Medical Withdrawal
Voluntary Medical Withdrawal
A medical withdrawal may be requested when extraordinary circumstances, such as a serious illness or injury, prevent the completion of a semester. The medical withdrawal policy covers both physical health and mental health difficulties. If the semester has ended, please follow the grade grievance process.
Students should complete the Registration Appeal form and provide supporting documentation of the medical event/history. If the student is unable to complete the Registration Appeal form themselves, please contact the Records and Enrollment office.
Students who are receiving state or federal financial assistance may be required to return funds to the source of the award. A withdrawal may also have implications for future eligibility for financial assistance. Please check with Financial Aid and Veteran Services for more information.
Involuntary Medical Withdrawal
SCC Administration may initiate involuntary medical withdrawal from the college, of any student, for behavior that poses a significant risk of substantial harm to the health or safety of such student, the college, or others. The Assistant Vice President, Learning Enterprises & Engagement will meet with the student, who will be given the opportunity to present information regarding the incident(s). If appropriate, the withdrawal determination will be made taking into consideration the nature and severity of the potential harm, the imminence of the potential harm, the likelihood that the potential harm will occur, the duration of the risk, the ability to mitigate the risk, and the impact on others in the campus community. This determination will be an individualized assessment of the ability of the student to function safely at the college, based on all documentation received. The college may require the student to undergo a medical evaluation by a licensed mental health professional of the college’s choosing and at the college’s cost. Students must sign a waiver for the mental health evaluator to provide detailed information to the Assistant Vice President, Learning Enterprises & Engagement.
If the medical evaluation and other documentation support involuntary medical withdrawal, the student will receive notification via certified mail from the Assistant Vice President, Learning Enterprises & Engagement (or designees) stating the reasons for its determination. The student will also be informed of conditions that must be met for re-enrollment. Students may challenge the involuntary medical withdrawal by submitting a written appeal to the Vice Provost. The written appeal should include supporting documentation from a licensed medical or mental health professional.
Contact With SCC While on Involuntary Medical Withdrawal
SCC expects students on a medical withdrawal to refrain from participating in any activities or utilizing any facilities on the SCC campus during the duration of their medical withdrawal. In addition, a student on a medical withdrawal must respond to outreach by the Assistant Vice President, Learning Enterprises & Engagement (or designee) if requested to do so. Failure to comply with these requirements may jeopardize or delay a student’s re-enrollment from the medical withdrawal.
Re-Enrollment Process
A student who has undergone involuntary medical withdrawal must engage in the re-enrollment process from an involuntary medical withdrawal as stated in this policy. The college may require the student to undergo a medical evaluation by a licensed mental health professional of the college’s choosing. The student must sign a waiver allowing the mental health evaluator to provide detailed information to the Student Health & Wellness I Coordinator and Assistant Vice President, Learning Enterprises & Engagement. A medical withdrawal is not necessarily considered a disciplinary action.
Students must complete all parts of the following re-enrollment procedures:
-
All documentation is due to the Assistant Vice President, Learning Enterprises & Engagement (or designee) before the student can re-enroll. If a mental health evaluation is required, it needs to occur with sufficient amount of time (generally eight to 12 weeks prior to the start of the semester) for the assessment to be completed and reports to be forwarded for consideration by SCC. If the duration of the absence has been longer than five years, the student must re-apply to the college. Additional documentation includes:
-
Submission of a letter to the Assistant Vice President, Learning Enterprises & Engagement (or designee) requesting re-enrollment. The letter should review the circumstances that led to the involuntary medical withdrawal, describe in detail any activities pursued while out of school, explain why the student now feels able to resume studies successfully and outline a plan for continued support.
-
Submission of a letter and pertinent medical documentation to the Assistant Vice President, Learning Enterprises & Engagement (or designee) from the physician or therapist with whom the student has been working. The letter should outline the treatment given, progress made, and provide support for return to full-time or part-time study at SCC. The letter should also address the continued care plan recommended for the student’s return. If applicable, the student will be asked by the Assistant Vice President, Learning Enterprises & Engagement (or designee) to meet with an outside mental health counselor, as selected by the college, for an evaluation. The evaluation will be scheduled by the mental health counselor generally eight to 12 weeks prior to the start of the semester. The student must sign a waiver allowing the mental health evaluator to provide detailed information to the Student Health & Wellness Coordinator and Assistant Vice President, Learning Enterprises & Engagement.
-
If re-enrollment is granted, the student is also expected to meet with the Assistant Vice President, Learning Enterprises & Engagement (or designee) throughout the semester, if requested.
Re-Enrollment Confirmation
Approval for re-enrollment from an involuntary medical withdrawal will be communicated in a certified letter from the Assistant Vice President, Learning Enterprises & Engagement (or designee) to the student’s home address. It is the student’s responsibility to keep the college updated with current contact information. Approval notification will outline any ongoing conditions that must be met for continued re-enrollment as well as any necessary directives.
Students are expected to submit a letter to the Assistant Vice President, Learning Enterprises & Engagement agreeing to comply with conditions set forth and directly contact the Assistant Vice President, Learning Enterprises & Engagement to confirm the student’s letter has been received. Failure to complete this process may nullify the approval for re-enrollment.
Board Policy Article I.02 Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity
