Voluntary Medical Leave
The following policy establishes the procedures under which a voluntary medical leave may occur, as well as the process for return from leave.
1. Initiation of Request. A student requesting medical leave must make the request in writing to the Director of Health Services. The request may be for either one or two semesters. TThe student may be required to provide appropriate documentation from a physician, therapist, or other qualified caregiver. The Request for Medical Leave, and all other medical leave documents can be found at: https://www.messiah.edu/info/20898/educators/1432/medical_leave
2. Determination of request. A decision approving or disapproving the medical leave request will be made by the Director of Health Services. If there is a pending academic or disciplinary preceding that could result in a suspension from the University, medical leave requests will not be considered until the proceeding has concluded. A student under suspension from the University is ineligible for medical leave.
As part of receiving medical leave for mental health reasons, 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 would result in a termination of the medical leave and mandatory withdrawal from school.
When a student has been approved for medical leave, the Director will provide a copy of the decision to the Registrar. 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. Original documentation from the student’s medical records will be maintained by the Director of Health Services.
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.
3. 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 Director of Health Services. 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.
During the final 40 percent of the semester, a student may request medical leave incompletes in one or more courses. Approval for medical leave incompletes is arranged by the Registrar’s Office and the professor.
4. Extension of medical leave status. A student on medical leave status may request a one-semester extension by providing new documentation to the Director of Health Services by August 1 for the fall semester or December 1 for the spring semester. A decision approving or disapproving the request will be made by the Director of Health Services. The Director will provide a copy of the decision to the Registrar, who will notify appropriate offices on campus. 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. Students who are approved for more than one medical leave during their time at Messiah University may be subject to different degree requirements than when they originally entered the University. Different degree requirements may extend the amount of time it takes for a student to complete his/her degree. Students returning from a second medical leave are encouraged to consult with the Registrar’s Office about their degree requirements.
5. Grades and completion of medical leave 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 or 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 determined by Student Financial Services. During the final 40 percent of the semester, a student may request medical leave incompletes in one or more courses. Approval for medical leave incompletes is arranged by the Registrar’s Office and professor. 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.”
6. Determination of fitness to return to campus. A student requesting to return from medical leave will be asked to sign a release allowing the Director of Health Services to communicate with the physician, therapist, or other caregiver, as well as with other persons at Messiah University involved in determining the student’s fitness to return. The student must provide documentation from his or her physician, therapist, or other caregiver 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 Health Services and/or the Director of Student Success. The University reserves the right to require the student, in order to return to and remain in classes, to be in ongoing treatment as well as other necessary stipulations. All information will be reviewed and a decision regarding fitness to return will be made by the Director of Health Services, who will notify the Registrar. The granting of medical leave by the University does not guarantee that the student will be allowed to return.