Medical Excuse Policy

Medical Excuse Policy

It is important to familiarize yourself with the attendance policy for each of your courses. Attendance policies for each course are determined by the course professor. It is your responsibility to be in direct communication with your professors in advance regarding any course requirements, including attendance. 

General Policy

The Student Health and Wellness Center does not provide individual “sick excuse notes” for students to give to professors as a verification of illness. A “Dean’s note” will be emailed to the student’s dean if the clinician who evaluates the student determines the illness or injury requires absence from class. This note will be privately emailed to the student dean (copied to the student) to alert them to the need for medical absence. Dean’s notes are sent at the direction of the evaluating clinician with the permission of the student. A dean’s note will provide limited detail as to the reason for required absence, the duration of absence and if any specific accommodations are recommended.

Though the reasons we require student absence from class will vary, medical conditions such as a high fever, the need for bed rest, or limitation of function due to pain or altered mobility are a few of the more common ones. There are instances when a student’s illness does not warrant a required absence from class from the perspective of the Student Health Center. However, in the spirit of healing, wellbeing, and fostering independent and adult decision making, a student may decide on their own that the absence is necessary due to their illness or injury. Dean’s notes will not be written in these instances. 

Students are responsible for contacting their professors directly to discuss missed classwork, assignments, and questions related to make-up or extension for assignments. 

Note that a student must be seen and diagnosed with an illness in the health center in order for the health center to generate a notification to the dean. The health center does not provide information without seeing the student. The exception to this rule may be in the instance of hospitalization or emergent treatment off campus.

If you have any questions regarding the dean’s note process, please feel free to talk with our medical staff by calling 610-328-8058.

Other campus supports:

Schedule a time to talk with your dean to discuss academic support. Here is more information specific to Student Deans, and about Health Concerns and Academics.

For information specific to disability accommodations, please visit the Student Disability Services website.