Impact Area: SUNY Morrisville (Morrisville campus, Norwich campus)
General Subject Area: Students
Author: Student Affairs / Student Health Center
Policy Summary
SUNY Morrisville recognizes that medical and mental health conditions can interfere with academic success and personal well-being. A Voluntary Leave of Absence (VLOA) is a temporary separation from the college, which is requested by a student who intends to return in a future semester. Taking a VLOA provides a break from studies for the purpose of treatment, recovery, and management of a medical/mental health condition.
1. Preparing for a VLOA
SUNY Morrisville students may apply for a VLOA for medical and/or mental health reasons. Students seeking a VLOA must withdraw from all registered courses. Failure to officially withdraw may result in the recording of failing grades. The maximum length of a VLOA is two consecutive semesters. Summer and winter sessions are not considered semesters for the purposes of this policy. Students facing dismissal for academic or non-academic (discipline) reasons may not be eligible for a VLOA.
Whenever possible, students are encouraged to seek incomplete grades instead of withdrawing and losing the semester’s work. To pursue incomplete grades, students must contact the course instructor(s) to seek approval and discuss remaining academic requirements and timeline to complete.
Students seeking a VLOA must complete the Voluntary Leave of Absence Form. For a VLOA to be considered for a given semester, the Voluntary Leave of Absence Form must be completed in full and submitted no later than the last day of classes in a given semester. Students are also required to provide supporting documentation for the VLOA. This supporting documentation must be received within three business days.
Students have two options for supporting documentation:
If the student is currently working with a medical/mental health provider - this provider should send supporting documentation that includes
- A description of the medical/mental health reason for the VLOA
- An explanation of how the condition is impacting the student’s ability to complete the current semester
- An indication of the recommended course of treatment or plan of recovery and, if possible, an expected duration of the treatment/recovery
- The licensed healthcare/mental health professional’s name, title, address, signature, and date
If the student is not currently working with a medical/mental health provider or is unable to obtain the provider documentation within three business days – the student should complete a personal statement that includes
- A description of the medical/mental health reason for the VLOA
- An explanation of how the condition is impacting your ability to complete the current semester
- A brief discussion of how you plan to spend your time on leave (include your treatment or recovery plan, how you plan to manage the reason for the leave, and, if possible, an expected plan for return)
- If you have a healthcare/mental health provider please include their name, title, and address. If you are not connected with a provider, please indicate if there are potential barriers to seeking care
The Voluntary Leave of Absence Form and supporting documentation should be sent to the Student Health Center. Documents can be mailed to the Student Health Center, PO Box 901, Morrisville, NY 13408, faxed to 315.204.1024, or emailed to babowidp@morrisville.edu. All medical documentation is confidential and will be maintained by the Student Health Center. The Director of Health, Counseling & Wellness Services will present the request for a VLOA to the VLOA Review Committee (includes the VP of Student Affairs, the Director of Health, Counseling & Wellness Services, and the Care Coordinator). A decision to support or deny the VLOA will be provided within two business days of receipt of full documentation. Students will be encouraged to continue coursework until an official decision has been made.
All approved VLOA requests will result in the assignment of “W” grades for each course on the student’s academic transcript. There is no fee for this service. Please note that “W” grades will not be assigned if this request process is not completed prior to the start of final examinations week. In such cases, final grades will be assigned by the instructor(s).
There will be no refund for withdrawals requested after the college refund deadlines. If the withdrawal is due to a sudden medical/mental health emergency and the student’s account is paid in full, tuition credit (for the up-coming semester) may be considered. Students remain fully responsible for College fees, any outstanding fines and repayment of financial aid as mandated by the Federal Government.
It is important to note that the U.S. Department of Education does not differentiate between a “Voluntary Leave of Absence for Medical and/or Mental Health Reasons” and a regular course withdrawal (W grade). If a student who has received financial aid withdraws from courses (for health reasons or not) before completing 60% of the semester, the U.S. Department of Education requires the College financial aid office to re-calculate the student’s award based on the student’s last date of attendance, to determine what amount of financial aid must be returned to the Federal Government. Under these circumstances, the student will be required to return funds for which they are no longer eligible by the government’s regulations.
2. During a VLOA
Individuals on a leave of absence are not a registered student, and therefore, are not eligible for the privileges afforded to registered students, such as residing in campus housing or accessing campus resources.
Individuals on a VLOA are encouraged to connect with the Care Coordinator (315.684.6313 or care@morrisville.edu) who can serve as a point of contact throughout the leave and the return process. Individuals are also encouraged to stay in touch with staff, faculty, and other students to help maintain their ties to SUNY Morrisville.
3. Returning from a VLOA
The return process is designed to ensure that the condition for which the VLOA was requested will not impair the student’s academic functioning upon return to campus. Students may not return from a VLOA within the semester that the leave was taken.
A student wishing to return from a VLOA must provide a letter from the treating healthcare/mental health professional. This letter must be legible, on original letterhead, and include a diagnosis, dates of treatment, treatment details, readiness to return to college, and recommended ongoing treatments, support, or accommodations.
Students must also submit a personal statement that addresses their readiness to return to campus. The personal statement must include the reason for the VLOA, the steps taken to address the condition, why you feel you are ready to return to SUNY Morrisville, and what anticipated support or care you will need when you return to campus.
Students should submit all required documentation to the Student Health Center. Documents can be mailed to the Student Health Center, PO Box 901, Morrisville, NY 13408, faxed to 315.204.1024, or emailed to babowidp@morrisville.edu. All medical documentation is confidential and will be maintained by the Student Health Center. After receipt of the documents, the Director of Health, Counseling and Wellness Services will generate a CARE Team (Coordination, Assess, Response, and Educate) report.
The CARE Team (led by the CARE Coordinator) is a cross-campus team dedicated to assisting students’ academic and personal well-being through a formal process that offers referrals and access to essential campus and community resources. Procedures are in place to address student problems and concerns that interfere with successful engagement in campus life. The team uses a proactive approach that balances the needs of the student and the overall safety of the campus community by collaboration, collection of information, identification of risks, and intervention when appropriate to protect people from harming themselves or others.
Once the CARE Team has reviewed the report and approved the return from a VLOA, a member of the CARE Team will reach out to the student. The CARE Team member will help identify campus resources that can support the student’s health and well-being when they return to campus.
If students have questions on the review process, contact Student Affairs (315) 684-6210.