Dismissal or debarment of students takes effect only when students under Probation II fail to meet the academicrequirements at the end of the semester.
A student may also be asked to withdraw from the program if he/ she is not able to meet the residency requirementof a program (e.g.: must complete all the requirements of the program up to three years beyond original expecteddate of graduation.
For the College of Medicine – the Clerkship program may only be extended for two academic years from the initialyear or original start of clerkship.
A student may also be debarred from enrolling if he has been found guilty of immorality, dishonesty, and/or gravemisconduct after due process and investigation and upon recommendation of the Ad Hoc Committee on Discipline.
1.6 SEPARATION FROM THE UNIVERSITY
1.6.1 Leave of Absence
A student who will not enroll for a given semester or term must file a formal written Leave of Absence,signed by parents or guardian, addressed to the College Dean or Program Head indicating the reasons for theabsence and the duration. The student must then submit this letter to the Registrar’s office upon endorsement ofCollege Dean immediately prior to going on leave for the term/semester. Upon return, the student is obliged to reportto the Dean or Program Head to update his or her status and the student allowed to enroll accordingly. Failure to filefor the Leave of Absence (LOA) negatively affects the student’s retention status and violates existing College or Program policies on the maximum period a student may complete a particular program offering. Students who havebeen AWOL for more than 6 semesters (3 years) are considered to have abandoned their studies. Admission recordsand other student supplied documents are subjected to existing Registrar’s Office policies on document or record disposal. Such students however may be re-admitted to OLFU subject to the approval of the VPAA or that of theUniversity Registrar.
1.6.2 Transfer-Out or Honorable Dismissal
A student may voluntarily withdraw from school following existing OLFU procedures on Honorable Dismissal orTransfer applications including an exit interview with the Dean and the guidance office.
The student applying for transfer out of OLFU is required to complete the clearance form for Honorable Dismissal. The said form, when duly accomplished, must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office to initiate the processing of transfer credentials. No records shall be released to any student with pending deficiencies (Accounting, Student Disciplinary, or Form 137 (Honorable Dismissal for Transferees) submission. High school report cards/ diplomas, or other certificates, including honorable dismissals from a previously enrolled HEI, submitted during initial enrollment cannot be returned to the student. A student who has been previously issued an honorable dismissal byOLFU may return anytime provided said student has not been excluded, debarred or expelled. The student must report to the Registrar’s Office for reinstatement of status.
1.6.3 Exclusion and Expulsion
Exclusion is a penalty in which the university may remove or drop the name of a student from the school roll for having committed a major offense constituting but not limited to gross misconduct, dishonesty, hazing, possession of deadly weapon, selling and/or possession of prohibited drugs, and the like. The transfer credential of the studentconcerned is immediately issued and the student is barred from re- admission in any OLFU campus. Expulsion, on theother hand, is the severest form of penalty of an erring student and bars him/her from admission to any public or private school in the Philippines.
1.7 GRADUATION
1.7.1 Graduation is a formal, public recognition by OLFU that the student has fulfilled the minimum requirementsset forth the OLFU Academic Council, TESDA, CHED and other concerned Philippine administrative/regulatory bodies or agencies for the specified program. Graduation ceremonies are also an occasion wherein the achievementof the graduating student during their stay at Fatima University is recognized.
1.7.2 Only students who have passed all their courses/subjects, have completed all documentary requirements (example admission or transfer credentials), have satisfied all their academic and non-academicrequirements (again inclusive of transfer of credentials, thesis requirements, NSTP, PE, research work andmake ups for all absences in practicum work, clerkship duties or hospital rotations, and other similar obligations)and have met all financial requirements to the university are eligible for graduation. Students may not participate in any graduation ceremony/ activity unless all above requirements have been completed and administrative sanctions,if any, are served.
1.7.3 The Registrar’s Office shall post in prominent areas the deadline for submission of graduation clearancesfor a specific term/semester. Students who have complied with all of their requirements (including all initialadmission records or credentials, e.g. Form 137 for HS graduates and the Honorable Dismissal for Transferees) shallaccomplish their graduation clearances and submit these to the registrar’s office prior to the deadlines set for eachsemester/ term. Failure to do so would result to non inclusion in the official list of graduating students for thatsemester/term. Likewise these students are not allowed to participate or attend the graduation ceremonies for thesemester. If a student has not completed his or her requirements before the deadline set for the semester thenthey may instead doso before the deadline set for the next succeeding semester or term in order to be included inthe official graduation list and ceremonies for that period.
1.7.4 Candidates for graduation, including students who have completed their graduation clearances, or haveformally been dismissed from the University are still subject to existing school policies as stipulated in the currentedition of the student handbook and procedures governing official university transactions. Graduates, including the above category of students who breach official University Policies (e.g. submission of spurious of fake documents or records, unauthorized misrepresentation, forgery of signatures of University Officials, etc.) will be subject tosimilar existing disciplinary sanctions for such (as stipulated in the current edition of the student handbook). OLFUstudents, (either officially or un officially enrolled), who attend graduation ceremonies in the pretense that they aregraduates, are rigorously penalized with either exclusion or expulsion.
1.8 AWARDING OF STUDENT FINANCIAL AID OR DISCOUNTS
The following are examples of the various forms of educationalscholarships and grants that are being offered by theUniversity:
1.8.1 ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS AND OTHER MATRICULATION FEE GRANTS
Deserving regular students who maintain the required high academic standing during the course of a semester orterm may qualify for tuition or other fee discounts. Regularly
10-100% discounts on tuition and/or miscellaneous fees are awarded for the semester, renewable for the nextsemester if the student meets the academic requirement. Specific details can be found at the office of the StudentFinancial Services.
1.8.1.2 Freshmen Entrance Academic Scholarship
Academic scholarships are available for new freshmen students entering the university depending on the previousHigh School performance and other criteria as evaluated by the University’s Admission Office.
1.8.2 LEONORA JUZGAYA EDUCATIONAL GRANT The following are the qualifications:
1.8.2.1 Must come from a low-income family
1.8.2.2 Recommended by the College Dean and theOLFU President/Board of Trustees
1.8.2.3 Must maintain a Grade Point Average of no higher than 1.75
1.8.3 OTHER TYPES OF STUDENT FINANCIAL AID OR GRANTS:
1.8.3.1 Student Assistance Program (e.g. LibraryAssistants, University Choir, etc.)
1.8.3.2 Fatima Alumni discount
1.8.3.3 Fatima Sibling discount
1.8.3.4 Our Lady of Fatima University PNP/BFPdiscount
OLFU recognizes and honors the academic achievements of its students each semester or term not only through matriculation fee discounts but also by including them in the Dean’s List of the College he/she belong in.
1. To qualify for the Dean’s List, the student should:
a.) have obtained a semester GWA of at least 1.75, with no grade of below 2.00 in any academic course/ subject.
b.) be officially enrolled and is regular in status (enrolled in the academic load as prescribed in curriculum).
c.) is not subject of any disciplinary action within the immediate preceding semester or term.
2. Only the GWA for the 1st and 2nd semesters are to be used in the recognition of students in the Dean’s list. (E.g.The Dean’s list for the 1st term or semester is based on the GWA of the 2nd semester of the preceding schoolyear while the Dean’s List for the 2nd semester is based on the GWA of the 1st semester of that SY).
3. Students who are named to the Dean’s List should receive a certificate from the College thru the Dean upon approval of the VPAA.
4. The Dean’s List shall also be posted prominently in the Dean’s Office or in conspicuous areas for easy viewing.
5. The College through the Dean/Program Head may withdraw the Dean’s List award should there be sufficientevidence to do so or the presence of untoward circumstances that warrant the action after due process and uponapproval of the VPAA.
6. Inclusion in the Dean’s List does not confer automatic scholarships or financial grants for the term/semester. The awarding of scholarships or matriculation fee discounts are subject to existing policies and procedures of theinstitution. Students must apply for approval of the matriculation fee discounts or scholarship grants on announceddates during each enrollment period for the semester or term.
1.8.4 Student Loan Assistance Program
Financially challenged students may also apply for the various student loan programs as offered by the University. Students may proceed to the office of the Student Financial Services to determine if they qualify for loan assistance.