The requirement to reapply would establish a similar duration of absence from school as Harvard’s policy and I would think, would effectively provide similar screening for reentry. The school can decide, for various reasons, not to readmit.
However, at Harvard, you are still a Harvard student and obvioudly do not have to reapply. If you don’t meet requirements for reentry, you can take further leave or whatever they require, but, again, you are still a Harvard student.
It is to avoid such individual determinations, and the inconsistencies therein, that Harvard has the policy. Harvard administration does not want to be in the position of judging each withdrawn student’s mental health or arguing with them about it. A bright line test may be overly cautious, but avoids having to get involved that way.
I assume 95% of medical withdrawals are mental health related at a school like Harvard, where almost everyone is of traditional college-age?
@roycroftmom I agree that the institution needs an umbrella policy that covers all situations, but student needs often differ from the needs of the institution. I raised my kid to understand "institutional behavior’ and not take it personally, since we had to deal with illness for years. I think that at least in the past, colleges, including Harvard, has an umbrella policy but there was some flexibility in practice. I am still hoping that is true.
Yes, many of the leaves are due to mental health. But young people DO have medical issues, both acute and chronic or life-long. I have a kid with serious llfe-long medical issues and a kid with a serious life-long brain-based psychiatric diagnosis. I think the timing required should be semester length, because the 6 months basically means a year if the leave is in the fall- with the obvious option for the college to require another semester.
My kid’s issue was that those young people with disabilities or chronic illnesses- of any kind- don’t always “recover” or “get better” and may go in and out of college, as happened for us. For my kid, the accommodation of reduced course load really helped and I hope that prevents onerous leaves for others.
Several colleges do not offer the option of a semester leave for any reason. Perhaps Harvard is one of them?
In both cases, my kid took a one semester leave. But it was spring so the 6 month duration requirement was not a problem. My kid had time to get back to functioning and time to satisfy the requirement, though in a somewhat flexible fashion.
Non-medical leaves can be one semester, in my experience. Maybe others have had different experiences. The duration of medical leaves is to ensure the ability to function at the level needed for college. That may not be an issue with other types of leaves, as in “taking the semester off.”
Just so you understand - I am not in any way saying that what they are doing is right. I only think that what they are doing makes sense from a business point of view.
I do not, however, think that Harvard should be run like a business. From an academic point of view, that policy is insane.
My son did not withdraw mid term, he took the leave this past fall for post exertion malaise related to post covid sequelae. He managed to finish the spring term despite being debilitated for the last half of it, luckily his grades were really high at the point that he got sick so there was little danger of failing. The dean we met with late July agreed it made more sense for him to wait until January to come back so that he could complete treatment with long covid clinic that was finally seeing him here at home. It was when we got the paperwork right before the start of fall semester that had the six month work requirement showed up.
Over the past few months, I have been in touch with several parents who went through this last year. Lots of balls dropped on the part of the university - things have changed since your kid(s) were there apparently. My own son’s petition was already supposed to have been heard, but it hasn’t let and the clock is ticking. He has been symptom free since the end of August. I wish we hadn’t decided to put in the request because once he did and it was approved there was no turning back.
He contacted his AB dean and as you suspected, there was no way. He didn’t have housing. She assured him that they would take things on a case by case basis and if he started work in September, there was a high probability they would let him back in in January. He did a remote internship and ended up traveling all over the world. He also lived in Berkely for a month at a hacker house.
He got his petition in well over a week ago and his case should have been heard this past Tuesday but the Ad board is behind. So maybe next week.
He had 75 dual credits coming from a CC (Harvard doesn’t take those) so there is really nothing he could have taken. I suggested to him that he put in for transfers because I was so frustrated, but he would like to go back and join his friends and resume his activities.
It was a minimum of 30 hours - my guess is that they use the IRS definition for full time employment.
Thank you for updating us. I agree that this is something parents and students need to be aware of. Needing to take a term off for medical reasons (e.g. a bad case of mono) is not uncommon, and this really penalizes them. It gives students an incentive to neglect their health and “just push through” because the alternative comes with this penalty.
That’s one of the things he said- that it creates a terrible disincentive. He said if they don’t let him back (his hearing is next week) he will be penning an op ed for the Crimson about it. To give you an idea about how good his physical health now is he started CrossFit this past month!
He should even if he is back.
Very glad to hear he is doing so well physically. I entirely understand and empathize with his desire to provide the proverbial sunlight that disinfects.
Keep in mind however that once published it will be the first item found whenever his name and Harvard are googled going forward. I am not saying he should or shouldn’t author such a piece but he should certainly consider the potential long term ramifications. These include future employers, alumni network, etc. Metaphorically the squeaky wheel gets the grease but it doesn’t always get the desired job or support of proud Harvard alum.
Please have him consider the potential consequences and determine what is the best way to influence his desired changes because in my determined use of metaphor you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube.
Most importantly I wish him continued good health and the opportunity to successfully complete his studies.
Would it be appropriate to use a nom de plume?
Good thing he is not a corporate climber then isn’t it! He was a professional actor so I don’t know that it would be the first thing that shows up but even if is, it is possible to write something that is important and meaningful that will not destroy one’s future. Sure it might close off some job opportunities but if being community minded and writing a reasonable critique about incentives and disincentives about a particular policy the school is going to mean he doesn’t get to work at a particular place, then that is a place he might not care to work for.
It would appear you didn’t take my comments in the constructive manner they were intended. Good luck to him none the less!
I took it they way you meant it! But my point is, people value things differently. If he wanted to go work for a big corporation or go work on Wall Street, then yes, he would need to worry about the potential of offending someone powerful. He talked about starting a free speech club on campus and another student in his blocking group, who has Wall Street dreams, and he tried to talk him out of it because it would be ‘too controversial.’ Imagine, we have hit a point where the idea of free speech on a college campus is too controversial.
At some point people have to have the courage of their convictions. That was my point.
And I completely agree. My point of comparison was this lovely hatchet job on Harvard drama students from last week…
They seem to find a story a week. Google the kids mentioned in that article and see what pops up and some of the vitriol directed at them. Unintended consequences are real consequences just making sure his eyes are wide open.
Once again good luck and I admire the virtue
