Purpose
Willamette University is committed to supporting students in achieving academic success. When medical situations arise that necessitate a student withdrawing from one, some, or all of their courses, the university assists those students through this Medical Withdrawal Policy.
Policy
A Medical Withdrawal may be requested when a student has a documented health or mental health condition preventing completion of the semester, or requiring a reduced course load. If approved, the student’s permanent record (transcript) will reflect grades of ‘W’ in all relevant courses. After a petition has been filed and until the committee has acted, the student should continue to attend all courses as though the petition has been denied. Importantly, retroactive petitions after class(es) have ended will not be considered. Additionally, partial medical withdrawals are highly unlikely and rarely approved. Typically, students can expect a response within 5-7 business days after a completed petition is received.
A student withdrawing from all courses under this situation will receive a tuition refund according to the University’s published Student Accounts Refund Policy.
The medical withdrawal packet, which may be obtained from the Registrar’s Office on the first floor of Waller Hall, includes a procedure document, a BLUE form, a YELLOW form, and two envelopes.
- BLUE FORM: Students complete the entire BLUE FORM, describing the medical condition in their own words, and submit it to the Registrar’s Office in an envelope or scan and email it to the Registrar’s Office at registrar@willamette.edu.
- YELLOW FORM: Students complete the top portion of the YELLOW FORM and submit it to a licensed health or mental health professional (Physician, NP, Psychologist, LCSW, LPC, etc.) for completion of the evaluation. This form should be submitted by the health professional to the Registrar’s Office in the envelope provided, or it may be emailed to the Registrar’s Office at registrar@willamette.edu.
In recognition that it may take some time for students to secure documentation from their medical provider, we allow 10 working days for the return of all medical withdrawal forms.
The date of the withdrawal will be the date that the Medical Withdrawal packet was provided to the student (dates and staff member initials required) if both the BLUE and YELLOW forms are received by the Registrar’s Office within 10 working days of that date. If both forms are not received within 10 working days of that date, the date that the final form is received will be the date of the withdrawal.
The following committee of individuals will review the Medical Withdrawal petition: The Dean of Students or designee; 2) the University Registrar or designee; 3) the Associate Dean of the relevant college or designee, and 4) a professional from the Bishop Wellness Center. The student will be notified as soon as possible after a decision has been made. Notification will be e-mailed to the student’s willamette.edu account. If the petition is approved, the appropriate campus officials will be notified of the result (e.g. Instructors of affected courses, Student Accounts Office, Financial Aid Office, and the Registrar’s Office). Note: Approved medical withdrawals may affect eligibility for university health insurance coverage. Students should contact the Student Insurance Coordinator in Bishop Wellness Center at (503)370-6062 with any questions.
After a medical withdrawal has been granted and prior to returning to Willamette University, students are required to submit a Re-Enrollment Questionnaire. The Re-Enrollment Questionnaire will be provided to the student at the time the withdrawal is approved. This Re-Enrollment Questionnaire must be completed by a licensed health or mental health provider and address the student’s readiness to return to Willamette University. Importantly, if this form is not received and approved at least 10 working days prior to the start of the next semester, students will be dis-enrolled from classes pending approval of the form. Exceptions to this requirement may be made by a representative of Bishop Wellness Center as appropriate.