Academic-Intercollegiate Athletic Scheduling Conflicts

Letter of Understanding for Coaches, Faculty, and Student Athletes

Scheduling Conflicts between Classes/Labs and Intercollegiate Athletic Competitions

It is inevitable that schedule conflicts will arise between intercollegiate athletic competitions and academic responsibilities (e.g., class meetings, labs, etc.). Included here are some guidelines and expectations to help minimize problems caused by such conflicts and to help support our student athletes. However, when no ideal solution is attainable, the student’s responsibility to academics comes first. In addition, each instructor’s academic policies and expectations, including the attendance policy, hold for all students. However, as written in the faculty and student handbooks, “to facilitate the scheduling of intercollegiate athletic competitions, an effort is made to make the calendar for the academic year a stable one that is announced as far in advance as possible. When given satisfactory notice by student athletes, faculty are encouraged to work with students to assure that they are given every opportunity to make up any class assignments or exams.”

Expectations of Students

  • Within the first week of joining a class,student-athletes should:
    • Inform instructors of their athletic schedule and associated class meeting conflicts;
    • Discuss with instructors any ramifications for missing these classes and possible ways to make up any academic work. As stated in the student and faculty handbooks, “In cases where make-up work is impossible, because of the nature of the instructional experience, students must assume their personal responsibility for choosing between their academic obligations and the extracurricular activity;”
    • Inform coaches of athletic/class meeting conflicts and describe any arrangements that they have made with each of their instructors; and
    • Inform academic adviser(s) of the athletic/class meeting conflicts and describe arrangements made with the coach and each of the relevant instructors.
  • A week in advance of each scheduling conflict, student-athletes should remind relevant instructors of previous arrangements.
  • If student-athletes drop a class or leave a team, they should inform relevant advisor(s), coaches and instructors.

Expectations of Coaches

  • By the beginning of each semester, coaches should e-mail their team’s game schedule, travel plans and roster to instructors and advisers for each team member. Coaches should send updated rosters within the first three weeks of the athletic season.
  • When game schedules change due, for example, to bad weather, coaches should immediately e-mail the new schedule to the relevant instructors with the reason for the change.
  • Coaches should remind their student-athletes that if they miss a class or lab due to athletic competition:
    • They are responsible for all missed work; and
    • Such an absence may, depending on the attendance policy outlined in the course syllabus, count as a class absence and hence negatively affect a student-athlete’s semester grade.
  • When scheduling times for student-athletes to be in the locker room, on the bus, etc., coaches should consider making these arrangements in such a way that student-athletes minimize any class/lab conflict.
  • When scheduling practices, coaches should consider the academic schedules of their team members to help them succeed academically and athletically. For example, students majoring in a scientific field may have significant constraints in their afternoon schedules. Even with careful planning, conflicts may occur and coaches should recognize that student-athletes must attend their class/lab rather than practice. Student-athletes should not be penalized for missing practice to attend a class/lab.

Expectations of Faculty

  • Faculty should recognize that student-athletes often experience stress from the tension between the competing demands of academics and athletics and that scheduling conflicts between class/lab meetings and athletic competitions are generally not of the student-athlete’s creation.
  • Instructors must clearly describe their attendance policy and class expectations in the course syllabus. These policies and expectations apply to all students enrolled in a class.
  • Within one week of receipt of a team roster, instructors should e-mail the coach with schedule information for any out-of-class meetings (for example, field trips) and inform the coach immediately if this schedule should change, due for example, to bad weather.
  • As stated in the faculty and student handbooks, “When given satisfactory notice by student-athletes, faculty are encouraged to work with students to assure that they are given every opportunity to make up any class assignments or exams.” If no alternatives are possible, the faculty member should explain to the student-athlete the basis for the course attendance policy.
  • Faculty advisers should assist student-athletes in the difficult balance between academic and athletic responsibilities. When otherwise irreconcilable conflicts arise between these competing responsibilities, academic advisers are encouraged to assist their advisees in working with the coach and instructor. When necessary, the Associate Academic Dean will assist in addressing such conflicts.

Questions?

Contact the office of the Athletic Director: 336-316-2190
or the office of the Associate Academic Dean: 336-316-2196

Guilford College is a member of Division III in the NCAA. Our student-athletes do not receive any grant-in-aid or scholarship money for athletics.

According to the 2006-07 NCAA Division III Manual:

17.1.6 Missed Class Time- no class time shall be missed for practice activities except when a team is traveling to an away-from-home contest and the practice is in conjunction with the contest.