Medical Emergencies or Temporary Health Conditions

Note: students experiencing non-medical emergencies (like family crises, dependent illness, or other cases not directly involving the student's personal health) that lead to extended absences of two weeks or longer need to contact the Office of Student Affairs instead of Accessibility Resources. Call 507-389-2121 or email student-affairs@mnsu.edu.

Medical Emergency

Accessibility Resources supports students who are hospitalized and/or experiencing medical emergencies. When experiencing a medical emergency or hospitalization that leads to extended absence, a student or their representative needs to contact Accessibility Resources for support. This contact can be via phone (507-389-2825), email (ar@mnsu.edu), or in person (Memorial Library 132).

It is the responsibility of the student (or their representative) to provide documentation that states the diagnosis and expected dates of absence. Accessibility Resources staff will collect information from the student or their representative, document the reason for the absence, and contact the student's instructors upon receipt of their supporting medical documentation. The information provided by Accessibility Resources does not mandate any action on behalf of the course instructor but serves to verify the absence. 

Students must follow up with their individual course instructors as soon as they are able to discuss their status in each class, clarify if successful course completion is possible given the extended absence, or determine if other options should be considered. Accessibility Resources staff will assist the student with course advising for their particular circumstances if needed.

Information for submitting documents can be found here: Submitting Documentation

Temporary Health Conditions

If a non-emergency illness causes a student to miss more than two weeks of class, they need to contact Accessibility Resources for support with documenting their temporary health condition. Services are extended only for the duration of the limitations associated with the illness. Students experiencing temporary illnesses that cause absences shorter than two weeks are responsible for contacting their course instructors directly.

Students should provide documentation of their temporary illness including diagnosis and a summary of the functional limitations. After reviewing the documentation and meeting with the student, Accessibility Resources staff will determine the appropriate support based on the functional limitations posed by the illness in the academic setting.

This form can be completed by the provider and submitted to serve as medical documentation:

Documentation of Temporary Illness Form (fillable PDF)

Submission instructions are provided on the form as well as at the Submitting Documents page.