Counseling and Consultation

Medical Withdrawal Policy
Reasons for requesting a medical withdrawal should be well thought out, and the consequences of being granted a medical withdrawal should be known prior to pursuing it. This information is intended to help you make the most informed choice when considering withdrawing from the university. Below is a description of Counseling & Consultation’s (C&C) policy and procedures regarding this issue, and on the reverse side we have included a list of commonly asked questions. Should you have any questions not answered by this document, please consult a therapist at C&C, or seek out your college’s medical withdrawal designee.

There are various sources of support for a medical withdrawal such as physicians, mental health therapists, or staff at C&C. Support for a medical withdrawal is often provided in the form of a letter from that professional, and typically, C&C is involved in this process when a student has already been seeking our counseling and/or psychiatric services. C&C’s role in the medical withdrawal process is to assess your level of functioning and determine if your ability to meet academic requirements has been significantly impaired. The procedure is as follows:

  1.

  Students who are already C&C clients and are considering asking C&C for documentation as a part of their petition for a medical withdrawal should address this issue with their C&C therapist. If you are not currently receiving services at C&C and would like to seek a letter of support, you must make an appointment for a personal consultation. ­During the personal consultation, the staff member will determine whether your request for withdrawal can be supported by this agency.

  2.

  If the C&C staff member determines that there is insufficient reason to support a student’s request, then that student will be given suggestions for alternative courses of action (e.g., seeking support from another health professional) and referred to the appropriate college medical withdrawal designee.

  3.

 If the C&C staff member supports a student’s request, the student must complete and sign a Release of Information form. A minimum of two business days is needed to draft a letter of support.

Please note that any student seeking support for a medical withdrawal will be directed to her/his medical withdrawal designee. You should also be aware that the medical withdrawal designee decides whether or not a medical withdrawal is granted. A letter of support from a therapist or medical doctor does not guarantee that the medical withdrawal will be granted. Should you require more information, please contact the medical withdrawal designee of your college. The names of the medical withdrawal designees are listed on the Registrar’s web site.

If you have any further questions, please review the questions and answers provided below or consult your medical withdrawal designee.
Common Questions about ASU Medical Withdrawal

Q: What are my options if I perform poorly in my courses as a result of a medical or mental health condition?

A: The best way to learn about your options is to contact your course instructor and/or the medical withdrawal designee of your college.
Q: What is a medical withdrawal?

A: A medical withdrawal allows a student to withdraw from classes “…when extraordinary circumstances, such as a serious illness or injury prevent the student from continuing classes. This policy covers both physical health and mental health difficulties.” However, C&C should only be sought out in situations in which mental health difficulties are present. For physical health concerns, requests for support for a medical withdrawal should be sought from a medical doctor.

Q: How can C&C help me obtain a medical withdrawal?

A: Staff at C&C can meet with you to discuss your reasons for requesting a withdrawal. During this meeting, the staff member can help you to determine whether a withdrawal is the best course of action and whether she/he can provide the required documentation. If the staff member is able to assess that a psychological issue has interfered with your academic performance, she/he will write a letter of documentation of the psychological condition.
Q: What kind of information is provided (if released by the student to the medical designee)?

A: In order to evaluate the request for a medical withdrawal, the medical withdrawal designee seeks the following information from C&C:

  • Date of onset of mental health difficulties
  • Dates and types of services received from C&C
  • Description of mental health concerns and/or external circumstances, including severity and degree of impairment
  • How mental health concern impacted academic functioning
  • Follow-up plans
  • Recommended effective date for the withdrawal

Q: What happens to the information that is sent to the medical withdrawal designee?

A: The letter sent by C&C to the medical withdrawal designee has a release of information form attached. The form communicates that the medical withdrawal designee does not have permission to further release information to others. The letter itself is kept in a locked, confidential file separate from any other student records in the medical withdrawal designee’s office. C&C retains copies of all correspondence and records regarding any contact with the medical withdrawal designee. These files, too, are confidential and may be released with your permission to a responsible party.

Q: What are the consequences of obtaining a withdrawal?

A: If you are seeking a withdrawal you should be aware that there might be academic, financial, and/or other consequences to obtaining it. For more specific information, please contact your medical withdrawal designee.
Q: Am I able to continue utilizing C&C services once a withdrawal is granted?

A: Because C&C only provides services to ASU students, once a withdrawal is granted you are no longer a student and, as a result, are ineligible to utilize our services.
Q: Where can I get more information about withdrawals?

A: Each college has a Medical/Compassionate Withdrawal Designee. This information and more can be found at the Registrar's web site.