Highlanders demonstrate care for themselves and those around them by staying of aware of their health. Students who are not feeling well are encouraged to communicate with their faculty they are not able to attend in person. Depending upon symptoms it may be appropriate to seek testing or medical treatment. Once symptoms have improved significantly or resolved, or the student has been cleared by a healthcare provider, faculty expect attendance to resume. Faculty and students are encouraged to deal directly with one another concerning all student absences. Students, please contact your instructors first if you are going to miss a class. Instructors reserve the right to work with students without having absences verified by the Office of the Dean of Students. The Office of the Dean of Students does not have the authority to excuse an absence. Absence notifications are sent for non-academic reasons to assist a family during a rare and significant event or crisis in a student’s life.
Our office can send a note to instructors if the student provides us with sufficient documentation for their extenuating circumstance. For example, if the student is sick, they would need to provide us with an after visit summary or a note from a care provider. If the student has lost a loved one, they will need to provide us with an obituary or something showing the student has attended a funeral. Immediately upon return to classes, it is the responsibility of the student to contact faculty to provide documentation and discuss any missed class time, tests or assignments. Our role is not to excuse a student’s absence, but to verify it as legitimate so the instructor can make an informed decision on whether or not they wish to excuse an absence and/or allow for any missed class time, tests or assignments.
The student should first contact their instructors if they are able. If instructors are willing and able to work with a student around their absences, verification from our office is not necessary. Should the reason for the absence result in multiple and/or consecutive missed classes, the student is encouraged to contact the Office of the Dean of Students (274 Heth Hall, dos-web@radford.edu or 540-831-6297) to share their circumstances and discuss an absence notification and/or other resources or options. Faculty should feel free to refer a student or report any of the above circumstances immediately and may send students to the Office of the Dean of Students for verification. In such cases, advocacy will be provided as deemed appropriate from the Office of the Dean of Students.
Appointments can be scheduled with Student Health Services by calling 540-831-5111. For students whose classes are the Radford University Carilion site in Roanoke the Nurse Navigator can be reached at 540-795-3273.
You will be advised to contact your professors directly as soon as possible. You will also be advised to contact your Advisor and/or The Highlander Success Center to discuss academic concerns such as requesting an incomplete or withdrawing from some or all classes.