Absences

At the Engle Center, we do not provide medical excuses. We do upon request provide a “visit verification.” A visit verification confirms that a student was seen in our office. We see patients for various reasons, including ones that do not require missing a class, chapel, or other obligations. Messiah Students are expected to communicate with their faculty and employers when/why they may be absent from class or work. For this reason, it is important for students to communicate appropriately about missing an obligation to whomever they are accountable.

Students are also advised to consider whether an appointment can be scheduled so as not to miss an obligation. Attendance policies at Messiah University are specific to the objectives and requirements of each individual course and are managed by the faculty. In some cases, faculty can excuse absences that occur to legitimate reasons like illness. At times, students seeking a medical note/excuse schedule unnecessary visits for minor and/or resolved illnesses (e.g., “I was vomiting yesterday”, or “I had a fever”), due to the desire for a medical excuse rather than the need for professional care. Such visits can occupy the time of medical professionals and delay care for actively ill patients. In the real-world setting, visits of this nature lead to increased health care costs, waste, and inefficiency. Very often, providers are writing medical excuses/work notes that merely reiterate the subjective reports already given to instructor/employer, making the health care system a costly middleman between the two.

At times students may be seen in Engle for a truly emergent medical issue under circumstances where it would not be possible for them to communicate with their faculty. When this happens, especially if the student is being sent to receive emergent care off campus, the Engle Center may send a communication to relevant faculty and staff notifying them of the emergent absence. Long term absences for planned procedures or emergencies are managed according to Messiah’s Extended Medical Absence policy or Medical Leave policy.