2008 Woodie Awards
EPAG drafts uniform absence policy
By: Amy Ledig, News Editor
Issue date: 4/25/08 Section: News
Conflicts between class and other activities is something most students are familiar with. Right now, though, the way these conflicts are handled varies from professor to professor.
"This semester I have a final exam the day of a conference meet, so I had to let the professor know that I had to take it early or not go, which isn't really an option," Alex Rosselli '10 said.
Currently, the college is working on drafting a policy that would lay out a uniform set of guidelines for dealing with scheduling conflicts between academic events and college-sponsored activities students are involved in. The plan, which still in draft stage, is making the rounds and has been vetted by a number of groups on campus.
Movement began on the issue when a faculty member came to the Educational Policy and Governance committee and mentioned issues with absences in terms of student athletes, EPAG chair and psychology professor Kendrick Brown said. After more discussion and investigation, though, it became clear that students outside athletics were being impacted by schedule conflicts.
"It's not just about student athletes anymore, it's about college sponsored activities," Brown said.
"While the Athletics Advisory Board was driving this, it was pretty clear that there were other kinds of instances coming up on campus, whether it be with theater or music or debate, whatever the case was, it really wasn't an athletic specific issue," Athletic Director Travis Feezell said. "In fact, there needed to be a more general policy that would address any school-sponsored activity, whether it be one of those activities I mentioned or a class that might have a field trip - what would be the case there in terms of the faculty member working with the student to make up work."
Feezell said that while he usually hears about one or two class conflicts a year, this semester he has heard about five or six, higher than usual.
"Always my first response…is, has the student tried to find an alternative with the faculty member? Have they really communicated?" he said.
"This semester I have a final exam the day of a conference meet, so I had to let the professor know that I had to take it early or not go, which isn't really an option," Alex Rosselli '10 said.
Currently, the college is working on drafting a policy that would lay out a uniform set of guidelines for dealing with scheduling conflicts between academic events and college-sponsored activities students are involved in. The plan, which still in draft stage, is making the rounds and has been vetted by a number of groups on campus.
Movement began on the issue when a faculty member came to the Educational Policy and Governance committee and mentioned issues with absences in terms of student athletes, EPAG chair and psychology professor Kendrick Brown said. After more discussion and investigation, though, it became clear that students outside athletics were being impacted by schedule conflicts.
"It's not just about student athletes anymore, it's about college sponsored activities," Brown said.
"While the Athletics Advisory Board was driving this, it was pretty clear that there were other kinds of instances coming up on campus, whether it be with theater or music or debate, whatever the case was, it really wasn't an athletic specific issue," Athletic Director Travis Feezell said. "In fact, there needed to be a more general policy that would address any school-sponsored activity, whether it be one of those activities I mentioned or a class that might have a field trip - what would be the case there in terms of the faculty member working with the student to make up work."
Feezell said that while he usually hears about one or two class conflicts a year, this semester he has heard about five or six, higher than usual.
"Always my first response…is, has the student tried to find an alternative with the faculty member? Have they really communicated?" he said.
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