Mandatory leave after a student crisis
- Kind
- Policy and health systems
Prompt
A university requires any student who has a serious mental health crisis, such as being taken to a hospital after telling a friend they wanted to end their life, to take a full semester of leave before returning to classes and residence. The administration says the policy keeps students safe and gives them time to recover. A student group argues that it punishes students for asking for help, causes some to lose scholarships and housing, and discourages others from coming forward at all. You sit on the committee reviewing the policy. Should the university keep the mandatory leave? Explain your reasoning.
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After you practice: what this question tests and how to approach it
What this question tests
- Ethical reasoning
- Critical thinking
- Health systems and advocacy
How to approach this question
This MMI station tests how you weigh a university's duty to protect students after a mental health crisis against their right to make decisions about their own education and lives. Name the people affected: the student in crisis, students who might now hide their struggles, roommates and staff, and the university itself. Say what you'd want to know, such as how many students return successfully and what the leave costs them in scholarships and housing. Weigh a mandatory semester away against individual assessment, voluntary leave, or added support on campus. Make a clear recommendation and explain whom it protects. When a follow-up adds new data, show that you can read it carefully and say honestly what it does and doesn't prove.
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