Medical Leave of Absence (MLOA)

It is Earlham’s intention to support students in a successful return to the Earlham community when physical or mental health has necessitated a leave of absence.  Students must be well enough to carry out substantial self-care obligations and participate meaningfully in their educational activities.

To this end, Earlham expects the time away to be sufficient to allow the student to address the issues that necessitate a medical leave of absence (MLOA), whether voluntary or involuntary. For voluntary MLOAs, Earlham strongly recommends that students take at least one full semester away from Earlham to enhance the likelihood of success upon return.

Voluntary medical leaves:

• A student requesting an MLOA must consult with the Dean of Students or their designee to review the expectations associated with a leave of absence. The student will be encouraged to review the impacts of a leave with the Financial Aid Office before deciding to voluntarily take an MLOA.

• The Dean of Students or their designee will provide written notice to the student approving the requested medical leave. The written notice shall include both a time frame when the student could be eligible to return and the conditions the student would need to satisfy to be eligible for return. The Dean will also inform the Registrar’s Office of their approval of an MLOA, providing the effective date for the MLOA’s start.
• Unless expressly permitted by the Dean of Students or their designee in writing, students on an MLOA are not permitted to be present on campus and are not permitted to engage in any College-related activities. Such activities include, but are not limited to, attending classes, accessing the residential spaces, participation in student organizations, and/or attending athletic contests or other College-sponsored events.  

Involuntary medical leaves:

• The Care Team may recommend to the Dean of Students that a student be placed on an involuntary MLOA following the team’s evaluation process and established protocols for threat assessment and behavior intervention.
• On behalf of the Care Team, the Associate VP for Student Life will provide written notice to the student regarding the decision to impose an involuntary leave. If an MLOA is imposed, the notice shall include both a time frame when the student could be eligible to return and the conditions the student would need to satisfy to be eligible for return.
• The length of any involuntary leave of absence will be determined on a case-by-case basis, as informed by the Care Team’s recommendation.
• An MLOA issued under this policy is an administrative process, not a disciplinary process. It is possible that conduct leading to an involuntary leave may also be subject to review, accountability, and sanctioning under the College’s Student Handbook.
• This process supersedes any request for a standard voluntary leave or withdrawal
• International students on F-1 or J-1 visas are advised that an involuntary MLOA will likely affect their visa status and should consult with their International Student Advisor.

Appeals:

• A student placed on an involuntary MLOA has the right to appeal to the Dean of Students or their designee. The appeal must be in writing, outlining the reason(s) why the student believes the decision is inappropriate.
• The appeal must be received within five days of receiving written notification of the decision to place the student on involuntary leave. The appeal may relate to the leave decision itself and/or the conditions imposed to re-enroll.
• The Dean of Students, in consultation with the Student Life senior leadership team, will review the student’s appeal and uphold, reverse, or modify the decision. The Dean of Students’ decision shall be considered final.
• All reviews under this policy should be done in a reasonably timely manner. When a student has been asked to remain off campus pending the review, every effort will be made by the Dean of Students to reach a decision within three academic days, provided the student responds in a timely manner to requests for information.
• A student may choose to obtain an outside psychiatric/medical evaluation as a part of their appeal process. The cost of this evaluation will be covered by the student. When a student has been asked to remain off campus pending the review, the student must continue to remain off campus while awaiting the evaluation and appeal process.

To request to return from an MLOA, the student must:

• Sign a release of information (ROI) form with Earlham College Health and Counseling Services and their treating care provider, as part of the College’s process of obtaining adequate information to facilitate a decision about the student’s return.
  • If the student resides outside of the local area, the student may call the College’s Health & Counseling Services at 765-983-1328 to complete verbal authorization for an ROI when witnessed by two Health & Counseling team members after verification of personal information.
• The treating healthcare provider must provide documentation that satisfies the conditions the student would need to have completed for return eligibility. If the treating provider is unable to provide this documentation and/or the student has not satisfied the treatment requirements for return, approval for student return may be denied.
  • Healthcare Provider: a professional who is licensed or certified in the area for which the diagnosis is made and the concern is treated, and who is not a family member or other individual with a close personal relationship to the individual being evaluated: Medical Doctor, Doctor of Osteopathy, Physician Assistant, Nurse Practitioner.
    • For Mental Health withdrawals: Licensed Psychologist, Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Documentation from non-independently licensed, pre-licensed, or unlicensed providers will not be accepted.
• The student must write and submit a personal statement. The statement should include: a description of what the student perceives were the reasons for the MLOA, what actions the student took to address and manage their health while away, and what changes, if any, the student plans to implement to safely and effectively meet their degree requirements upon return.

All documentation must be emailed to [email protected]. In order to allow ample time for the review process, the deadlines to submit the documentation are:

• November 15^th for possible return for the spring semester
• July 1^st for possible return for the fall semester

Failure to provide this documentation in a timely manner may result in the Care Team’s inability to process the request in time for re-entry in the desired semester. Consideration of a return request submitted after the deadline listed above will be granted only when the student has clearly articulated extenuating circumstances that prevented an on-time submission, as deemed reasonable by the Care Team. 

The Care team will meet to review the documentation and provide a response to the student within 10 days of receiving all required documentation and information.

• If the student’s request to return is denied, the student may appeal the decision to the Dean of Students or their designee. The appeal must be submitted in writing within 5 business days of the Care Team’s written notice of decision.
• The Dean of Students will respond to the student’s appeal within three business days of receiving the written appeal. The Dean’s decision constitutes the final decision of the College.

The student will receive written notification of any conditions related to their return.

After returning from an MLOA:

• Depending on the student’s individual circumstances, the student may be asked to meet with the Care Team and/or the Director of Counseling Services to develop a supportive return plan. In all cases of Involuntary MLOA, this meeting will be required.
• In all cases, students must meet with a representative of the Care Team at least one time within the first two weeks of their return, for the purpose of assessing their experience thus far and reviewing resources available to them.