Medical Withdrawal Policy
Any registered student who experiences medical trauma or a chronic illness that may prevent completion of the semester may apply for a medical withdrawal from the University. A medical withdrawal is a complete withdrawal from the University (i.e., not from a particular course). A request for a medical withdrawal must be submitted prior to the beginning of final exams for the semester in which the medical withdrawal is desired. A medical withdrawal request is initiated through the submission of the online Withdrawal Form located in WebbConnect prior to the beginning of final exams in the same manner as a general withdrawal from the University. In addition to the online request, the student must also provide a statement from a licensed medical or mental health professional trained in the diagnosis of the student’s medical condition. The statement should verify that the medical condition prevents the student from participating in classes or carrying out course requirements.
The statement from the medical or mental health professional must be submitted on official letterhead, addressed to the Gardner-Webb University Registrar, and include the practitioner’s name and title. The statement should indicate that the student is unable to continue in school and include the date at which the student became unable to continue (or the closest possible approximation to the date).
The student will be notified by the Registrar of the decision made by the Medical Withdrawal Committee. If the request is approved, the student will receive a final grade of “W” for each class (except in instances of Academic Dishonesty). Any adjustment in tuition will be made on a prorated basis. Once granted a withdrawal, students must apply for readmission to the University in order to continue their studies. All program admission requirements, programmatic and degree requirements, departmental student handbook, and accreditation requirements at the time of the student’s return will apply.
Any appeal for a retroactive medical withdrawal must be initiated by the end of the next Fall or Spring semester. Documentation for these appeals includes the same materials required for other medical withdrawal requests but must also include an explanation as to why the medical withdrawal request could not have been made by the normal deadline (i.e., by the beginning of final exams for the semester in which the medical withdrawal is desired).
As with any other readmission, stipulations may apply. The student must provide a statement from the same medical or mental health professional stating that the student is now able to continue studies at the University. This documentation should follow the same format as above.