If an employee requests leave under this policy, the employee will be asked to complete an application form. When possible, the form must be submitted thirty (30) days in advance of the effective date of the leave. If the request for leave is to care for a seriously ill spouse, son, daughter, or parent, or due to the employee’s own serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform any or all of the essential functions of the position, the application must be supported by a certification by the employee (or the employee’s family member’s) health care provider. The certification form should be returned to the University within fifteen (15) days or as soon as possible under the particular facts and circumstances. The University has the right to require, at its expense, that the employee obtain the opinion of a second health care provider designated or approved by the University, concerning the first certification. In the event of a conflict between the first and second opinion, the University may, again at the University’s expense, obtain a third opinion from a health care provider agreed upon jointly by the University and the University. If the employee does not provide a medical certification within a reasonable time, based on the employee’s circumstances, the University may deny the request for leave or the continuation of the leave.