College Withdrawal, Medical Withdrawal, Emergency Medical Withdrawal or Immediate Mental Health Assessment 

Mohawk Valley Community College Voluntary and Involuntary Withdrawal Options and Proceedures


Policy Statement:

Mohawk Valley Community College is committed to an environment that supports the academic success and health of our students.  A College Withdrawal, Medical Withdrawal, Interim Emergency Withdrawal (IEW) and Emergency Withdrawal (EW) are special student separation statuses that are initiated by either the student (voluntary) or the college (involuntary) to support the health and wellness of the student and/or the college community.

Voluntary Withdrawal Actions

College Withdrawal:

Students who feel that it is necessary to withdraw from the College must notify their Student Support Advisor https://www.mvcc.edu/advisement/index.php. An exit interview is required to constitute official withdrawal. Grades will then be assigned for official withdrawals from the College on the same basis as for official withdrawal from a course.  

Medical Withdrawal from College: 

  • A student may initiate a separation from the College for medical reasons by requesting to withdraw from all classes.
  • The student initiates a Medical Withdrawal with their Student Support Advisor (SSA).  This process will follow that of the standard withdrawal process  https://www.mvcc.edu/records-registration/pdf/withdrawalform.pdf  from the College.   If the student is unable complete the process for a voluntary medical withdrawal, a parent, guardian, or other authorized proxy may contact the the Holistic Student Support Office at 315-731-5710.

Involuntary Withdrawal Actions

Interim Emergency Withdrawal (IEW):

An Interim Emergency Withdrawal may be initiated by the Vice President for Student Affairs when a student’s behavior presents an immediate or significant concern for the health or safety of the student or others in the community. This measure is temporary and precautionary, providing time for the student to obtain an appropriate professional evaluation and for the College to determine the student’s ability to safely and successfully continue enrollment. This status will be initiated following a report of an incident or a report and preliminary investigation opened by any authorized College reporting or referring body. This process does not formally remove the student from the College.  It requires that a number of conditions be addressed within five business days before a determination about longer term return or removal is rendered.

It is likely, but not absolute, that one of the conditions for return is the student’s completion of an immediate mental health assessment. As with any other condition, this will need to be completed within five days of the student’s notice of IEW.  Should the assessment result in a recommendation for a medical leave, the student will be made aware that they may initiate a Medical Withdrawal using the procedures above.   If they decline, the College may proceed with an Emergency Withdrawal. 

Procedures for Interim Emergency Withdrawal (IEW):

Consistent with College processes and operations, any on-campus incident will be managed initially by College and/or community first responders (e.g., Department of Public Safety, Residence Life, emergency medical responders, etc.) to ensure the immediate safety of the individual(s) involved and the campus community.  After the incident is secured, the mental health, substance abuse or other emergency will be managed in partnership with the College, the student, and in some cases the student’s medical, mental health or substance abuse practitioner, and/or the parent/official guardian/listed emergency contact, as necessary or appropriate, and in compliance with FERPA regulations.

Policy violations that occur during a mental health, substance abuse, or any other unanticipated emergency concerning student and/or community safety may be subject to judicial or criminal proceedings that may occur concurrently with this policy or may follow upon resolution of the emergency.

The steps that are taken in the event of an IEW include:

Step 1: 

Student receipt of a letter:

  • When possible, in person; AND
  • Emailed by way of the College's secure Conduct and Community Standards communication platform; OR
  • By alternative delivery method (e.g. registered and certified mail) if no other avenues are identified.

The content of the letter will address the reasons for the IEW and outline all conditions specific to the student’s ability to resume classes. The letter will include the date, time and MS Teams meeting link to a prescheduled a follow-up session with the Vice President for Student Affairs (VPSA) or their designee for five (5) business days hence. The student is required to share all evidence of the completion of the conditions 24 hours prior to the scheduled review with the VPSA . The letter also states that if the requested documentation is not provided or is incomplete, an Emergency Withdrawal, will be initiated.         

Step 2: 

The student is expected to initiate actions to complete the conditions outlined by the IEW.  In the event that an immediate mental health assessment is one of the conditions, this requires the student choose an outside mental health clinician to have the mental health assessment conducted at their own expense. The timelines are not automatically adjusted, but the student should communicate with the Vice President for Student Affairs once they seek an immediate appointment and if it is then determined one is not available within the time period allotted.

If the student requires specific accommodations in consideration of documented 504 plans or language access, the College will assist in explaining and supporting those needs as appropriate and/or necessary.

Step 3: 

A follow up meeting with the Vice President of Student Affairs or his/her designee to review required documentation will occur on or before the fifth business day, unless waived by the student.  The review will determine completion of all outlined information. 

If all information has been received and satisfactorily addresses the concerns, the student will be cleared to resume campus academic activities.

If the documentation is incomplete or does not satisfactorily address the concerns a limited length extension may be granted upon approval of the VPSA or designee.

If the documentation is not received within the timeframe established or indicates that the student should not be returned to the College, the student will be placed on an Emergency Withdrawal for at least the remainder of the current semester, and a Vice President of Student Affairs hold will be placed on the student’s account alerting the College to outstanding documentation needs.  The student is formally notified of this. 

If the Emergency Withdrawal occurs prior to the College’s census date, no grades will be posted on the student’s transcript.  If the Emergency Withdrawal occurs after the census date all courses will be noted as “W” on the student’s transcript.    

If an Emergency Withdrawal is initiated, it automatically applies to the College and Residence Halls.  There may be occasion where a student is permitted to return to the College but not the Residence Halls.  These individual requests will be reviewed by the VPSA and decisions clearly communicated to the student and all pertinent College employees when a return to enrolled status is granted.

Step 4: 

In the event a student is placed on an Emergency Withdrawal from either the College or the Residence Halls, the student has the right to request an independent review of the case to the College President. This must occur in writing and be received by the President within five (5) business days of the date of the letter communicating the Emergency Withdrawal. The President will appoint a College official to act as an independent reviewer (not a hearing officer).  A final decision will be rendered within five (5) additional business days and communicated in writing to the student.

The College reserves the right to review student charges and fees generated by the student attending classes at Mohawk Valley Community College. Any changes, adjustments and/or refunds will be processed in accordance with the College’s refund policies.  If the student is receiving any financial aid, including grants, and/or student loans, payment of funds will be pro-rated in accordance with Federal and NY State regulations.