Tuesday, January 13, 2026
2:00 – 3:30 pm ET

Confidently Manage Complex Cases & Ensure Compliance

Navigating student mental health, safety concerns, and legal compliance has never been more complex—or more critical.

Join us on January 13, 2026, for a practical, expert-led training by campus attorney Hannah Ross, designed to help you strengthen your institution’s leave of absence and readmission policies, especially in cases involving students of concern. Whether you're responding to a student experiencing a mental health crisis, assessing a potential safety threat, or planning for a student's return to campus, having clear, legally sound policies is essential. Ensure confidence in your policies and strategies to work with students at risk of harming themselves or others.  This session will help you develop a mastery of best practices for conducting difficult conversations with students and families and the legal insights that directly impact your work.

This training goes beyond theory. You'll gain a step-by-step practical policy checklist you can use immediately to confidently and compassionately handle complex student situations; ensure institutional compliance with ADA, Section 504, and the current OCR/DOJ expectations; and avoid the risks of vague or outdated policies. 

Topics Covered

Gain crucial, actionable takeaways that will help you:

• Write and revise leave and readmission policies that are both compassionate and legally defensible, creating tools and strategies to manage the most challenging student safety cases.
• Understand the thresholds for involuntary removal and how to document and communicate those decisions appropriately.
• Differentiate between types of student departures (voluntary leave, involuntary leave, withdrawal, suspension) and align your processes with current legal standards.
• Establish clear criteria for safe return of students after a mental health or behavioral concern.
• Apply recent case law and federal enforcement actions to case studies of high-risk student situations and appropriate institutional response.
• Create clear, supportive communication strategies for students and families navigating these sensitive situations.

Presenter

Hannah Ross currently serves as the General Counsel, Chief Risk Officer, and Secretary to the Corporation at Middlebury College in Vermont.
Click here for full bio.