Miami University

Medical Withdrawal

A student may request a medical withdrawal from the university if, during the course of a semester, she/he suffers from a diagnosable emotional or psychological condition that significantly interferes with her/his ability to complete the academic responsibilities. Withdrawal from one or more classes, but not all classes, must be done through consultation with each specific faculty member.

Below is a summary of qualifying criteria, guidelines, and procedures that are used in assessing all requests for a Faculty Notification or a Medical Withdrawal on the basis of a psychological condition. A full description, including guidelines for retroactive medical withdrawal, can be found on pages 52-55 of the Miami Student Handbook.

General Information:

A medical withdrawal, if granted, erases the student's entire academic record for the semester in question. Essentially, a medical withdrawal acknowledges that the student's condition prevented her/him from completing current semester academic responsibilities. The severity and duration of the problem must be such that it should be unreasonable to expect the student to make up for the missed class work. All work for which the student is registered at the time of withdrawal is erased, whether passing or failing. The student's transcript for that semester will indicate "withdrawn for medical reasons." The specific nature is not indicated in order to protect student's confidentiality. Thus, the student's status with the University will be as though the student had never enrolled for that semester. However, there will be a hold placed on future registration until the student provides documentation that their condition has improved.

How do I request a Medical Withdrawal?

1. Requests for withdrawal must be submitted in writing.

2. Forms for a withdrawal request can be obtained through the Student Counseling Service or by clicking here. Alternatively, you can send a letter to the Director of the Student Counseling Service.  In the letter, you must provide the following information:

  • A description of the condition that led/resulted in the inability to complete courses
  • The last date that the student attended class
  • Social Security or Banner ID number
  • Current date, address, and contact information
  • Student's signature

3. Also you must submit a letter of support to the Director of the Student Counseling Service from a licensed mental health professional. This letter should document the professional's assessment of the student and clearly indicate support for the student's claim that her/his psychological condition prevents her/him from completing her/his academic responsibilities.

4. The Director of the Student Counseling Service will make a decision regarding a medical withdrawal once the appropriate documentation/information has been provided.

5. If the request is approved, the Director will request that the Student Health Service notify the Registrar's Office. When this happens, expect the following to occur:

  1. The student's transcript for the semester will indicate "withdrawn for medical reasons."
  2. All courses which had been registered for during the semester will be erased as will any grades for the course work.
  3. The student's status, including GPA, will be identical to that at the beginning of the semester in question, as though the student had never enrolled for the semester.
  4. A medical hold on future enrollment will be instituted (see Re-enrollment Process below). If the request for medical withdrawal is denied, then the Director will notify the student in writing.

How do I re-enroll after I am granted a Medical Withdrawal?

The hold on enrollment, following the granting of a medical withdrawal, remains until a letter is received by the Director of the Student Counseling Service. The letter should be from a licensed mental health professional. The letter should document the student's progress in treatment and clearly support the student's resumption of academic responsibilities. Upon receipt of this documentation, the Director will make a decision regarding re-enrollment and notify the student in writing of that decision.

What if I am not satisfied with the decisions made by the Director?

If the student is not satisfied with the Director of Student Counseling Service's decision regarding a request for withdrawal, or re-enrollment, she/he may appeal the decision to the Administrative Director for Health Services.

 

Last Updated: 05/24/2011
Contact: Tonia Farthing, Administrative Assistant
(513) 529-4634