Leave of Absence Policy

A voluntary Leave of Absence (LOA) provides undergraduate and master’s students with time away from Wheaton College for treatment of a medical or mental health condition impairing a student’s ability to function successfully in class, complete coursework, and/or safely participate as a member of the

Wheaton College community. Taking a Leave of Absence involves withdrawing from, taking Incompletes in, or a combination of withdrawals and Incompletes for all of a student’s in-progress classes (any completed A-quad courses will remain on a student’s transcript with the grade(s) earned).

The authority to grant an LOA and permission to return from an LOA resides with the office of the Dean of Student Wellness. This policy applies to undergraduate and graduate students with the exception of doctoral students, who should refer to their program handbooks for information about the possibility of program leave.

Wheaton College has designed this policy to ensure that students are given the individualized consideration and support necessary to address their particular circumstances with the goal of helping students safely return to participation in College life and successful completion of their studies. This policy describes the process to request an LOA, important information about a student’s status during an LOA, the process to request reinstatement following an LOA, and requirements upon a student’s reinstatement.

Eligibility for Leave of Absence

A student experiencing medical and/or mental health issues that are interfering with their ability to complete coursework and participate in campus life may request an LOA.

Early Return from Study Abroad or Domestic Travel Programs due to Medical or Mental Health Concerns

I.   LOA Request Process

1. Request

A student experiencing medical and/or mental health issues that are interfering with their ability to complete coursework and participate in campus life may request an LOA.

To request a Leave of Absence, undergraduate students should first contact the Dean of Student Wellness (Dean) in person (SSB 218) or via email student.wellness@wheaton.edu. Graduate students should first contact the Director of Graduate Student Life in person (BGH 228) or via email (graduate.student.life@wheaton.edu)

A student requesting an LOA must read the LOA policy, complete the Leave of Absence Request Form and turn it in to Student Wellness either in person or via email. The date the request form is received by Student Wellness will serve as the Official Withdrawal Date (OWD) if the LOA is approved. Extreme extenuating circumstances, such as hospitalization, may allow the OWD to be backdated.

Student Wellness must receive a recommendation letter via fax (630.752.7226) or email (student.wellness@wheaton.edu) from the student’s medical or mental health treatment provider. This letter should state 1) that, in the provider’s professional judgment, the student is unable to manage the rigors of academic studies and participate in campus life, and 2) the provider’s recommendation for treatment while on LOA. The provider may be one from Wheaton’s Student Health Services or Counseling Center if the provider is currently treating the student. In rare circumstances, the Dean of Student Wellness may waive this requirement and stipulate level of care/treatment parameters for a student to follow during LOA.

Once this recommendation letter is received, the Dean’s office will arrange an appointment for the Dean and student to review the LOA request. The Dean may include the Director of Graduate Student Life when meeting with a graduate student.

The deadline for students to complete and submit a Leave of Absence Request Form is noon on Reading Day of the semester in which they are currently enrolled. Requesting an LOA is not possible during a Christmas or summer break. Students who begin an LOA during the last two weeks of a fall semester will be considered for reinstatement for the following fall semester at the earliest, given that the spring semester reinstatement application deadline is December 1.

2. Coursework

Students requesting an LOA indicate on their request form the classes they’ve completed, the classes from which they’d like to withdraw, and the classes in which they are requesting an Incomplete. Decisions in response to requests for Incompletes are determined based on the student’s interest, faculty input, Student Development staff guidance, and the College requirements for Incompletes and withdrawals as outlined in the Course Catalog. A request for an Incomplete may be denied based on the timing of the request within the semester and the amount of coursework remaining for the student to complete. Students requesting an LOA are required to have completed at least 75% of the coursework in a particular class to be considered eligible to request an incomplete. Students requesting an LOA who have outstanding Incompletes from previous semesters will not be permitted to request new Incompletes as part of their LOA but will, if granted an LOA, be withdrawn from all current courses.

3. Tuition, Room, and Board

All tuition refund requests will be evaluated based on the Registrar’s Calendar, whether an A-quad course was completed prior to the LOA request, and whether Incompletes were requested. Students are strongly encouraged to consult with their Financial Aid Advisor as to how taking an LOA may impact their tuition/financial aid.

A student taking an LOA is required to move out of campus housing by a given date determined by the Dean of Student Wellness in conversation with the student. Students are required to communicate with Residence Life and complete the check out process under Residence Life supervision. This will include returning one’s ID to Residence Life staff or to the Student Development office before leaving campus. Room and board refunds will be based on the student’s last day in campus housing.

4. Determination

After meeting with the student, reviewing the recommendation letter, and considering any other pertinent information, the Dean will share the determination to approve or to deny the LOA request with the student in writing.

II.   Status During LOA

Access to Campus

Students are not permitted to live on campus while on LOA. Access to campus or any Wheaton College affiliated program will not be permitted unless approved by the Dean of Student Wellness for such purposes as meetings and commitments related to their LOA reinstatement request.

Registration

All future course registrations will be canceled when an LOA is approved. While on LOA, students may not register for Wheaton College classes unless the student has been reinstated by the Dean.

Prioritizing Treatment

While on an LOA, students are expected to prioritize their treatment and recovery in order to return to campus life and academics safely and successfully. The College emphasizes that LOA is intended as a time for students to focus fully on their health and well-being, addressing the medical or mental health concerns that necessitated the leave.

It should be noted that students receiving outpatient individual therapy are required to complete a minimum of eight therapy sessions before a provider may submit a recommendation for reinstatement. This minimum is intended to ensure sufficient engagement in treatment; however, it is not a limit, and many students may benefit from and be expected to participate in ongoing therapy beyond eight sessions, depending on clinical recommendations and individual needs.

Students who are prescribed psychiatric medication as part of their treatment plan while on Leave of Absence are expected to follow the recommendations of their licensed treatment provider, including adherence to prescribed medication regimens. Refusal to take prescribed psychiatric medication, without the support and documentation of the prescribing psychiatrist, may be considered non-compliance with the treatment plan and may result in a delay or denial of reinstatement to Wheaton College. The College reserves the right to require additional documentation or assessment to evaluate the student’s readiness to return if medication non-adherence is identified during the reinstatement process.

III.    Reinstatement from LOA Request Process

1. Student and provider(s) submit materials

The student should first inform the Dean of his or her interest in returning well in advance of the desired return date. (See deadlines below.) The student must complete and submit to the Dean a Leave of Absence Reinstatement Request Form. The student and their medical or mental health provider(s) must fill out the Readiness to Return and Continuation Plan form, which the providers must then fax (630.752.7226) or email (student.wellness@wheaton.edu) to Student Wellness; Student Wellness must receive these forms from the providers directly and not from the student. The Dean may request additional information be provided, either as a part of the student’s LOA confirmation email or later.

The College requires that students submit their request for reinstatement and any supporting materials on or before August 1 for consideration for a fall semester return, on or before December 1 for consideration for a spring semester return, and on or before April 1 for consideration for a summer term return. If information is missing and/or the College needs additional time to process the student’s request, the College may apply the request to return to the following semester rather than the semester for which the student initially sought permission to return.

All Incompletes previously granted to a student must be completed for a reinstatement from LOA to be considered. A student’s account must be paid in full for a reinstatement from LOA to be considered.

2. Necessary information and materials are provided for the Dean’s determination

If Student Health Services will serve as the student’s primary care physician for treatment of a medical condition upon returning to campus, the student is required to provide Student Health Services with pertinent medical records for continuity of care. Students returning from LOA will not be permitted to utilize Student Health Services for psychiatric medication management. If the Counseling Center will be providing treatment to the student for a mental health condition upon returning to campus, the student is required to provide the Counseling Center with pertinent records for continuity of care. The student is also required to submit, to the Dean, any and all documentation received following discharge from a residential program, inpatient hospitalization, partial hospitalization, or intensive outpatient program, including the treatment discharge summary. Note: The Readiness to Return and Continuation Plan form includes a release of information (ROI) form to complete, which will allow the Dean and Associate Dean of Student Wellness, Student Health Services, and/or the Counseling Center to discuss concerns with the medical provider(s) about the student’s request for reinstatement. The College will determine on a case-by-case basis if additional medical or mental health information is required to assess a student’s readiness to return following the LOA.

Depending upon the nature and individual circumstances of the LOA, the student may be required to provide a brief statement describing (a) the student’s experience away from the College including the activities undertaken while away, (b) the student’s current understanding of the factors that led to the need for the LOA, and the insights the student has gained from treatment and time away, and (c) how the student plans to ensure a successful return to the College. The decision to require submission of such a statement will be made by the Dean on an individualized basis.

After the Dean reviews the student’s information, the Dean may contact any medical providers that the student has identified. The Dean may contact the student to discuss student readiness to return and progress made while on LOA. During the process of reviewing an application, if the Dean determines that information provided by the student’s treatment providers is incomplete, requires further explanation, or when there is incongruity between the medical information provided by the treatment providers and other information, the Dean will contact the treatment provider(s) to obtain additional information or instruct the student to do so. In rare circumstances, the Dean may request that the student undergo an additional assessment to allow the College to make a determination about the student’s readiness for return. In those rare instances, the Dean will notify the student of the rationale for making this request.

In the event that the student’s LOA was precipitated by an act of self-violence or violence against others, the Dean may confer with the Director of the Counseling Center, the Associate Dean of Student Wellness, the Director of Learning and Accessibility Services, the Director of Graduate Student Life, or the Dean of Residence Life as a means by which to determine eligibility for reinstatement.

3. Dean makes a determination

The Dean’s office will notify the student of the determination in writing, typically within seven business days of receiving all reinstatement request materials. Factors the Dean will typically consider include but are not necessarily limited to:

• The student’s ability to comply with and complete the specific treatment recommended by a mental health or medical professional at the time the LOA request was made;
• Evaluations and recommendations provided by the medical or mental health treatment provider(s), Student Health Services, and/or the Counseling Center, including information on the Readiness to Return and Continuation Plan form;
• The student’s readiness to manage a full-time course load (minimum of 12 credits for undergraduates and 8 credits for graduate students) and demonstrated ability to engage in productive and realistic academic planning;
• The student’s ability to participate safely and independently in the College’s programs and activities;
• The student’s LOA Reinstatement Request Form;
• Any coursework completed or employment during the LOA; and
• Any other factors that the Dean, in his or her discretion, deems relevant under the student’s particular circumstances.

If upon review, the medical or mental health treatment providers, Student Health Services, or the Counseling Center submits a recommendation to the Dean’s office that a student is not ready for return, the Dean of Student Wellness may deem the student ineligible for reinstatement to campus. If this occurs, the student will be advised of this determination along with objective steps that will lead to reinstatement eligibility the next time the student’s request is considered. A student may appeal a determination of ineligibility for reinstatement to the College by submitting an appeal letter to the Vice President for Student Development (student.development@wheaton.edu) within seven calendar days of receiving notice of the negative recommendation. The student must also submit any information he or she believes to be relevant to the appeal. The Vice President for Student Development will review the student’s submission and notify the student in writing of the College’s final determination as to whether the student will be permitted to return as requested.

If the Dean of Student Wellness approves for a student to be reinstated based on the completion of required tasks (e.g., securing an ROI or sharing provider appointment dates with Student Wellness) by a specific deadline before the start of a semester, the Dean of Student Wellness may rescind reinstatement approval if the required tasks are not satisfactorily completed by the imposed deadline. If this occurs, the student will be informed of the rescission, the student’s enrollment will be canceled, and the student will have to reapply for reinstatement for the following semester at the earliest, in compliance with application deadlines for reinstatement listed above. The student will be advised of objective steps that will lead to reinstatement eligibility. A student may appeal a rescission of reinstatement approval by submitting an appeal letter to the Vice President for Student Development (student.development@wheaton.edu) within three calendar days of receiving notice of the decision to rescind LOA reinstatement approval. The student must also submit any information he or she believes to be relevant to the appeal. The Vice President for Student Development will review the student’s submission and notify the student in writing of the College’s final determination.

IV.   Requirements upon Reinstatement

Returning to campus upon reinstatement

Students who are reinstated from an LOA will be required to set up a meeting with the Associate Dean of Student Wellness to create a Care Plan. This Care Plan is a requirement for enrollment, and meeting with the Associate Dean of Student Wellness as often as she/he deems necessary throughout the school year, is an essential requirement of the Care Plan process. Failure to initiate or follow through with the Care Plan as it is written, may result in an Involuntary Leave of Absence for reasons of personal and community safety.

Students who need psychiatric medication management upon returning must receive this service directly from a psychiatrist and not a general practitioner. Failure to establish and maintain psychiatric care from a psychiatrist, if medication is prescribed and/or recommended for treatment of a mental disorder, may result in an Involuntary Leave of Absence for reasons of personal and community safety.

Students with disabilities, including mental health conditions, may be eligible for accommodations and/or special services in accordance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act as amended in 2008. Students requiring ADA accommodations are encouraged to request those through LAS prior to the start or within the first two weeks of the semester. Further information and the link to the accommodations request form are available on the Learning and Accessibility Services website.

Upon reinstatement, the Dean’s office will notify appropriate campus offices of the student’s planned return to campus and classes.