Leave of Absence and Withdrawal Procedures

A student may find it necessary to take a leave of absence for conditions such as an extended illness, unexpected emergency surgery, mental health crisis, or injury. Students should contact Health Services or Counseling Services as soon as possible to request a leave. Students on leave may be required to have their outside health care provider fill out “Return from Approved Absence, Leave of Absence or Withdrawal Form”. The form and guidelines for its completion are also available on the Health Service website.

Leave of Absence

Students may take a temporary leave of absence from the College during the semester when medical or personal emergency circumstances require that they be away from campus for more than five days.

Medical Leave of Absence

A medical leave of absence is typically granted when a student needs to be off campus for more than five consecutive days in order to deal with a significant medical condition. The student must consult with Health Services or Counseling Services about the problem that necessitates the leave. Health or Counseling Services (H&C) will recommend whether a student qualifies for a medical leave.

If approved, Health and Counseling will advise the student, the Provost’s Office and the Office of Student Affairs about the student’s leave and will advise all parties about the requirements for the student’s return to campus.

The Provost's Office maintains the approved leave documentation and communicates its details to Student Affairs, the student's faculty members, and the student’s advisor(s). A student on a medical leave of absence may not return to classes, reside on campus, participate in student social life or other campus activities, or use Washington College facilities, until Health or Counseling Services has approved their return.

The student is still expected to contact their professors as soon as possible to discuss making up missed work aligned with professors' course policies as articulated in their syllabi. When discussing missing work and deadlines, faculty members should make a good-faith effort to allow students to reasonably make up work whenever possible or complete alternative assignments.

Illnesses or other health problems that require less than five consecutive days off campus do not qualify as a medical leave of absence and in those cases, the student is expected to notify their faculty members if they will be missing class to discuss making up missed work.

Other Leaves of Absence

A student who requires a leave for other reasons (i.e., personal emergency circumstances or bereavement) the student must contact the Provost’s Office to discuss the leave request. If approved, the Provost’s Office will advise the student and the Office of Student Affairs about the student’s leave and will advise all parties about when the student is expected to return to campus. The Provost's Office maintains the approved leave documentation and communicates its details to Student Affairs, the student's faculty members, and the student’s advisor(s).

The student is still expected to contact their professors as soon as possible to discuss making up missed work aligned with professors' course policies as articulated in their syllabi. When discussing missing work and deadlines, faculty members should make a good-faith effort to allow students to reasonably make up work whenever possible or complete alternative assignments.

Title IX Remedy

If a student must be absent from class as a result of a remedy connected to an involvement in a Title IX case, this will be confirmed by the Title IX Coordinator and communicated to the Provost’s Office, which will notify faculty about the student’s absence.