No, there is no such thing as medical leave or a medical withdrawal. Students simply follow the normal withdrawal process.

The concept of medical leave or a medical withdrawal is more common in 4-year colleges. Due to the flexible enrollment available at the community colleges, there is no special withdrawal type for medical issues. Any student may withdraw from one or more courses according to the guidelines and dates published by the Registrar’s office.

Simply complete a withdrawal form found at the Registrar’s webpage. Please note that courses from which you withdraw will be noted with a "W" mark, which has no effect on GPA. When completing the withdrawal form, a student would simply note that their withdrawal is due to medical issues. Students are considered active, continuing students up to four (4) semesters of non-enrollment.

Withdrawal from courses after the initial add/drop period of a semester receive no refund. However, appeals due to significant medical issues may be possible. If a student is on financial aid, withdrawing from courses may affect their Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standing (click here for specific policies). A full withdrawal from all courses may also require a return of funds to the federal government and leave students with a balance due. If a student’s aid is compromised, appeals to SAP are made through the Financial Aid Office. Other appeals are submitted through the Bursar’s Office (N216). Students are encouraged to retain their medical documentation and submit it as required by the appropriate appeals process.

Any issues affecting class work must be discussed with the student’s individual instructors. Instructors typically have guidelines in their syllabus on how they will deal with absences. Students are encouraged to discuss their specific circumstances with their instructor to see if additional flexibility may be arranged.

Course instructors have sole authority to grant an Incomplete in their class. Incompletes are granted rarely and typically occur when very little coursework has been missed, when it is late in the semester, if there is a compelling medical issue, and it is very clear how the work will be completed in a specified timeline. 

Students who have documented medical issues are strongly encouraged to register with the college’s Student Accessibility Services (located in Room S202, 203-285-2231). Appropriate adjustments may be made. However, adjustments do not typically cover absences.