave of Absence and are returning to Ohio State, please complete the following steps:

1 Schedule an appointment with the advisor for the major you are interested in pursuing.

This should take place about two months prior to the beginning of the semester in which you intend to return. To set up an appointment, please call 740-366-9333.

2 Reactivate your email account if necessary.

If you have forgotten your password for accessing your email, visit my.osu.edu or call 614-688-HELP (4357) to update your access to Buckeye Link and your Ohio State email.

3 Once you’ve reactivated your account, watch for an email regarding residency.

Follow instructions and carefully respond to avoid complications with residency status.

4 If you attended another institution while you were away from Ohio State, please bring an unofficial copy of your transcripts to assist with scheduling courses.

You should also send your official transcripts to Ohio State.

Reinstatement

A student is academically dismissed when, having been placed on academic Probation or Probation by Special Action in one term, he or she fails to improve or to meet the conditions for extending the probation. The decision to dismiss is made on a case-by-case basis after careful review of the academic record. As a consequence of dismissal, students are dropped from all the classes in which he or she may have been enrolled for the next term and are prevented from returning to classes until the dismissal has been removed. After dismissal, students are welcome to maintain contact with their Ohio State advisor if they have questions about preparing for possible future reinstatement.

Students who have been academically dismissed have the opportunity to petition for reinstatement after spending a minimum of one academic year away from Ohio State. Reinstatement is not guaranteed, and simple desire to return is not sufficient support for a petition. Petitioning students need to prove they are now ready to succeed if they are allowed to return to the university. It is advisable for students to take academic coursework at another institution during their time away from Ohio State to demonstrate they are capable of succeeding in quality college-level work.

The Petition for Reinstatement is an opportunity for a student to show that he or she has realistically assessed the situation and planned to return as a successful student. It should reflect a thoughtful use of the time away to consider why the student did not succeed before; the adjustments made in view of earlier difficulties; and how the student plans to succeed should a return to Ohio State be approved.

Steps to petition for Reinstatement

Spend your time away from Ohio State productively. It is strongly recommended that you attend another institution and focus your effort to perform well academically. A transcript from another institution that documents a quality GPA demonstrates that you are ready to improve academically should you return to OSU. Consult http://transferology.com and your academic advisor if you want to ensure your coursework will have OSU transfer equivalents. While you may wish to continue in coursework that will count towards your intended major, also remember that your performance in these courses is of utmost importance.

Prior to the term in which you wish to return to Ohio State (minimally one academic year after dismissal), contact the Academic Advising Office in Newark to schedule an appointment with an advisor to review the reinstatement process and the petition documents you need to submit.

Complete the reinstatement petition and submit it to the academic advising office prior to the stated deadline. (It is recommended that you submit your petition 2 weeks prior to the deadline to allow time for revision or submission of additional documentation if needed.)

Deadlines for submitting all petition materials:*

  • For autumn semester return: June 1
  • For spring semester return: Oct. 1
  • For summer semester return: Feb. 1

*If date falls on a weekend, the deadline is the following business day.

Fresh Start

Students who have been away from the university for at least five years may want to petition to use Fresh Start. While all the courses you have taken will remain on your transcript, only courses in which you received a C- or higher will be counted for credit toward your degree. Other coursework will not be counted for credit, towards any requirement, or toward graduation. You will return to Ohio State with a recalculated cumulative GPA of 0.00. You must complete a minimum of two terms and 30 credit hours after using the Fresh Start Rule before you can be eligible to graduate.

Points to remember:

  • Fresh Start only adjusts your academic record; your previous coursework may still impact your financial aid eligibility
  • If you are considering applying to graduate or professional schools, or even to other undergraduate programs at Ohio State, their admission processes may look at all of your grades and recalculate the original grade(s) into your total.

 To see if you are eligible for Fresh Start, please call 740-366-9333 to schedule an appointment with an advisor.