Temporary Medical and Emergency Support Procedures

A brief illness is generally less than 1 week or under 7% of the semester for Summer/Winter or part-term courses.

Examples: Flu, COVID-19, stomach virus, or similar short-term illness.

• What to do: Contact your professors directly.
• Office of Accommodative Services (OAS)/ Dean of Students role: None, unless you are seeking academic accommodations beyond attendance.
• Procedure: Treat this as a standard absence. Email your professors as soon as possible to communicate your situation and work with them to create a plan for making up missed assignments or exams. It is at the discretion of the instructor whether this will be considered an excused absence or not.
• Student Health Services and the College Counseling Center do not issue excuses for missed classes. 

Short-term medical needs are generally 1 to 2 weeks, or 7-13% of the semester for Summer/Winter or part-term courses.

Examples: Mononucleosis, recovery from minor surgery, persistent medical symptoms.

Attendance

• What to do: Contact the Dean of Students (Student Affairs) at studentaffairs@potsdam.edu.
• Procedure: The Dean of Students will issue an official “Faculty Notice.” This will be sent to the student’s instructors, department/division chair, academic dean, academic advisor and faculty mentor. Students will need to sign a FERPA waiver form.
  
  This notice will include information regarding the illness and persisting symptoms and will ask instructors to communicate to the student about short term solutions regarding class absences and “catch up” materials. Final approval for attendance flexibility rests with individual instructors and depends upon the nature of each course.

Accommodations

• What to do: Contact the Office of Accommodative Services (OAS)
• Procedure: OAS will issue an accommodation letter if appropriate

Available accommodations from OAS

Pending your intake meeting, OAS may be able to implement supports such as but not limited to:

• Classroom relocation
• Environmental modifications such as standing desk, larger desk, lumbar supports
• Proctoring for make-up exams
• Exam accommodations
• Note-taking support or scribes*
• Short-term deadline extensions

*The Office of Accommodative Services does not provide recordings, transcripts or notes in cases where the student has been absent. 

Longer term medical needs are generally greater than 2 weeks, or more than 13% of the semester for Summer/Winter or part-term courses.

Attendance

• What to do: Contact the Dean of Students (Student Affairs) at studentaffairs@potsdam.edu.
• Procedure: Dean of Students will issue an official “Faculty Notice.” This will be sent to the student’s instructors, department/division chair, academic dean, academic advisor and faculty mentor. Students will need to sign a FERPA waiver form.
• Attendance & Remote Requests: Dean of Students will work with the student’s academic Dean’s office and instructors to determine whether attendance flexibility or remote participation are possible for absences longer than 2 weeks. Final approval for attendance flexibility or remote work rests with individual instructors and depends upon the nature of each course. 

Accommodations

• What to do: Schedule an Intake Appointment with OAS
• Procedure: You will participate in the "Intake Process" just like any other student seeking long-term accommodations.

Available Accommodations from OAS

Pending your intake meeting, OAS may be able to implement supports such as but not limited to:

• Classroom relocation
• Environmental modifications such as standing desk, larger desk, lumbar supports
• Proctoring for make-up exams
• Exam accommodations
• Note-taking support or scribes*
• Short-term deadline extensions

Attendance limits and Emergency (Medical) Withdrawal

Attendance and remote participation are not intended to accommodate extended periods of missed class time. Because course formats and instructional requirements vary, flexibility regarding absences or remote instruction also varies by class. Requests for attendance requirement modifications or remote participation lasting longer than four weeks (or 27% of the semester for Summer/Winter or part-term courses) will typically require an Emergency Withdrawal, although an Emergency Withdrawal may be necessary before the four-week mark is reached. Students should consult their academic advisor if an Emergency Withdrawal may be necessary.

As required by SUNY Central Administration and the NYS Education Department, SUNY Potsdam must adhere to certain contact hours standards (PDF).

If you are navigating life after a hospitalization, the Case Manager offers Care Management services. This is a short-term, collaborative service to help you successfully "re-enter" campus life.

Supports include: Securing transportation to off-campus medical appointments, identifying after-care supports, and navigating the process for an Academic Withdrawal or Leave of Absence if necessary.

SUNY Potsdam provides reasonable academic and other adjustments to support equitable access to education to students who are pregnant or experience a related condition. Students who are seeking accommodations, should contact the Title IX Coordinator at titleix@potsdam.edu. The coordinator will discuss what resources and accommodations may be available and will help facilitate conversations with the necessary offices or academic departments.