Student Institutional Excuses

A Student Institutional Excuse may be granted to a student who participates as a representative of the University in academic (including research), extra- or co-curricular, or athletic activities, or for military service. Students may be excused for institutional purposes from otherwise required academic activity only when a valid Student Institutional Excuse is approved by the appropriate administrative unit or official.

Types of Institutional Excuses

Academic. Approved by the dean (or designee) of the relevant academic college, the academic Student Institutional Excuse may be issued to students who participate in i) curriculum-based, scheduled course activity outside of a normal class meeting time; or ii) academically-oriented or post-graduation career activity (e.g., conferences, research presentations, graduate school interviews, job interviews related to earned degrees, etc.).

Athletic. Approved by the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs (or designee), the athletic Student Institutional Excuse may be issued to students who participate in athletic events sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (“NCAA”).

Extra- or Co-Curricular. Approved by the Dean of Students (or designee), the extra- or co-curricular Student Institutional Excuse may be issued to students who participate in sanctioned extracurricular or co-curricular events sponsored by student clubs and organizations.

Military. Approved by the Dean of Students (or designee) in consultation with the Director of Veteran and Military Services, the military Student Institutional Excuse is issued to students who must respond to official U.S. Department of Defense service orders (e.g., Reserve Component and National Guard military students who must meet temporary duty requirements). Military Student Institutional Excuses are also available so that military students may obtain U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”) medical treatment and related non-VA referrals.

Approval Process & Policy

Students requesting approval for any Institutional Excuse must complete and submit the online form. Detailed instructions are provided on the webpage form.

The Student Institutional Excuses policy contains specific details, responsibilities, and resources related to Institutional Excuses. Please refer to this policy before submitting an approval request. Questions may be addressed to the appropriate approvers, as identified in the section above and in the policy.