Medical Withdrawal Policy for Graduate and Professional Students

A student may request withdrawals from all courses in which the student is enrolled in cases where the student experiences a medical situation that impedes academic progress.

Policy

  • The Office of Graduate and Professional Studies may grant medical withdrawals at any time to graduate and professional students who must withdraw for medical reasons from all courses for which they are registered at the University of Houston.

  • Students who receive medical withdrawals after the last day to withdraw without receiving a grade shall receive an ‘I', a ‘W', or, (in some instances) a grade, in each course for which they were registered.

  • Graduate and professional students who receive medical withdrawals must obtain permission from the university to enroll again at the University of Houston.

  • Under extenuating circumstances, this policy may be applied retroactively.

 

Procedures

  1. Graduate and professional students (or their appointed representatives if they are unable to act for themselves) who seek to withdraw for medical reasons from all courses for which they are registered at the University shall request a medical withdrawal using the Graduate/Professional Term Withdrawal form (PDF) and attach all appropriate documentation, which must include a statement from a licensed physician or licensed psychologist.

  2. The medical withdrawal request should be filed at the department/college level. Note: International students should notify the International Student Services Office of their intent to withdraw.

  3. If the medical withdrawal is requested with an effective date after the last day for a student to withdraw from classes without receiving a grade, the dean shall, in making inquiries and seeking recommendations from each instructor of record, notify each that if approved, the withdrawal will normally result in a grade of W.

  4. If the instructor believes the student is entitled to a final grade other than a W, the instructor shall assign that grade (if requested by the student) and notify the college dean, in writing, of the college of the student's major.

  5. The dean of the college will determine recommendation on the withdrawal and forward it to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies.

  6. The Office of Graduate and Professional Studies shall

    • review each request and its accompanying documentation, 

    • decide whether to make inquiries and seek recommendations from appropriate sources of information,

    • decide whether to approve or deny the request and effective date of the withdrawal,

    • and notify the Registrar’s office (which will enter the assigned grades into the student’s record) and the college of the student’s major.

    • If the request is approved, medical withdrawal enrollment hold will be place on the student record, unless otherwise noted by physician, clinical psychologist, or licensed clinical practitioner.

  7. The Office of Graduate and Professional Studies will communicate to colleges of the decision.

  8. The dean of the college of the student's major shall communicate the final decision to the student.

 

Reinstatement

Graduate and professional students who receive medical withdrawals and later seek to return to the university shall submit a general petition (PDF) requesting reinstatement, including a statement from their licensed physician or licensed psychologist, to the dean of the college of their major justifying their readiness to resume their studies.

The college dean shall

  • review each request to resume study at the university,

  • decide whether to make inquiries and seek recommendations as appropriate,

  • decide whether to approve or deny the request,

  • forward to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies for university review.

  • Once a decision is made, the college will inform both the student and others, as appropriate, of the decision in writing.

If the request is approved, the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies will remove the medical withdrawal enrollment "stop" from the student's record. (This action does not remove any other "stops" that may have been placed on the student's record by other university officials)

The University may grant a leave of absence to a student who requests and receives a medical withdrawal. This leave grants the student readmission into the program at a specified time and under specified circumstances.

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Catalog Publish Date: January 14, 2013
This Page Last Updated: December 17, 2012