Anthony Russo
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After taking a medical withdrawal in December 2021, Lucy Kim ’24 was given 72 hours to vacate her dorm and return her key card. A second-semester sophomore studying molecular biology, biochemistry and world affairs, Kim suffered from a rare non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder: staying awake for 40 hours and, sometimes, hallucinating. Her withdrawal meant she no longer had health insurance at Yale and had no guarantee of readmission. She rented an apartment in New Haven and worked as a private tutor to make ends meet.
Kim, who was reinstated this fall, is among the latest undergraduates to withdraw for medical reasons. Following Yale’s January announcement of a more flexible medical leave, students received information in August about sweeping new university policy reforms related to mental health. This is the result of a settlement agreement stemming from a disability discrimination class action lawsuit filed by the nonprofit Elis for Rachael (EFR) in November 2022.
Named in honor of Rachael Shaw-Rosenbaum ’24, who died by suicide in March 2021, and staffed primarily by alumni from the 1960s to the 2020s, the nonprofit aims to “push Yale to support, rather to punish students when they are sick.
“It’s a big step forward,” Elis says of Rachael co-founder Alicia Floyd ’05, referring to the new policy. It allows students to extend their health coverage for a year, provides campus access, as well as the ability for students with urgent medical needs to request part-time study, and simplifies the return process.
“I hope that the changes that have emerged from these discussions will make it easier for students to seek support, focus on their health and well-being, and take time off if they wish, knowing that they will be able to resume their studies when they can. ready,” Pericles Lewis, dean of Yale College, said in a message to students.
According to Floyd, Yale’s resistance to reforming its policies over several decades lies partly in the university’s practice of “weighing responsibility” in different situations, which can overshadow the best interests of the student.
Although the new reforms represent a change for a culture that traditionally has “very little tolerance for human frailty,” as EFR co-founder Paul Mange Johansen said in 1988, Floyd warns that the implemented is essential.
For now, there may be reason to be optimistic. There are the new Yale Campus Mental Health Allies, a collaboration of EFR and the Yale Student Mental Health Association. YCMHA will host individuals representing student groups who will voice concerns and questions about Yale mental health services and policies. “The goal is to get feedback,” Floyd said. “We are nothing without student feedback. »
Kim, who will graduate in May, has recruited undergraduate students to serve as “temporary mentors” to help them navigate the process of taking leave and returning to campus.
“I don’t feel any resentment toward Yale,” Kim said. “I think I’m in a unique position to make things better for students in the future.”
