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Suggested Guidelines on Student Deadlines

Suggested Guidelines for Conversations on Coursework and Program Deadlines

These guidelines provide information for holding conversations when students share concerns about their capacity to complete their coursework and discuss expectations and support to manage it.

Who can benefit from these guidelines?

Class instructors, academic and research advisors, administrative staff, and chairs of academic units and areas.

What are students told?

  • Approach your professor and share concerns about completing your coursework and discuss expectations and support options.
  • Approach your academic and/or research advisor to discuss expectations and accommodations related to other departmental or program deadlines.
  • Contact the Dean of Students at students@cgu.edu for further information and support.

How should I respond to students’ requests for conversations, expectations, and flexibility?

  • When requested or expected by the student, set up a synchronous conversation instead of email communication. Establish rapport, communicate trust, acknowledge their experience, and seek to understand their situation.
  • Listen to the situation and hold questions until the person has finished explaining.
  • Ask questions to clarify what the student is currently working on, and what their needs and expectations are in terms of support for their academic work.
  • Engage in a conversation to understand better the student’s needs, instead of simply extending the deadline for missed work.
  • Consider flexible and creative expectations and arrangements that consider the individualized needs of the student. Examples include:
    • Extend deadlines until the end of the semester.
    • Flexibility and accountability: send reminders of deadlines but understand that they may require an extension.
    • Provide personalized arrangements such as individual assignments instead of team assignments.
    • Discuss with the student registrar official options such as the last day to drop and incomplete grade options.
    • Evaluate if you need to provide students with student resources (e.g., 7C Mental Health) and ‘Share a Concern’ with the Dean of Students using the iCare Form.

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