For students suffering from mental health problems, taking the step to apply for a leave of absence isn’t one to be taken lightly. Beyond simply prolonging graduation, the weight of the implications that it has on one’s life presents a barrier. It isn’t an easy for many to recognize their own mental health concerns, and it is even harder to act on them, whether it be seeking treatment or fully committing to a leave of absence. Considering these necessary steps, I take issue with Washington University’s policy relating to the appearance of mental health leave on official transcripts. In my opinion, having leave appear in any tangible form on one’s transcripts only acts as a further deterrent keeping students who may very much benefit from a leave from requesting one.

The current policy for mental health leave on transcripts is that it is noted generally as “medical leave”. If you apply and are granted leave before the add/drop deadline, then you will just be dropped from your classes without further notation. If approved after that deadline, each class dropped will appear on your transcript as a withdrawal.

Because it falls in line with standard procedures for withdrawing from a course (regardless of reason), this process seems logical, but in fact can act as a discouraging factor to someone considering mental health leave. The general purpose of a transcript is to signify someone’s qualifications to a future employer or professional/graduate school. Notating classes as withdrawals is inherently a negative mark on one’s transcript, a mark that most students try to avoid for worry of the future consequences. For a person who is seriously considering mental health leave, the last thing they should have to worry about is what a future employer or school will think of it.

Another fundamental problem with this policy is the short time limit students have to apply for mental health leave without withdrawals. The add/drop deadline stretches less than two weeks into a semester. Under this system, a student would be forced to recognize serious enough problems with their mental health and take the steps to apply for leave within less than two weeks of classes starting. That expectation is wholly unrealistic of a student dealing with serious mental health issues.

The problem with changing this from a legal perspective would be that under the Americans with Disabilities Act, institutions such as universities cannot differentiate between physical and mental health issues for policy enforcement. Under this rule, it would be illegal not to show withdrawals for mental health, while still showing them for physical health leave. But rather than let this be a roadblock for reforming the system, let it be a reason to go even further. Since withdrawals are a Wash. U. internal policy, I feel it would be appropriate to not show them on transcripts for all forms of medical leave. No one can completely control their own health, making the institutionalization of the negative marks on transcripts because of a medical issue fundamentally unfair.

Beyond the legal protections that exist to protect people with mental health issues from discrimination, my main concern is with how this policy affects a person considering taking leave and how it could act as a deterrent. If a student is suffering, the last thing they should be forced to consider is how their seeking help will impact their future educational and job prospects. That forced consideration could lead many students to postpone the help they would benefit from until later, when it wouldn’t impact their education. I worry for these students because in the competitive atmosphere that Wash. U. fosters, this situation may be more common than many would like to think.