Temporary Medical Leaves
Undergraduate students may request a Temporary Medical Leave of up to ten (10) consecutive class days and ordinarily for no more than ten (10) total class days per semester (fall and spring).
Temporary medical leaves are appropriate for health-related situations in which a student needs to take time away from classes to manage a short-term need such as injury rehabilitation, symptoms improved by rest under the supervision of a healthcare provider, acute and severe illness, health emergencies, or for planned procedures associated with relatively short recovery times. Temporary medical leaves may be used when a student is advised by healthcare providers to alter or adapt their participation or attendance in classes (e.g. intermittent attendance or reduced class participation). Temporary medical leaves can be approved for up to ten (10) consecutive class days, beginning with the first day of missed class related to the health need.
Temporary medical leaves do not prohibit a student from attending classes or completing work, and students are responsible for making a plan with faculty to complete all required work that was missed during a leave. In situations where there are significant health and safety concerns, a student may not be approved to reside on campus during a temporary medical leave which may limit their ability to participate in classroom activities.
Temporary medical leaves are not appropriate in situations where on-going, intensive levels of care are indicated including inpatient, intensive outpatient, or residential settings, nor are they appropriate to manage common illnesses like colds, influenza, etc. unless symptoms are exceptionally severe and persistent. Temporary medical leaves are also not appropriate for situations where health needs are undefined, a plan is not communicated, or where there are no planned connections with campus or community-based healthcare professionals. They cannot be used to take care of others who have health needs on campus or at home, for bereavement, or for a period of general rest.
A temporary leave beyond ten (10) days will only be granted in extraordinary circumstances at the discretion of the Center for Health and Wellness, ordinarily in consultation with the Dean of Students or their designee.
Temporary medical leaves do not change a student’s enrollment status at the College. They are extended, excused absences for the purpose of tending to a new or existing health situation.
For international exchange students with J visas, there are potential implications in taking a temporary medical leave. In addition to continuing with the process as mentioned below, it is recommended that you contact ISSS at (802) 443-5858 or isss@middlebury.edu to discuss your particular situation in regard to taking a temporary medical leave.
Request a Temporary Medical Leave
To request a temporary medical leave of absence, students can:
- Complete the Temporary Medical Leave Request Form in their student health portal under the Forms tab on the homepage. The form collects information about the health need(s), the kinds of treatment and/or assistance a student is seeking during their leave, whether they are requesting to be on campus, and when they plan to begin and end their leave. Once complete, the form will be reviewed by a staff member who will reach out to schedule a time to meet to discuss needs and goals or,
- Email (chw@middlebury.edu) to request a meeting or call to share your needs and goals and complete the form together or.
- Students who already have a relationship with a nurse practitioner, athletic trainer, or counselor are welcome to make their request by alerting their provider(s).
Approval Process
In order to ensure that students have appropriate support before, during, and after Temporary Medical Leaves, the Center for Health and wellness must approve students to take them and return to campus at the conclusion.
Center for Health and Wellness staff will perform an individualized assessment to ensure that the temporary medical leave length will meet the student’s health and/or recovery goals. Students should expect to receive an email when their temporary medical leave is approved that includes the anticipated start date, end date, location, an outline of the Medical Return Process (including deadlines), and resources available during their leave. We include the Center for Student Success, Dean of Students, and Residential Life on this notice so they know to communicate with your faculty about your excused absences and whether you will be on campus. Leave approval emails do not include details about your personal health or the reason for the leave.
In situations where a longer leave may be indicated and a temporary medical leave is not approved, Center for Health and Wellness staff will review those options with the student, make recommendations, and refer the student to the Center for Student Success to begin longer term leave planning.
Winter Term
Note that during Winter Term, due to the condensed nature of the 4-week classes, temporary medical leaves are limited to two to three class days (2-3) and require careful planning and communication between students and faculty. Students who need to miss more than a couple days of classes (equivalent to two weeks in a typical term) should consider opting out of Winter Term via the Center for Student Success.
Summer Program and Language School Leaves
Students enrolled in summer programs including Language Schools and the Bread Loaf School of English are not eligible for Temporary Medical Leaves and should contact program staff with absence-related requests or needs.
Return Process
For Temporary Medical Leaves, the Temporary Medical Leave Medical Return Form (or other access to records requested by the Center for Health and Wellness) must be completed by all treating healthcare providers and returned to the Center for Health and Wellness on day seven (7) of the ten (10) day leave or on a date determined to be appropriate for a student’s specific situation that is listed in their approval email. In some cases, students may be able to work with Center for Health and Wellness staff to grant them access to their off-campus electronic health records in advance or make an individualized plan for assessing their readiness to return in lieu, or in addition, to the Medical Return Form.
Students who meet with Center for Health and Wellness staff in advance of their Temporary Medical Leave 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. In some cases, this partnership and early communication can replace the need for completing forms. We find that when the Medical Return Process is collaborative, we are able to maximize students’ options to demonstrate readiness to return and minimize administrative burdens on students and their healthcare providers.
Students who are concerned about their ability to have required form(s) completed must contact the Center for Health and Wellness at chw@middlebury.edu before or at the start of their Temporary Medical Leave to begin exploring alternative or supplemental options. Satisfactory and timely responses to any follow-up requests for 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.
Students who are not approved to return from temporary medical leaves due to unresolved health and/or safety concerns will be referred to the Dean of Students with a recommendation to take a leave of absence for the remainder of the current semester. Taking a leave of absence does affect student status, and Center for Health and Wellness staff may need to communicate with students’ emergency contacts.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can temporary medical leaves be approved retroactively?
Approved temporary medical leaves begin on the first day of missed classes for a health issue which means that sometimes they are dated retroactively. For example, if a student missed class on a Thursday due to an emergency and was not able to communicate with the Center for Health and Wellness until the next day, their temporary medical leave if approved would begin on Thursday, not the day it was reviewed and approved. Ordinarily, temporary medical leaves are not approved retroactively more than a few days - a week in the past.
Do I need to request approval for a temporary medical leave in advance?
Yes, in most cases temporary medical leaves must be requested in advance so that Center for Health and Wellness Staff can review the circumstances, co-create care plans with students, and ensure that there’s a plan for continuity of care when they return. In rare circumstances, typically when there’s an emergency or a student is unable to communicate due to a severe health situation, temporary medical leaves are approved in real-time or retroactively.
Can temporary medical leaves excuse occasional absences from classes?
Temporary medical leaves are meant to excuse class absences, or allow for reduced or altered participation, for up to ten (10) consecutive class days. They cannot be used intermittently (e.g. three Mondays) or only on the days that a student has classes schedled (e.g. Mondays and Wednesdays for five weeks totalling ten intermittent class days). Students who have diagnoses that affect their on-going class attendance or participation should contact the Disability Resource Center to explore whether there are reasonable accommodations that could be appropriate for their situation.
I really need a break from classes and campus. Can I request a temporary medical leave to go home to see my family, friends, and loved ones?
Taking breaks is important, as is maintaining relationships with those we care about and who care for us. Center for Health and Wellness staff would be happy to see any student who wants to talk about balancing their relationships, rest, and academic life at Middlebury however we cannot approve temporary medical leaves for rest, travel, or time to see family and friends without clearly established healthcare goals and treatment plans.
During a temporary medical leave, am I excused from classwork, reading, and assignments?
Temporary medical leaves allow students to be excused from class and/or able to reduce or modify their participation at the discretion of their faculty members. However, students are responsible for completing all missed work during their temporary medical leave. The most successful temporary medical leaves include communication between students, their faculty, staff in the Center for Student Success, and staff in Learning Resources from CTLR to make realistic plans for completing missed work and returning to class. Faculty are students’ best resources to determine where, how, and when to focus efforts on remaining work in classes. Approved temporary medical leaves do not guarantee that a student will receive a satisfactory or passing grade in any of their classes for the semester.
Do I need to leave campus for my temporary medical leave?
Students successfully complete temporary medical leaves on campus and off campus, depending on their individual situations. The Center for Health and Wellness completes an individualized review of every termporary medical leave request in order to co-create a tailored care plan (for those that are apprroved). Some students may be approved to take their leave on campus (in full or in part) while others are approved and recommended to take their leaves (in full or in part) off campus with support from family, friends, and community healthcare providers. In some cases, students plan to spend all or part of their temporary medical leave in a hospital setting (i.e. related to surgery, short-term intensive care, etc.).