Health Issues, Short- and Long-Term

Students who encounter short- and long-term medical issues or instances of personal distress/emergency can seek academic support if needed.

 

You should notify your instructors if you become incapacitated because of a short-term health issue that either:

  1. Prevents you from completing an assignment, exam, quiz, presentation, lab, or any graded work on the day you submit the form, or
  1. Prevents you from attending a class where attendance is required.

 

  • Your instructor has discretion regarding whether to accept an incapacitation form as an excused absence.  
  • An Incapacitation Form should only be submitted for reasons related to your health; an Incapacitation Form submitted for any other reason will not be accepted by the instructor.
  • Abuse of the Incapacitation Form can be construed as a conduct violation.
  • The Incapacitation Form is only a notification.  After submitting the form, it’s your responsibility to meet or otherwise communicate with the instructor of the course in question within 48 hours to discuss your missed work and how it will be treated in accordance with course policy.
  • After you’ve submitted three consecutive days of incapacitation forms, the system will not accept any more until you’ve contacted your dean.  Your dean may ask to meet with you before renewing these forms (for up to an additional three) to learn more about your situation and identify sources of support.
  • It’s up to you to decide how much to disclose of your health situation on the form.  You’re not obligated to provide personal details of your physical or mental condition unless you choose to.  If your instructor requires this, please refer them to your dean, who will follow up accordingly.
  • Ask about the instructor’s policy regarding contagious illness.  Some may offer an option for you to attend class virtually, wear a mask to class, or take the exam in an isolated setting.
  • Check your syllabus for course-specific information on the use of incapacitation forms for absences and missed assignments.  In some cases, if the syllabus allows for a certain number of free “skips,” incapacitation forms submitted in addition to these might not be counted as excused.  Similarly, courses that allow you to drop the lowest quiz/exam grade may require you to use this pathway in lieu of rescheduling an exam you’ve missed

 

Incapacitation Forms are monitored by the Academic Deans of Trinity College and the Pratt School of Engineering, abuse could be construed as a violation of the honor code.  Feel free to contact your Dean if you have any questions about this process.

The incapacitation form notification procedure is based on these operating principles:
  • You will only use the Incapacitation Form for reasons related to your health and then only if your issue is truly incapacitating.
  • You will act in accordance with the Duke Community Standard, in particular that provision stating that you will not "provide false or misleading information in order to be excused from classes or assignments."
This is what you should do:
  • Consult DukeHub to view your class schedule to obtain the name and number of the course and the name of the course instructor.
  • Complete the secure on-line form (below) and submit it.
    • An e-mail to your instructor will be generated, with a copy sent to you.
    • A copy is also placed in a file to which your dean has access.
    • Deans do not review Incapacitation Form usage on a daily basis, so if you would like your dean to know that you are incapacitated, email a separate note to your dean.
  • You should send the Incapacitation Form as soon as possible once you realize that your issue has become incapacitating. Instructors will expect you to submit the Incapacitation Form prior to the class you are missing, if at all possible.
  • Meet with or contact your instructor within 48 hours of submitting the Incapacitation Form to discuss how you can be accommodated under the circumstances, in accordance with the class policy.

If you have reached your limit for Incapacitation Forms for a given semester, you should contact your dean to have the form reactivated and/or discuss options if you are dealing with a longer-lasting health issue.

 

Online Form: Incapacitation Form

Please require the use of the Incapacitation Form for all absences due to incapacitating health issues when graded work is missed.

  • The Incapacitation Form provides a means of documenting student absences. This record is used by the academic deans as a basis for evaluating problematic absences and identifying students in need of support.
  • The Incapacitation Form only allows a student to address the form to one instructor. If you have a team-taught course or use TAs, give clear instructions to students as to whom they should send an Incapacitation Form.
  • You have a right to expect students who submit an Incapacitation Form to meet or communicate with you within 48 hours to talk about how you might accommodate their missed work in accordance with your course policy and to discuss the implications of missing a class, exam, or deadline for submission of work.
  • Do not accept an Incapacitation Form if it has been used for any reason other than an incapacitating health issue.
  • If you suspect that a student is abusing the Incapacitation Form, you should bring this to the attention of the student's academic dean or refer the matter yourself to the Office of Student Conduct for investigation.   
  • For a student who has excessive absences and missed work such that they are no longer able to meet the learning objectives of your course, you should bring this to the attention of the student's academic dean as soon as possible.

 

Trinity College of Arts & Sciences recognizes that some students will enter Duke with a chronic health issue or will develop a condition that persists.  Such conditions may have an impact on academic life as well as campus life.

  • Students:  If you have a chronic illness or persistent health issue, you should contact your academic dean and inform them of the situation. Your academic dean will assist you in planning how to manage this.
  • Instructors:  Please refer a student with chronic health issues to their academic dean and/or notify the academic dean if a student seems to be struggling with a long-term issue.

Trinity College of Arts & Sciences recognizes that some students may need to deal with instances of personal distress or emergency that have an impact on academic life as well as campus life.  For information on resources for support and assistance, see Emergencies, Personal.

  • Students:  If you encounter a situation which is especially difficult for you, contact your academic dean and inform them of the situation. Your academic dean will assist you in planning how to manage this.  
  • Instructors: Please refer a student struggling with personal issues to their academic dean and/or notify the academic dean if a student seems to be distressed and struggling.

Students are expected to take final examinations at the scheduled times unless an extraordinary circumstance interferes.

  • Given the time limitations inherent in making up a missed final exam, absence from a final exam is handled differently than a short-term or long-term illness.
  • The Incapacitation Form is turned off during the final exam period.
  • If you are unable to take a final exam as scheduled, you must contact your academic dean as soon as possible, preferably before the scheduled final exam but at least within 48 hours of missing the final exam. Your dean will ask for documentation of illness or emergency. If your dean excuses your absence, they will notify your instructor and allow a make-up exam to be scheduled.  If your dean does not excuse your absence, you may receive a zero for the exam. 

​​​​​​​For more details, see Absence from Final Exams