One of the biggest challenges for today’s student-athletes is managing expectations of others. Most commonly, they find themselves in a no-win situation when faculty and coach expectations collide regarding missed class time for team travel.
This is where athletics leadership must recognize the potential for this type of situation and develop ways in which student-athletes can be supported. Three key issues impact this scenario and need to be addressed annually, and particularly with each incoming class of student-athletes:
- Clarity about missed class time policies and procedures
- Student-athlete relationships with their professors
- Athletics Department relationships with faculty
A Common Scenario
A coach expects his team to be on time for the bus departure, which means missing class. The day before travel, the student-athlete mentions, in passing, that she will miss the next class because of a game. The faculty member knew nothing about it and stresses to the student-athlete how much weight attendance and class participation have on her grade.
The student-athlete then goes to his coach and says the professor won’t let her miss class. The coach gets frustrated and tells her student-athlete to remind the professor of the excused absence policy. The student-athlete tries to have a discussion with the professor, but it doesn’t go well.
Now what? You can’t not show up for the team bus. But you can’t afford a bad grade either. You tried to do what your coach instructed, but it didn’t work. Two authority figures are in conflict, but the student-athlete is caught in the middle, often interpreting both sides of the conflict with inflated emotion and consequence.
Unaware of official policy and unsure of where to turn, most student-athletes ignore the conflict, hoping it will resolve itself. Of course conflict rarely resolves itself, so we need to develop a plan to proactively address the most common situations.
1. Policy and Procedure Clarification
Most institutions have a policy, formal or informal, that addresses missed class time because of athletics competition. However, this policy is often lost or absent in communications with faculty, coaches and student-athletes. Coaches, administrators and student-athletes assume the policy is known and followed… until the first missed class.
If the institution has a formal policy, review it annually with Athletics Department staff and student-athletes. Also make sure that your FAR can help remind faculty of the policy, perhaps at a faculty retreat or similar venue. If there is no formal policy, urge your FAR to explore establishing one. Clarity will serve everyone’s best interest and help reduce conflict.
2. Student-Athletes
No matter what policy exists, it is critical that all student-athletes develop a relationship with their professors at the beginning of each term. Student-athletes should introduce and identify
themselves as a member of their team and remind professors that the travel schedule will require missed classes. This proactive step demonstrates responsibility, maturity and avoids student-athletes trying to hide behind a policy or make excuses. It also provides an opportunity for student-athletes to invite faculty members to attend games.
Student-athletes should then remind their professors at least one week before each absence, and take special note if an exam is scheduled. In these cases, arrangements can be made to take the exam with a proctor, the student-athlete can offer to take the exam earlier, or a make up date and time can be scheduled with the professor.
3. Athletics Department
Athletics directors and coaches must also take a proactive role in building relationships with faculty. Institutional policy may require team schedules to be approved or at least circulated to faculty and/or the chief academic officer. If not, it is important to reinforce student-athlete communication efforts with departmental outreach. Sending copies of schedules, or better yet, having head coaches deliver them in person, to faculty members goes a long way toward building good will. Technology can help create a notification system throughout the school year as well, notifying faculty of the specific students who will need to miss class.
Conflicts will always arise and there are many circumstances that will require additional intervention. However, developing a plan for building faculty relationships and specifically addressing the support student-athletes need will improve your operations.