Medical Leave for Undergraduate Students[1]

Medical Leave is available for undergraduate students who, due to a documented serious physical or psychological condition, need to leave Eastern Mennonite University during the semester without completing their coursework. Students may take medical leave from the University for no longer than two consecutive semesters. Students on medical leave are not regarded as having permanently withdrawn from the University and need not apply for readmission through the Admissions Office. However, students must be approved for fitness to return to campus through the process described below.

A student may request a more limited medically excused status if he or she is medically unable to complete the final forty percent of a semester but intends to return to the University at the beginning of the following semester. A request is initiated in the same manner as described for a medical leave. A student approved for medically excused status need not request permission to return to the University for the following semester unless conditions for returning were stipulated by the University at the time of departure.

Initiation of Request for Medical Leave

A student requesting medical leave must make the request in writing to the vice president for student life[2]. The request may be for either one or two semesters. The vice president for student life will notify the Registrar of the request and will direct the student to provide appropriate documentation from a physician, licensed care provider or other qualified caregiver under licensed supervision.

Determination of Request

A decision approving or disapproving the medical leave request will be made by the vice president for student life in consultation with a Medical Leave Committee including but not limited to the directors of health services and/or counseling services. If there is a pending academic or disciplinary proceeding that could result in a suspension from the University, medical leave requests will not be considered until the proceedings have concluded. A student under disciplinary suspension from the University is ineligible for medical leave.

As part of receiving medical leave, if indicated, the student may be asked to sign a behavioral agreement regarding ongoing treatment during the time he or she is on medical leave. Failure to comply with this treatment may result in a termination of the medical leave status and administrative withdrawal from the University.

When a student has been approved for medical leave, the vice president for student life will provide a copy of the decision to the registrar, undergraduate academic dean, assistant academic dean and coordinator of student success, director of health services, and the director of counseling services. The Registrar will notify appropriate offices on campus of the student’s status and send a copy of the decision to the student for his or her records. Copies of the decision will be maintained in the student’s academic and student life files. Any documentation received from a student’s medical records will be maintained by the director of health services and relevant psychological records by the director of counseling services.

Deadline for application for Medical Leave Status

A request for medical leave for the current semester must be made prior to the last week of class in the fall or spring semester, or prior to the last day of class in summer term.

Effective Date of Medical Leave Status

A student whose request for medical leave is approved during the first sixty percent of the semester will be deemed to have medical leave status as of the date on which his or her request was made to the vice president for student life or, if hospitalized and unable to return to campus to make an application, from the initial date of hospitalization. The student will remain on medical leave status for the balance of that semester and may request an extension for the next semester by filing a request as described below.

A student whose request for medical leave is approved during the final forty percent of the semester will be deemed to be a medically excused continuing student for the balance of that semester, but will have medical leave status as of the first day of the following semester if unable to return.

The student may request an extension of medical leave for one additional semester by filing a request as described below.

Extension of Medical Leave Status

A student on medical leave status may request a one semester extension by providing new documentation to the vice president for student life by August 1 for the upcoming fall semester or December 1 for the upcoming spring semester. A decision approving or disapproving the request will be made by the vice president for student life in consultation with the Medical Leave Committee (see b.). The vice president for student life will provide a copy of the decision to the registrar, undergraduate academic dean, assistant academic dean and coordinator of student success, director of health services, and the director of counseling services. The Registrar will notify appropriate offices on campus of the student’s status and send a copy of the decision to the student for his or her records.

Medical leave status may continue no longer than two consecutive semesters. After this time, a student who does not return to the University will be deemed officially withdrawn. This means that a student who wishes to return must re-apply through the Admissions Office.

Grades and Completion of Academic Work

A student whose request for medical leave is approved during the first sixty percent of the semester will be given a grade of “W” (Withdrawal) in each course for which he/she is registered. No “I” (Incomplete) grades will be given. No credit will be earned for any course and a prorated refund of charges will be made as described below.

A student whose request for medical leave is approved during the final forty percent of the semester may be deemed medically excused and may be given a grade of “I” for one or more courses with the approval of the faculty member(s). When a grade of “I” is not deemed feasible, a grade of “W” will be given. No refund of charges will be made for courses in which a grade of “I” is given. To receive academic credit for a course, incomplete work must be completed by the final day of the semester following that during which medical leave was approved. It is the responsibility of the student to contact individual instructors to arrange for the timely completion of course work. If the student does not complete work in a course within this time, the grade of “I” for that course will be changed to a “W.”

Required Medical Leave Under Extreme Circumstances

Under extreme circumstances, a student experiencing physical, emotional, or psychological illness to the extent that he or she is deemed by the Threat Assessment Team (See TAT description in the Crisis Management Preparedness Team documents) to be a danger to him/herself or others may be required to withdraw from the University and may be given medical leave status.

Determination of Fitness for Return to Campus

The granting of medical leave by the University does not guarantee that the student will be allowed to return. A student requesting to return from medical leave will be asked to sign a release authorizing the vice president for student life  to communicate with the physician, licensed care provider , or other caregiver under licensed supervision, as well as with other persons at the University involved in determining the student’s fitness to return.

The student must provide documentation from his or her physician, licensed care provider, or other caregiver under licensed supervision concerning current medical status by August 1 to be considered for approval to return for the fall semester, or by December 1 to be considered for approval to return for the spring semester. The student also may be required to have an interview with the director of counseling, director of health, and/or the director of disability services or other university personnel with relevant training to assist in ascertaining fitness to return. The University reserves the right to require the student, in order to return to and remain in classes, to be cooperating with ongoing medical and/or psychological treatment as well as other necessary stipulations. All information will be reviewed and a decision regarding fitness to return will be made by the vice president for student life in consultation with the Medical Leave Committee. If approved, the vice president for student life will notify the Registrar who will then notify the student and appropriate offices on campus that approval is given.

Registration and Housing for Returning Students

A student on medical leave will retain all accrued seniority for housing and registration purposes and may register conditionally for courses if he or she intends to return for the following semester. Any money paid to the University as deposits against tuition or charges anticipated for the following semester will be refunded in full if the student is not approved to return. Documentation for determination of fitness to return must be received by the deadlines listed above and approval to return granted in order for registration to be considered final. Seniority for housing preferences cannot be guaranteed for students who do not meet these requirements.

Financial Aid Implications

It is the responsibility of the student to contact the Financial Aid Office individually to discuss the implications of medical leave for his or her financial aid.

Refunds of Tuition and Fees

Refunds for students who are granted medical leave are determined by the EMU Business Office policy for partial refunds. No refunds will be given for students who are granted medical leave after the final day for refunds.

Responsible Party and Policy Review

Vice President for Student Life will bring this policy for review as needed

Distribution

Distributed via the Student Handbook and the Faculty/Staff Handbook

Approved by Academic Cabinet, April 8, 2009

[1] Adapted from materials in  Meeting the Mental Health Challenge (Vol. II): Practice Implementation Toolkit of the Student Affairs Leadership Council (2008) and the Medical Leave policy at Messiah College

[2] Throughout this document, the vice president for student life and other persons referenced by title refer to the person with that title or his/her designee.