VCOM College Catalog and Student Handbook

c. VCOM will respect the student’s confidentiality, and only require the student to provide a medical release for access to the student’s medical and mental health records as reasonably necessary to complete its individualized assessment. In the case the student is not comfortable in providing mental health records to VCOM, the records may be provided to an independent mental health professional, who will be consulted to determine if a threat exists to the student, to the college community or to patient care by the student’s continued participation in the program. d. Based on the results of the individualized assessment, VCOM will determine whether, and what, reasonable modifications can be made that would be effective to allow such a student to safely continue to attend classes and otherwise participate in its educational programs and/or to participate in patient care while undergoing treatment for, or recovering from related medical or mental health conditions. However, in the event that VCOM also considers whether the student poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others, including the students, faculty, staff, and the patients the student will care for, VCOM’s individualized assessment must be based on reasonable judgment and rely on current medical knowledge and the best available objective evidence, to ascertain: the nature, duration, and severity of the risk; the probability of or potential for the threat of injury to actually occur (to the student, to fellow students, faculty, and staff; and/or to the patient under the care of the student). The assessment will also include whether reasonable modifications of policies, practices, or procedures or the provision of auxiliary aids or services would mitigate the risk. e. VCOM will require a student to take a MMLOA only if: i. After the individualized assessment, and careful review and consideration documented by VCOM, VCOM concludes that the student’s continued participation in its educational programs would require modifications that would be unreasonable or would fundamentally alter the nature of those programs; ii. The student rejects all reasonable modifications and monitoring requirements offered by VCOM and the student cannot meet VCOM’s essential eligibility requirements and technical standards to continue to participate in its educational and clinical care programs; or iii. After the individualized assessment, even with the provision of all of the reasonable modifications that could be offered by VCOM, the student cannot meet VCOM’s essential eligibility requirements and technical standards to safely and effectively participate in the VCOM educational or clinical care programs. In emergency situations, the Campus Dean (or designee), in the exercise of reasonable judgment, may bypass some or all of the above steps and considerations, in order to ensure campus safety or patient safety in the clinical sites, and/or the safety of other students. Nothing in this or other policies shall be construed to prevent VCOM from requiring students to, at all times, meet the College/program essential eligibility requirements and technical standards, and the policies and procedures that assure campus safety. The imposing of a MMLOA is an academic decision and is not a disciplinary action; however, separate disciplinary action may also occur as a result of a separate action by the student or an action from an underlying behavior of the student, pursuant to this Handbook. If VCOM decides to impose a MMLOA, the Campus Dean (or designee) will advise the student, via official VCOM email, followed by a letter delivered via certified mail and verbally by the appropriate administrator, of the leave and duration of the leave, any restrictions from coming on campus or entering a clinical site, and available grievance procedures should the student wish to challenge the decision. VCOM shall document the decision, as well as the underlying facts, assessments and determinations.

219