Medical Leave of Absence

A medical leave of absence may be available for students who have medical or psychological conditions that severely limit their ability to perform their academic work. Medical leaves of absence may be in effect for a maximum of four consecutive semesters. If you are considering taking a medical leave of absence during a semester, please review the tuition refund policy.

Taking a medical leave is a big decision that can have academic, financial and personal implications. If you would like to speak with someone about your situation and options, please contact the Student Life Office to schedule a meeting with a dean.

If you are interested in exploring other options, please see Alternatives to Taking a Leave of Absence. A dean in Student Life or your faculty adviser can talk to you more about these options. You may also choose to consult Financial Aid, the Business Office, family, and other support resources to help you make a decision about whether taking a medical leave of absence is the best option for your situation.

Whenever possible, you are encouraged to continue to attend classes until you have made an official decision to take a medical leave of absence to avoid falling behind on work if you do decide to remain enrolled for the semester.

Instructions for Applying for a Medical Leave

To request a medical leave of absence you must do the following:

Review the Medical Leave of Absence FAQs.
Log into IRIS and select "Request Time Away" and then Request a Leave or Withdrawal.
Complete and submit the Medical Leave of Absence request form and survey in IRIS.
You will receive confirmation of receipt of your request and guidance for next steps.
Schedule a Medical Leave of Absence meeting with a dean in Student Life.
Meet with your faculty adviser (optional but encouraged)
Satisfy any requests from the Business Office and Financial Aid (see below).
Move out of on-campus housing, if applicable.

You have five business days to meet with a dean in Student Life and consult with the following offices as applicable (a meeting with each of these offices is not required):

Your faculty adviser (highly encouraged). Students approved to take a medical leave of absence are encouraged but not required to meet with their faculty adviser. If you choose to meet with your adviser, please consult Questions to Ask Your Faculty Adviser about Taking a Leave of Absence in preparation of the meeting.

Residence Life. If you live on campus, Residence Life will automatically be notified of your intentions to take a medical leave of absence. Students currently living in on-campus housing will have five business days after submitting their leave request form to move out of housing. Students are encouraged to make arrangements to move out of on-campus housing as soon as they make a decision to take a leave. Please contact Residence Life for more information.

Health and Counseling. If you are currently working with a counselor, case manager or medical provider at the HCC, you may find meeting with them to be beneficial to discuss topics including transfer of care to a non-Reed provider, ongoing medication management, or termination of care.

The Business Office. The Business Office may contact you to share information with you regarding your student account. The Business Office may request you meet with a representative before they can confirm your leave in IRIS.

Financial Aid. If you are a recipient of financial aid, you will automatically receive information from Financial Aid about how taking a leave of absence may affect your financial aid or loans. Financial Aid may request you meet with a representative before they confirm your leave in IRIS.

If you do not have any unresolved issues with your student account, the Business Office and Financial Aid Office will confirm your request without you needing to take any additional actions.

When your leave requirements have been satisfied, the Registrar’s Office will remove you from any classes you are registered for the current semester and/or future semesters. You will then receive confirmation that your medical leave is official and in effect. The email will include information about how to return to Reed when you are ready.

If you do not complete the steps outlined above within five business days, your medical leave of absence request will be canceled. If you still intend to take a medical leave of absence, you must contact the Student Life Office (student-life@reed.edu) to re-initiate your request with a new initiation date. A changed initiation date may affect your tuition refund or money owed.

Deadlines

Students can initiate a medical leave of absence before the semester at any time. We recommend students complete their medical leave of absence paperwork at least three weeks before the start of the semester to avoid any unnecessary billing or tuition charges.

If a student needs to initiate a medical leave during the semester, they can do so any time before the last day of classes for the semester. See the academic calendar for specific dates.

Returning students may initiate a medical leave of absence before the semester at any time. Students are encouraged to initiate their leave at least 3 weeks before the start of the semester to avoid any unnecessary billing or tuition charges.

Returning students may initiate a medical leave of absence during the semester at any point prior to the last day of classes. See the academic calendar for specific dates.

First year and transfer students who are in their first semester at Reed are not eligible for a medical leave of absence until the third week of classes. Prior to the start of the semester, and through the first two weeks of classes, first-semester students should contact the Admission Office to discuss options for deferred admission.

Returning to Reed

Students on medical leave must secure approval from the Dean of Students or designee to return. The purpose of this approval is to support the student in considering the circumstances that led to their medical leave of absence, and the resources and steps they can take moving forward to ensure their success. Please see Returning from a Medical Leave for more information.

If a student’s medical leave has expired (e.g. the student has taken more than four semesters away), the student will also need to apply for readmission through the Registrar’s Office to return.

Questions?

Please read the Medical Leave of Absence FAQs to learn more about the regulations for taking a leave. You are also encouraged to contact the Student Life Office or any of the offices below if you have questions.

The Student Life Office

Location: Eliot Hall 218
Hours: Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; closed at lunch
Telephone: 503-517-7396
Email: student-life@reed.edu

Additional Resources

Medical Leave of Absence FAQs
Alternatives to Taking a Leave of Absence
Questions to Ask Your Faculty Adviser about Taking a Leave
Checklist for Taking a Medical Leave
Returning from a Medical Leave of Absence