Student Athlete Policy

All parties—coaches, instructors, and students—have certain roles in ensuring that students can achieve their academic goals. Students should communicate and work with instructors to minimize conflicts and ensure that academic requirements are a priority. 

Student-Athletes (SAs) should take advantage of priority advising by scheduling a meeting with their academic advisors at least a week before registration. This will greatly minimize class conflicts. During the session with their advisors, SAs should provide practice and competition schedules where possible.

Coaches are instructed to provide practice and game schedules, including departure times for away contests, to all members of the team prior to the start of each season. Once SAs obtain their game schedules and departure times for away contests, they should compare their athletic schedule with their class schedule and any other scheduled class events to identify any overlapping commitments. After reviewing the professor’s attendance policy and, if any, class participation policy, the student should communicate with the professor directly and as soon as possible about any scheduled class events he or she is seeking permission to miss. It is recommended that students speak to their professor(s) in person and not initiate these discussions through email. These conversations should occur during the first days of the semester, before the end of the Add period. If necessary and in a professional manner, the SA should request that s/he miss class on specific competition dates with the understanding that all assignments/readings must be made up and that the absence itself should not adversely affect him or her achieving his or her academic goal. In these conversations, instructors can discuss alternative arrangements for completing course obligations because of conflicts arising from athletic team schedules, where appropriate. 

SAs may not miss class for practices.

If the level of anticipated absences is such that the student may have problems in reasonably meeting the attendance and other course requirements, the student has the responsibility of determining whether it is possible for him or her to continue to participate in that sport. If it is not possible to continue to participate in the sport and still meet the requirements of the class, the student must decide whether to withdraw from the sport or, in certain circumstances, to postpone the class to a later semester.