§ 2-105 Policy and Procedures for Medical Withdrawal
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (the university) is committed to supporting the health, safety, and welfare of its students and preserving the integrity of its learning environment. The purpose of a medical withdrawal is to provide students time away from campus for the treatment of a physical or mental health condition that significantly impacts their ability to function safely or successfully as a member of our community. The university has designed this policy to ensure that students are given the individualized attention, consideration, and support needed to address health issues that arise or escalate during their time at the university.
Medical withdrawal is voluntary, and the decision to pursue a medical withdrawal shall be at the sole discretion of the student.
A student is eligible for a medical withdrawal only when the following conditions have been met:
The student has experienced a physical or mental health condition that significantly impacts their ability to function safely and/or successfully as a member of the university community;
The student requires time away from campus for the treatment of said health condition;
The student is seeking a withdrawal from the semester in which they are currently enrolled;
The student initiates the request on or before the last day of classes for the term and has not taken any final exams; and
The student has documentation from a treating healthcare provider attesting to and in support of the medical withdrawal.
Procedures for Medical Withdrawal
To request a medical withdrawal, the student must submit a petition online at https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/8436933. As part of the petition, the student must:
Submit a statement that addresses:
Why they are requesting a medical withdrawal; and
Describes how they will spend the time away from campus, focusing specifically on what they will do to address the circumstances that led to the withdrawal;
Provide a completed Academic Information Form
Give explicit permission for the Office of the Dean of Students and McKinley Health Center to share any and all information pertinent to the medical withdrawal request;
Give explicit permission for the Office of the Dean of Students and the student’s academic college to share any and all information necessary for processing the medical withdrawal request; and
Provide recent documentation from their treating, licensed healthcare provider that includes, at a minimum:
The student’s relevant medical history;
The approximate date of the onset of the condition (or, if a chronic condition, the date the condition was exacerbated);
An explanation of how the medical condition significantly impacts the student’s ability to function safely or successfully as a member of the university community;
Current prescriptions and treatment;
Treatment plan for medical withdrawal period;
Expected outcome of the treatment during the medical withdrawal period;
McKinley Health Center reserves the right to request additional documentation
After receipt of all required documentation, McKinley Health Center will conduct a timely individualized review of the student’s medical documentation and will rely heavily on information received from the student’s treatment provider. If McKinley Health Center determines that the student meets the conditions set forth in subsection (c), McKinley Health Center will notify the Associate Dean of Students (ADOS) of their recommendation for medical withdrawal, the effective date of withdrawal, any conditions the student must meet before returning to the university, and the rationale for those conditions. If McKinley Health Center determines that the student’s documentation does not meet the criteria set forth in subsection (c), McKinley Health Center will notify the ADOS of their recommendation against medical withdrawal and will provide an explanation for this decision.
If, for non-medical reasons, the ADOS does not agree with McKinley Health Center’s recommendation, the ADOS will communicate their concerns in writing to McKinley Health Center and request revisions as appropriate. If, after reviewing the revised recommendation, the ADOS still does not agree, they will then decide whether to accept the recommendation, reject the recommendation, or modify the recommendation. In making this decision, the ADOS will not substitute their judgment for McKinley Health Center’s on any medical matters.
The ADOS will email official notification of the decision to the student’s university email address. If the ADOS has denied the medical withdrawal, this notification will include a rationale for the denial and information about the appeal process (see subsection (e)). If the ADOS has approved the medical withdrawal, this notification will include the effective date of the withdrawal, the conditions for return (with a rationale), and information about the re-entry process. The student will have five business days to communicate their acceptance of the withdrawal and all conditions to the ADOS in writing. If the student does not accept the withdrawal in writing the medical withdrawal is not approved.
If the student accepts the medical withdrawal, the ADOS will then notify the student’s college in writing. This communication will include the decision, the effective date of the withdrawal, and the first semester for which the student may request to return.
From the date of receipt of all required documentation, this process shall take no longer than three weeks, unless the ADOS can show good cause for the delay.
Appeal Process
A student may appeal a denial of medical withdrawal to the Dean of Students/Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (DOS) within five business days of the date of email notification. To do so, the student must submit a written request by email to helpdean@illinois.edu, which must include the reasons for the appeal and any supporting documentation, to the DOS by the deadline.
The DOS will promptly review all appropriate records and documentation and confer with McKinley Health Center staff and other appropriate campus professionals. The DOS will then decide whether the medical withdrawal should be approved and will communicate the decision to the student in writing as soon as is reasonably practicable. The DOS’s decision is final and is not subject to further review.
From the date of receipt of the appeal, this process shall take no longer than two weeks, unless the DOS can show good cause for the delay.
Return to the University
A student who has medically withdrawn from the university must petition to return by completing an online form https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/3327572. For a student’s petition to be considered, the student must:
Describe how they spent their time away from campus, focusing specifically on what was done to address the circumstances that led to the withdrawal;
Give explicit written permission for the Office of the Dean of Students and McKinley Health Center to share any and all information pertinent to the petition;
Give explicit written permission for the Office of the Dean of Students and the student’s academic college to share any all information necessary for evaluating the petition; and
Provide documentation, which must be current within 90 days of its submission, from a licensed healthcare provider that includes, at a minimum:
Documentation regarding their work with the student;
Documentation regarding the student’s clinical status;
A statement of opinion as to the student’s readiness to resume academic study and university life; and
Submit any other documentation necessary to demonstrate that the conditions for return have been met.
Submit all materials by the deadlines below:
November 15 for Spring semester return
April 15 for Summer semester return
June 15 for Fall semester return
McKinley Health Center will conduct an individualized review of the student’s medical documentation and will rely heavily on information received from the student’s treatment provider. McKinley Health Center reserves the right to speak with students in person, by phone, or virtually. McKinley Health Center also reserves the right to request additional documentation from a healthcare provider. If, based on this review, McKinley Health Center determines that the student’s medical condition is either resolved or addressed to such an extent that the condition is no longer significantly impacting the student’s ability to function safely and/or successfully as a member of the university community, McKinley Health Center will notify the ADOS of their decision to approve the student’s petition to return from medical withdrawal. If McKinley Health Center determines that the student’s medical condition has not been addressed to such an extent that the condition is no longer significantly impacting the student’s ability to function safely and/or successfully as a member of the university community, McKinley Health Center will notify the ADOS of their decision to deny the student’s petition to return from medical withdrawal and will provide an explanation for the decision.
The ADOS will issue a decision letter to the student in writing, sent to the student’s email address. If approved for return, the letter will include the decision, suggested campus resources, the day/time of a transition meeting with staff in the Office of the Dean of Students, and the name and contact information for a person in their college for further academic and registration assistance.
At this time, the ADOS will also issue a decision letter in writing to the student’s college.
If the student’s request for return is denied, the letter will include the decision, rationale for the denial, recommendations that will enhance the student’s chance of a positive recommendation the next time the student’s request is considered, and appeal criteria and procedures.
A student may appeal a denial of their petition to return to the Dean of Students/Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (DOS/AVCSA) within five business days of the date of the emailed decision letter. To do so, the student must submit a written request via email to helpdean@illinois.edu, which must include the reasons for the appeal and any supporting documentation by the deadline.
The DOS/AVCSA will promptly review all appropriate records and documentation and confer with appropriate campus professionals. The DOS/AVCSA will decide whether the DOS decision should be overturned and will communicate the decision to the student in writing as soon as is reasonably practicable. The DOS/AVCSA’s decision is final and is not subject to further review.
From the date of receipt of the appeal, this process shall take no longer than two weeks, unless the DOS/AVCSA can show good cause for the delay.