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Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵÍø is committed to supporting students through exceptional circumstances, including by facilitating a voluntary medical leave of absence (LOA) for eligible students facing serious medical conditions. Students on approved LOA are protected from academic penalties due to their leave of absence, and may return to their program of study, including limited access programs, upon completion of the reinstatement process.

Eligibility

To be eligible for an LOA, a student must have successfully completed at least one semester at CWI and have a documented Serious Medical Condition which was not reasonably foreseeable prior to the start of the semester during which the LOA was requested.

Request Process

In order to request an LOA, a student must complete the Medical Leave of Absence Request Form and attach sufficient medical documentation, including a recommendation from a licensed medical provider that a Medical LOA may benefit a student.

In addition to medical documentation, students must certify via the application that they have consulted with Financial Aid to determine any financial implications of a medical withdrawal. Students must also certify that they have spoken with an academic advisor to review the impact of an LOA on their academic progress and have developed a revised academic plan. Other meetings and/or consultations may be required based on individual student circumstances (e.g. students using Veteran’s Educational Benefits may be required to meet with a School Certifying Official in order to review any financial implications and/or discuss possible additional support options.)

Students may request an LOA of up to one calendar year from the date that the LOA Request is approved.

Approvals & Denials

All LOA requests will be reviewed by the Dean of Students to determine if the student is eligible for a leave of absence, has completed all required steps, and has provided sufficient medical documentation to support a leave of absence. This review does not make medical judgments or determinations of severity, it only determines if the medical documentation provided shows that the student is experiencing a Serious Medical Condition, and that a leave of absence is recommended by a medical provider.

A determination will be made within 10 business days and communicated to the student via their CWI-issued email address.

If an LOA request is approved, the Dean of Students will facilitate a withdrawal from all current courses and cancel registration in any future semesters covered by the LOA. In special circumstances, an LOA may be granted for a future period of time, if supported by documentation, and in those cases, withdrawal will be processed at that time, as appropriate. A grade of W will be placed on a student’s transcript for each course in which they were enrolled.

If an LOA request is denied, the notice letter will provide information on how to file an appeal of the decision. All appeals will be heard by the Associate Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services. An appeal will only be considered if it meets one or more of the following three criteria: 1) new information which was not available at the time of application for an LOA is now available that would significantly impact the outcome, 2) a procedural error was made determining the outcome of an LOA application that, if corrected, has the potential to alter the outcome, and/or 3) the employee determining the outcome of the LOA application had a specific bias or conflict of interest, which can be supported with specific actions, behaviors, or statements, which likely altered the outcome of the hearing. If a student files an appeal and it is denied, there is no further avenue for appeal.

Expectations of Students On LOA

During Leave

While on LOA, students are not required to maintain enrollment with the College and will not be considered enrolled, nor have access to campus facilities and services which are reserved for the use of enrolled students.

An LOA will extend for the period of time noted in the LOA Approval letter. In rare cases where a student provides medical documentation of unforeseen circumstances that necessitate extending an LOA, an extension of not more than 4 months may be granted, using the same review standards as those noted above for initial LOA requests.

Returning from Leave

Students must submit a request to return from LOA prior to the expiration of the LOA and at least 30 days prior to the start of the academic term the student is returning into. The purpose of the request to return is to ensure that the student is prepared to return to the college and the program they were enrolled in prior to the LOA and is connected to the proper campus resources to support their continued academic success.

For the purposes of returning from an LOA, an academic term may be the start of the Fall, Spring or Summer term, as well as the start of a shortened academic term, such as starting 8-week courses that begin mid-semester in the Fall and Spring semesters.  While students may choose to return at the start of an 8-week course or at the start of the summer semester, this is not required. The LOA will be in effect until the start of the next Fall or Spring semester, whichever is sooner, following the receipt of a request to return from an LOA. In programs where there is a multi-semester or multi-year sequence of courses, return from LOA may be delayed until the start of the next semester that corresponds with the semester in which the courses being taught match those in the semester in which a student was granted an LOA. Return from an LOA does not provide an exception to any prerequisite or co-requisite course requirements. Return from an LOA may be delayed for students returning to limited access or waitlisted programs if there is not a space available for the intended semester of return.

Failure to Return

If the student fails to submit a request to return prior to the end of an approved LOA and does not request an extension in writing, the LOA is considered forfeited. The student would need to reapply to the College and/or any limited access programs should they choose to return to the College at a future date.

Limitations & Other Support Options

This process is intended to provide students with a voluntary option to temporarily pause their academic progress to focus on their health. A Medical LOA may not be imposed upon or required of a student. The Medical LOA process does not replace or modify the Involuntary Withdrawal Process.

A medical leave of absence does not alter the College’s obligation to provide reasonable accommodations to students under applicable laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, or Title IX. Prior to applying for a Medical Leave of Absence, students with any type of disability are encouraged to contact Student Disability Services and students experiencing pregnancy or adoption of a child are encouraged to contact the Deputy Title IX coordinator to determine if other options or processes may be more appropriate to assist.

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵÍø is concerned for every student on our campus and for our entire campus community. In an effort to more effectively serve our students and our community, a number of procedures have been put in place to help reach students who may be in need of support but who are unwilling or unable to take advantage of these services. 

A. What is a Mandated Assessment?

A mandated assessment is an opportunity for the College to determine if a student is in need of help or support. The assessment involves an individual meeting with a designated staff member. Following this initial meeting, additional services may be deemed necessary by the designated staff member. These services could include, but are not limited to, referral to Crisis Management for additional evaluation, or referral to an outside agent for additional assessment. 

B. How Does a Student get referred for a Mandated Assessment?

Any College employee or student may recommend a student for possible mandated evaluation. Reports also may come from parents/family or others concerned about a student. Once the College determines that a mandated assessment is necessary, the process is set into motion. 

C. Who Makes the Decision that a Student be provided a Mandated Assessment?

The decision is made by a team of college officials after careful consideration of the information given and determining the best course of action. 

D. What Behaviors Typically Lead to a Mandated Assessment?

Behaviors that may lead to a mandated assessment include, but are not limited to:

• Threat to others
• Concern that the student may not be fit to function in or remain in the academic community.

E. Is the assessment confidential?

Yes, the session with the counselor is confidential. However, the student will be required to sign a release of information so that the counselor can communicate with College personnel to help make recommendations for further action. No one else will have access to any information without written permission from the student being assessed. While the initial referral to assessment is part of the student’s file kept with the Dean of Students, any counseling notes are confidential and not part of the student’s file. 

F. What happens once the student is referred for assessment?

Once the team has determined that a mandated assessment is needed, the student will be contacted by a representative regarding an appointment with the staff member. This will take place as soon as possible. 

G. Can the assessment be done by someone other than the Counseling Services staff?

Yes, a student may choose to have a similar assessment completed by a licensed mental health professional with credentials comparable to those of the Counseling Services staff. The student will be responsible for the cost of this assessment and must sign a release allowing the College to communicate with the professional conducting the assessment. 

H. What happens following the assessment?

The results of the assessment are provided to the Dean of Students, who will make the decision as to what actions are necessary for the student’s well-being and the College community. Possible outcomes following the assessment could include, but are not limited to, no further action required (student continues enrollment at the College), referral to the Counseling Services staff for additional evaluation, referral to outside agency for additional assessment, possible judicial intervention, or the invocation of the Involuntary Withdrawal Policy. 

I. Does the student have the right to appeal the decision?

Yes, a student may appeal the final decision to the Dean of Students. The appeal will follow the same guidelines outlined in the Involuntary Withdrawal Policy. 

J. What if the student refuses to comply with the mandated assessment?

If a student refuses to participate in the mandated assessment, the College may begin the process of invoking the Involuntary Withdrawal Policy. 

A mandated assessment will only be one part of the overall picture of the student and will not be the sole determining factor for action taken regarding the student. 

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵÍø is committed to the well-being and safety of all its community members. Therefore, a student may be involuntarily withdrawn from the College if it is determined that the student presents a danger to self or others. Decisions for involuntary withdrawal will be made by the Dean of Students.  A decision for involuntary withdrawal will only be made after less drastic measures have been considered and rejected as inappropriate or insufficient under the circumstances. Prior to any involuntary withdrawal, a student will be encouraged to withdraw voluntarily. 

This policy does not take the place of disciplinary action for a student’s violations of College policy. This policy is to be invoked only in extraordinary circumstances where it is determined that other policies are inadequate or inappropriate. 

The standard for involuntary withdrawal is clear and convincing evidence that the student represents a danger to self or others. Examples of such circumstances include, but are not limited to, students threatening other individuals with severe bodily harm, students who are not able to care for their own basic needs to the extent that their lack of self-care represents a threat to the health of the campus community, and/or students exhibiting extremely bizarre or destructive behavior. This policy may not be used to involuntarily withdraw a student simply because they exhibit eccentric or unusual behavior. 

Prior to involuntarily withdrawing a student, the College may require that the student undergo a mandatory assessment. The evaluation will not be required if such an assessment will not be helpful in arriving at a decision. 

A student who is being considered for involuntary withdrawal shall be notified in writing by the Dean of Students or designee. If the student would like to request a meeting with the Dean of Students, they must request a meeting in writing within 48 hours of the initial notification. If a student requests a meeting, it will be conducted as soon as possible, but no later than five business days after the request is made, unless both the student and the Dean of Students agree that a further postponement is necessary. While the meeting is pending, the College may, for safety reasons, prohibit the student from being on campus or limit other student privileges or access to College facilities or resources.  

The meeting generally shall be conducted in accordance with the administration hearing process set forth in Section 3.11 above.  Thus, the meeting will be informal and formal rules of process and procedure and rules of evidence will not be used. The student may bring a parent, an advisor, or a mental health professional to the meeting. The student will be allowed to present any evidence that they believes demonstrates that involuntary withdrawal is not necessary; however, the Dean of Students may decline to hear evidence that is irrelevant or redundant. If a student fails to appear at a scheduled meeting, the Dean may reschedule at his or her discretion. 

If the College decides that involuntary withdrawal of a student is necessary, the student may appeal in writing to the Assistant Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services. Such an appeal must be filed within three business days of the notification that the student is being involuntarily withdrawn. Within three business days of the receipt by the Assistant Vice President of a notice of appeal from a student, both the Dean of Students and the student will submit written reports to the Assistant Vice President for their review. The Assistant Vice President will make a decision as soon as possible, but no later than one week after the receipt of the written reports from the Dean of Students and the student. The decision of the Assistant Vice President will be final. 

If a decision is made by the College to involuntarily withdraw a student, the Dean of Students shall immediately prepare a list of offices to be notified of the decision. The list shall include the offices of the Executive Vice President of Instruction and Student Services, the Registrar, the Dean of the School or College in which the student is enrolled, and Campus Security. Other offices may need to be notified as well, such as Financial Aid. Furthermore, the College may notify any person or office, both on campus or off campus, of its decision if the College determines such notification is necessary to protect the health and/or safety of either the student or third parties. 

Students who are involuntarily withdrawn from the College will be allowed to petition to the Dean of Students for readmission during a subsequent term. Students who have been involuntarily withdrawn will be required to present clear and convincing evidence that they no longer pose a danger to self or others. The College may impose reasonable conditions upon students readmitted after being involuntarily withdrawn. Failure to comply with conditions may result in the student being withdrawn from the College immediately. 

Students denied readmission may follow the appeal process outlined above.