The Dean of Students Office can support students experiencing a crisis and/or medical or family emergencies with an Absence Notification to faculty. Students are encouraged to review the Student Leave Policy and course syllabi for additional information regarding class absences and make-up work. Students are encouraged to work directly with their professors for non-emergency situations. Additionally, students requesting an Absence Notification will be provided information on relevant support services and resources.
Absence notifications will include general and discrete language to describe the reason for the absence(s).
Examples of Crisis and/or Medical or Family Emergencies include:
The Dean of Students office will also connect students to relevant support services.
Examples of Non-emergency situations include:
Students are always encouraged to notify their instructors as soon as possible of their absence from classes, in advance if possible, and to develop a plan, with a timetable, to make up missed coursework. Students should work directly with their professors for non-emergency situations. However, the Dean of Students Office can assist students that are not able to resolve the situation with their professor.
Additional examples of absences that allow for make up academic work and hours include:
For more detailed information on student leave, please see the Student Leave Policy.
Students who are experiencing ongoing medical or health issues should consider apply for services through Student Accessibility Services to support their academic success.
Absence Notifications are not designed for extended leaves. If you will need to be away for a majority of a semester or need to stop out for multiple semesters, you should speak to your advisor(s). If you will be away for more than three years, you should refer to the Readmission policy and the Academic Forgiveness policy.
Students are encouraged to work directly with their professors regarding experiences and situations that may make it difficult to temporarily attend classes, focus on classwork, and/or meet academic deadlines.
The following tips can help with a student communication to a professor:
Example letter to professors
Subject line: ENGL 191
Dear Professor Smith,
My name is Blizzard T. Husky and I am writing this email to let you know that I have not been able to attend (Course name/Unique #) on the following dates (Insert dates here) due to (insert situation here; i.e. illness/flu) situation. The situation was unexpected, but I have been working to catch-up on course work as best as possible.
Please let me know if we can set up a time to meet and discuss missed work and possible next steps? I appreciate any time, flexibility, and support you may be able to provide at this time.
Thank you,
Your Name
Relevant University Policies