If you experience a medical situation that significantly limits your ability to function successfully or safely as a Guttman student, you can request a medical leave of absence, which allows you to take time away from the college for the remainder of the session or term in order to receive treatment.
A leave of absence may impact your academic progress, financial aid and may cause a balance due to the college, so we encourage you to contact your academic advisor and your financial aid advisor to explore impact and options.
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Request for Medical Leave of Absence (Application and Steps):
You may request a medical leave of absence anytime during the current academic session. If there is a special situation that hinders you from making a request during the session, you may request leave after the session has ended. Those situations would include hospitalization, in-patient treatment or if you are incapacitated to the degree of not being able to request the medical leave of absence before the end of the session.
Submit the following to MedLeaveRequest@guttman.cuny.edu:
- Request for Medical Leave of Absence Form
- Supporting medical documentation from a health care provider, indicating:
- Date(s) of incident, injury or onset
- Projected duration of medically recommended treatment/care to support the requested leave.
- Authorization to Release/Request Confidential Information Form
The office of the Chief Student Affairs Officer (CSAO) will review the request and supporting documentation and treat all medical documentation as confidential, sharing information only as necessary to evaluate the request and period of leave. If the leave is approved, only page one of the request will be shared with the Office of the Registrar and Financial Aid Office. Medical documentation will remain secure and not shared with other offices.
Please note: The decision whether to approve a medical leave of absence when requesting a leave for a Fall I or Spring II session with plans to attend the subsequent Fall II or Spring II session within the same term is up to the discretion of the CSAO and based on medical documentation and duration of medically recommended treatment/care.
*If requesting a retroactive medical leave of absence due to special circumstances that hindered your ability to request the leave within the current session, additional steps such as a grade appeal may be required and will communicated to you on an individual basis.
Return to Active Status (Application and Steps)
When you are ready to return to the college from a medical leave of absence, you must submit the following to MedLeaveRequest@guttman.cuny.edu:
- Request to Return to Active Status Form
- Supporting medical documentation from a health care provider. Health care providers are encouraged to contact the Dean of Student Engagement with any questions or concerns related to proposed return. Documentation must include:
– Period of treatment
– Whether or not the student is deemed ready to return with date of earliest possible return
– List of continuing treatment plan and recommendations - Authorization to Release/Request Confidential Information Form
A complete and accurate form with required documentation must be submitted to the office of the Chief Student Affairs Officer (CSAO) and approved prior to registering for classes.
The Chief Student Affairs Officer will review the submitted materials and treat all medical documentation as confidential, sharing information only as necessary to evaluate the request to return. Once the request is approved, page one of the Return to Active Status form will be shared with the Office of the Registrar, Financial Aid Office, and the Academic Advising Office. The original form and all medical documentation will be secured in the CSAO office.
You will be notified of the decision by email or mail. Once a return is approved, the CSAO or designee will contact you to request a check-in visit to review your plan for sustained health and offer support.
If your request for return to active status is denied, you may meet with the CSAO or designee to devise a plan for return.
Please note:
- It is your responsibility to check with the Bursar Office regarding any outstanding balance and make necessary arrangements for any payment due before the start of the session of return.
- If you do not return for the term following your leave, you must complete the Readmission Interest Form and follow the readmission process.