Excuse Note Policy
The Staff at the Health Center are frequently asked by students to write medical
excuse notes for classes and/or work as a result of an illness or accident. We are
very happy to provide this service for our students when appropriate. Students
frequently have medical conditions, psychological conditions, illnesses or injures that
may cause them to be away form the classroom or work place
The Health Center can provide a medical excuse note only if our providers are
involved in the medical care of a student who they feel in their clinical judgment will
need to be absent from class for a three (3) or more day timeframe for medical
reasons. A student who has a medical illness, which results in less than three (3)
days of absence from class, should talk with his/her professors rather than asking for
an excuse note from the Health Center. If a professor subsequently requires
documentation for a medical absence of fewer that three days, the professor may
call the Health Center for verification of illness.
The Health Care Providers at the Health Center cannot be expected to write
excuse notes for illnesses or problems for which we never provided care. A
student request for a note stating "I was sick last week and could not
attend class" is unreasonable.
Unless specifically requested to do so by the student, a diagnosis will not be placed
on the excuse. A patient's medical diagnosis is confidential. Under no circumstances
will the Health Center release information about your medical condition to
administrators, professors, parents (unless you are a minor) or employers without
your specific request and release.
If you received care for your illness or injury from a private healthcare provider, you
should request your excuse note from that provider. The note should be brought to
the Health Center, at which time the staff member will assist in providing a note of
excuse on behalf of the student.
It is our practice to allow excuse notes to be written by qualified licensed providers,
which include physicians, nurses, and physician assistants.