Administrative Withdrawal
Administrative Withdrawal is an ACE-initiated separation from the institution due to non-payment, inactivity in the course, exceeding maximum number of enrollments in a course, failure to submit official required document(s) for admission or registration (transcript, test scores, or service records), or failure to return from leave of absence.
Attendance
The Attendance Policy establishes clear expectations for student presence and participation in courses at American College of Education. Consistent attendance is essential for fostering academic success, ensuring student accountability, and promoting a vibrant learning community.
Regular attendance is an essential component of the learning experience. It provides opportunities for meaningful interaction with instructors and peers, supports achievement of course and program learning outcomes, and helps students remain on track for academic success.
Students are expected to maintain consistent attendance in all courses. Active participation and engagement are the student’s responsibility, and poor attendance or limited interaction may negatively affect academic performance, including course grades.
Attendance Verification (First Week)
For online courses at ACE that carry academic credit, attendance must be verified in each course during the first week of the term. To remain registered, students must demonstrate participation by 11:59 p.m. PT on the Sunday of the first week of the course. Attendance may be verified by completing at least one of the following activities:
- Participating in the course discussion board
- Submitting coursework
- Completing the Attendance Verification quiz
Students who do not complete at least one of these required activities by the deadline will be administratively withdrawn from the course. Depending on their circumstances, this withdrawal may also result in administrative withdrawal from the College.
Ongoing Attendance (Beyond First Week)
Attendance is not limited to the first week. Students are expected to participate regularly throughout the term by engaging in academically related activities, such as contributing to discussions, submitting assignments, or completing assessments. Extended periods of inactivity may result in referral to Student Services.
Instructor and System Monitoring
Student attendance and participation are monitored by both instructors and ACE’s technology systems. Instructors track engagement through course activities such as discussions, assignments, and assessments. Separately, ACE’s technology systems monitor course activity data to identify students who may not be meeting attendance expectations. Students demonstrating limited or no participation may be referred to Student Services for follow-up. The College reserves the right to intervene when a student’s lack of engagement places their academic standing at risk.
Course Drop
Whereas students can always request to drop a course, the outcome of the drop will be dependent on the particular week of the term during which the drop takes place. This is important to ensure the academic integrity of the grades received at ACE.
Week 1
Students who are taking more than one course, will be allowed to unregister for a course until 11:59 PM PT on the Sunday of the first week of the term. The course will not appear on the student’s transcript and tuition charges will be reversed. If a student is enrolled in only one course this is not an option. The student will need to submit a cancel/withdrawal form.
Week 2-3
Students will be allowed to drop a course during weeks 2 and 3 of the term. If the drop request is received on or prior to Sunday of week 3 of the term, the student will be dropped from the course and receive a “W” on their transcript.
After Week 3
Students requesting to drop a course after the drop period ends are not eligible to receive a “W” in the course. They will continue to be registered for the course and will receive the grade earned at the end of the term. The grade will be reflected on the transcript and be included in the GPA.
The statements above apply when a student drops a course or withdraws from the college.
Requests are initiated by the submission of a Drop Course form or a Cancel/Withdrawal form (located in the MyACE Portal).
Disability Support Services (DSS)
To be considered for disability-related accommodations, individuals are responsible for identifying themselves and disclosing information about their disability to Disability Support Services at [[email protected]] or 1-877-670-4523.
American College of Education (ACE) is committed to providing high-quality, affordable, and accessible online programs. In keeping with this mission, the College complies with all applicable state and federal laws, including Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008.
ACE provides reasonable accommodations to qualified students with disabilities to ensure equitable access to academic programs and services, unless doing so would create a fundamental alteration of an academic requirement or impose an undue administrative or financial burden on the College.
This policy applies to all students and applicants who have a documented disability that may substantially limit one or more major life activities.
Definitions
- Qualified Student: A student who meets the technological and academic requirements for enrollment and, with or without reasonable accommodations, can perform the essential academic requirements of their program.
- Disability: A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, as defined under the ADA.
- Reasonable Accommodation: Adjustments or modifications that allow a qualified student with a disability to participate fully in academic programs without fundamentally altering the nature of the program.
Requesting Disability Support Accommodations
Students requesting accommodations that affect more than one term must follow these steps:
- Submit a Request
- Complete the “Request for Disability Support” form in the MyACE Portal.
- Include current documentation from a qualified medical professional, which should:
- Confirm the diagnosis of the disability.
- Describe how the disability affects the student’s academic performance.
- Recommend accommodations appropriate for equal access. CSS will determine appropriate accommodations based on the documentation provided and the student’s specific functional limitations.
- Include an end date if the disability is temporary.
- Meet documentation timelines.
- Documentation should generally be recent enough to reflect the student’s current functional limitations. Be on official letterhead, signed, and include the professional’s name, mailing address, and phone number.
- Submission Timing
- Requests and documentation should be submitted at least one week before the term starts to ensure accommodations are implemented for the full term.
- Requests made after the term start may be approved, but accommodations are not retroactive.
- Review and Approval
- CSS reviews documentation and determines appropriate accommodations.
- Approved students receive an official Letter of Accommodations via their ACE email.
- Appeals
- Students may appeal any accommodation decision under the Appeal and Complaint Policy.
Student Responsibilities
Students are encouraged to actively participate in the accommodation process.
- Disclosure: Students must disclose their disability to CSS and submit the required documentation. Faculty cannot provide accommodations without an official Letter of Accommodations from CSS.
- Sharing Accommodations: Students must email the Letter of Accommodations to each faculty member at the start of the term. Faculty may clarify accommodations with CSS if needed.
- Coursework: Students should continue to meet coursework deadlines to the best of their ability; accommodations do not replace the responsibility to complete assignments.
- Communication: Notify CSS promptly if any challenges arise in receiving approved accommodations.
- Policy Compliance: Students remain subject to all ACE policies and academic requirements.
- Scope of Accommodations: Accommodations are designed to provide equitable access to course requirements, not to offset workload or reduce academic rigor.
Common Accommodations
Common accommodations may include additional time on assignments or extended testing time, depending on the student’s documented needs.
Typical examples of accommodations include:
| Accommodation Types |
Standard Provision |
| Assignments |
Up to 2 extra days |
| Quizzes and Tests |
Double time |
Discussion board deadlines are generally not extended unless documentation demonstrates a need related to the student’s disability.
Other accommodations may be considered on an individual basis with recommendations from a medical professional. ACE works to ensure all courses and services are accessible and will make reasonable modifications when accessibility issues are identified.
Interview Accommodations for Applicants
Applicants with hearing or visual impairments may request accommodations for interviews required during the admissions process:
- Submit the “Request for Disability Support” form with documentation from a medical professional.
- Documentation must meet the standards described in Section III.
- Upon approval, the applicant receives a typewritten list of interview questions and submission deadline.
- The applicant submits written responses by the enrollment deadline.
- Appeals of any decisions are allowed under the Appeal and Complaint Policy.
Additional Notes
- Students will not be charged fees for accommodations provided under this policy.
- ACE prohibits discrimination or retaliation against any student requesting or receiving accommodations.
- Students are encouraged to contact CSS with any questions or guidance throughout their academic program.
Leave of Absence
Students may encounter personal, professional, or medical circumstances requiring a temporary interruption of their academic program. The Leave of Absence form is available via the student portal to allow students to request consideration for these situations.
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If a student is approved for a Leave of Absence, they will be unregistered for future courses but remain active in ACE Student Commons.
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In order to return from a leave of absence, a student must submit a Return from Leave of Absence form.
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Once received, the student will be registered in courses, if available. If no courses are available, the student will be placed in an “Active Waiting for Class” status and will not need to apply for an additional LOA.
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If the Return from Leave of Absence form is not received before the communicated term of return, the student will be administratively withdrawn from the College.
Leave of Absence (LOA)
Requirements:
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The student initiates request for Leave of Absence for an upcoming term using the appropriate form.
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Requests cannot be honored mid-term.
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Leave of Absence requests are reviewed by the college and approved if the following criteria are met:
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Student is a Degree-Seeking Student or Certificate Student (minimum 15 credit hours).
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Student is in Good Financial Standing and Good Academic Standing at ACE (2.0 GPA for Undergraduate level and 3.0 GPA for Graduate level).
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Student has currently completed at least one course at ACE.
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Student has not exceeded maximum time away from school:
- Leave of Absence Limit: A maximum of 3 terms, excluding approved military leave of absence request*.
- Maximum Time to Completion with Time Out Limit: A maximum of 2.5 times the length of the program
*Students who provide deployment orders will be granted a Leave of Absence for the time of their deployment. No limit exists to the number of LOA’s granted, nor is there a maximum time limit for LOA’s granted for documented military deployment.
Medical Leave of Absence (MLOA)
The Medical Leave of Absence policy is available for unexpected medical or familial matters. A MLOA can be requested at any time during a term or prior to a term start, but must be accompanied by appropriate documentation on official letterhead bearing the signature of the attending physician indicating the leave is warranted. The MLOA may be granted retroactively if the student is incapacitated for either physical or mental health problems and unable to provide documentation. Medical Leave of Absences can be granted for any of the following reasons:
- To care for a serious mental or physical condition.
- To care for an immediate family member (spouse, child or parent) with a serious health condition.
- To accommodate the placement of a child with the student for adoption or foster care.
Requirements:
- Student is a Degree-Seeking Student or Certificate Student (minimum 15 credit hours).
- Student has no outstanding financial obligations at the time the MLOA is requested.
- Medical Leave of Absence Limit: may not exceed a maximum of six terms or extend the maximum time to degree completion.
Withdrawal from the College/Cancellation of Enrollment
Withdrawal is a student-initiated separation from ACE. Students may withdraw from the College during the Unregister Period (through Sunay of week 1 at 11:59 PM PT) and the Drop Period (through Sunday of week 3 at 11:59 PM PT).
- A student who submits a Withdraw from ACE Request form during the Unregister Period:
- Will be unregistered from the course.
- Tuition charges will be reversed.
- The course will not be reflected on the transcript or in the GPA.
- A student who submits a Withdraw from ACE Request form during the Drop Period:
- Will be dropped from the course.
- Will receive a grade of “W” on the transcript, but it will not be calculated in the GPA.
- Will receive a tuition refund according to the Refund Policy.
- A student who submits a Withdraw from ACE Request form after the drop deadline will not be withdrawn until the end of the term.
- The student will receive the grade earned at the end of the term.
- The grade will be recorded on the transcript and count toward the student’s GPA.
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