Leaves of Absence

There is no approval process to initiate a Leave of Absence. In situations where there is a health concern related to the leave, students will be referred to the Center for Health and Wellness to meet before they depart campus or shortly thereafter to learn more about their health situation, goals and needs for their leave, and the Medical Return Process. 

Leaves of absences do change a student’s enrollment status. To re-enroll, they must complete a petition to return by the deadlines stated in the Handbook and complete the Medical Return Process.  

Medical Return Process

When students indicate that a health concern precipitated their leave, the College requires an individualized review of materials that assess their readiness to return. Specialized staff in Middlebury’s Center for Health and Wellness are available to work with students before, during, and after a leave of absence with this condition for return to prepare, submit, and review their petition materials. 

Health-related documentation is treated as confidential. Center for Health and Wellness staff are authorized to summarize a student’s readiness to return in order to make a recommendation to the Dean of Students who oversees the petition process.  

Recommendations for re-admission will be based on an individualized assessment of each student including consideration of current medical knowledge and/or the best available objective evidence. Careful consideration will be given to the opinions and recommendations of the student’s treating healthcare professional(s). Completed, open, two-way releases of information are requested for all treating healthcare providers as part of the medical return process. The absence of completed releases will limit the Center for Health and Wellness’s ability to appropriately review materials and make recommendations related to a return to the Dean of Students. Students experiencing trouble identifying a provider to complete the required forms or who are experiencing communication challenges with providers should contact the Center for Health and Wellness at CHW@middlebury.edu  no later than four weeks before the medical return process deadline, to request assistance and to explore alternative or supplemental options.

For full Leaves of Absences, we strongly recommend that students plan to meet with staff at the Center for Health and Wellness at the time of declaring their leave as well as while on leave, at least four weeks before their petition deadline. This communication will help establish an individualized plan for a student to navigate the Medical Return Process. Students who meet with Center for Health and Wellness staff in advance of submitting their petition materials can partner with a campus clinician to try to expedite releases of information, initiate direct contact from the Center to students’ external providers, and grant access to external records through national health record databases. We find that when the Medical Return Process is collaborative, we are able to maximize students’ options to demonstrate readiness to return. To speak to a staff member at the Center for Health and Wellness to initiate the Medical Return Process, please email chw@middlebury.edu.

Students who choose not to meet with the Center for Health and Wellness in advance of their petition deadline (listed in their leave letter) will be expected to have Leave of Absence Medical Return Forms submitted by their petition date from all healthcare providers who have treated them. Instructions for completing the form are included on the form itself. In these situations the Center will not be able to explore alternative or supplemental options for students in the Medical Return Process outside of the Medical Return Form.  

Satisfactory and timely responses to any follow-up requests or information from students and/or outside providers from Center for Health and Wellness staff must also be received as part of the medical return process. 

Deadlines

Re-admission

The Center for Health and Wellness makes recommendations for re-admission to the Dean of Students based on an individualized assessment of each student including consideration of current medical knowledge and/or the best available objective evidence. Careful consideration will be given to the opinions and recommendations of the student’s treating healthcare professional(s), in addition to students’ participation in the Medical Return Process. Enrollment status decisions are issued from the Dean of Students directly to students.