When students are absent due to a crisis situation or unexpected situation and unable to contact their individual instructors directly, they are encouraged to reach out to the Office of Student Assistance. The Office of Student Assistance will send email communication to faculty sharing that a student will be absent from coursework due to an emergency. These emergencies could include the loss of a loved one, hospitalization, etc. This does not serve as an excused absence, however, it does provide communication to a student's faculty that they will not be in class for a period of time.
An e-mail notification from the Dean of Students Office to a student's faculty members and academic advisers. A copy of this message is sent to the student as well.
- An announcement that an emergency situation (their own hospitalization, accident, death in the family, etc.) prevents student from contacting instructors directly and may also prevent them from fulfilling their academic responsibilities.
- A source of information so faculty can anticipate the absence and return of student to their course if that information is available.
- A written reminder that students should work directly with instructors to determine how to complete any missed course work during the absence.
The Dean of Students Office staff does not investigate when students request an Emergency Notification. We ask for enough details from students to assess the situation and offer advice about what should be done to make their transition back to class easier. However, we do not contact hospitals, doctors, police, family members, etc. to assess the validity of an absence prior to sending out an Emergency Notification. We inform students that it is their responsibility to have appropriate documentation available when their instructors request it. If you have questions or would like to consult, we encourage you to reach out to our team at 515-294-1020 or by email at studentassistance@iastate.edu.