Medical leaves are intended to give students time to focus on their health and wellbeing so that they can return to campus and be successful in their academic and co-curricular pursuits. The medical leave clearance process is designed to ensure that students have taken such care, and that appropriate supports and resources are in place for their return. The following guidelines apply to undergraduate students who are seeking to return to Brown following a medical leave of absence. Personal leaves of absence are addressed by the College. Graduate and medical school students seeking to return from a medical leave of absence should contact the Graduate School and Medical School respectively.

Below is an overview of the philosophy, deadlines and materials required as part of the petition for clearance to return.  The full document, Guidelines: Clearance to Return from Medical Leave, provides additional detail on these materials as well as outlining the timeline of the process, criteria which are considered, clearance committee membership, and appeal process.  

PETITIONING FOR CLEARANCE TO RETURN FROM MEDICAL LEAVE
Guidelines governing clearance seek to assure, in consultation with the student and their medical care providers, that the student will be able to function effectively in the autonomous student environment at Brown without significant disruption to others in the University community, and that the student can adequately monitor their own health. The clearance process also provides a review of the ongoing supports a student may need (e.g. medications, and/or continued psychotherapy appointments, and/or continued medical appointments).

Deadlines

As of January 2020, the Medical Leave Clearance Committee reviews petitions on a rolling basis. The committee will meet monthly and students may submit a petition at any time. Petitions received by the 1st of the month will be reviewed in that month. The review process takes approximately four weeks. Students with missing documentation as of the 1st will be reviewed in the next cycle after their petition documents are complete.

While the petition review process is rolling, students should keep in mind that the time of their clearance will impact other important university deadlines, e.g. Financial Aid, Residential Life, pre-registration for the next semester, and the Office of International Student and Scholar Services. As such, students should note the following critical deadlines.

Final deadline:

FALL SEMESTER

SPRING SEMESTER

SUMMER SESSION

To return

June 1st

November 1st

May 1st

To participate in pre-registration

March 1st

October 1st

February 1st

To participate in housing lottery

January 1st 

n/a

n/a

To participate in special interest housing

January 1st  
 
n/a n/a

In order to petition for clearance, a student must send all required documents by 11:59pm EST on the deadline dates.

Petition for Clearance Materials
Each petition must include three documents that are described in detail in the document Guidelines: Clearance to Return from Medical Leave

  • Student Letter
  • Clinician Letter(s)
  • Release of Information Form​

Materials may be sent via email, fax, or postal service:
Email: [email protected] | Fax: 401-863-1999
Mail: Student Support Services | Attn: Medical Leave Clearance Committee | Box 2015 | Providence, RI 02912

Please note, Student Support deans are available at any time to answer questions about the requested materials or any other aspect of the process.

Links:

Guidelines: Clearance to Return from Medical Leave

Guidelines: Clearance to Return from Medical Leave in Lieu of Academic Suspension or Refused Registration

Release of Information Form