Students interested in seeking an emergency leave of absence should consult the Student Handbook for more information. The Leaves of Absence policy is stated there. Further information about taking a leave of absence can be found on the handout link below.
Students should then make an appointment to speak immediately with the Dean of Academic Advising. Call 641-269-3702 immediately to schedule an appointment.
Upon returning from a medical leave in the sophomore year, a student from the class of 2013 reported:
"I have had a really great semester. I don't think it could have been better. I found adjusting to being back at Grinnell pretty seamless, probably mostly thanks to my friends. I've loved my classes and the Grinnell environment in general (much more than last year, which just shows how much I was already being affected by mental health problems then). I can say that for students who are thinking about taking a semester off or who have already decided to, getting my mental health in order has made all the difference to my college experience. I'm not taking it for granted, and still see a therapist every week, and I'm very conscious that brain chemistry is always changing and my medication may not always work as well as it does now, but at the moment I'm enjoying life at Grinnell a lot. I also would like students with mental health issues to know that taking a semester off isn't a sign of weakness. It's much wiser to take a little time off to get things straightened out than to just keep struggling through because you feel expected to."
