Athletic Academic Policy

UMass Lowell Policy on Scheduling of Games and Practices 

Preamble

The University of Massachusetts Lowell, first and foremost, is dedicated to the promotion of learning and scholarship, and to meeting the public need for educated citizens. The University achieves that goal by completing its three-fold mission of teaching, research, and public service. UML also values the role played by athletics in the life of the community. Student-athletes are representatives of the University in intercollegiate competition, and their athletic and academic excellence brings credit to UML. The University recognizes that student-athletes must balance the demands of their sport with the academic obligations they assume when they enter an institution of higher learning. The following policy is designed to acknowledge that challenge, and to assist the student athletes, as well as faculty members, coaches, and administrators, in managing conflicts that could arise between the legitimate demands of both academics and athletics.

Policy on Games During Academic Semester

  1. UML student-athletes have the responsibility of notifying each of their instructors before the end of the period for adding classes about any possible conflict between scheduled class meetings, exams, or assignment due dates, and scheduled athletic contests, especially those involving travel off campus. Such notification shall be in writing or by electronic mail, and shall include specific information about the dates the student will not be in class, nor available for an exam. Student-athletes are responsible for completing all reading, and acquiring all lecture notes and other material introduced in the class during their absence.
  2. UML faculty are requested to be flexible and offer reasonable accommodations for student-athletes whose schedule of intercollegiate athletic contests requires them to be absent from class, or miss scheduled quizzes, exams, or assignment due dates. The specific accommodation offered shall be determined by the faculty member, but might include make-up quizzes, alternate due dates, or rescheduling of exams. The faculty member retains the right to make the final determination about course scheduling, academic requirements, and assignment due dates. However, given that student-athletes represent the University when participating in competition away from campus, absence by a student-athlete resulting from his/her travel to, or participation in a regularly-scheduled intercollegiate athletic contest, about which the faculty member has been properly notified, shall not incur an academic penalty (i.e., lower grade), even when a portion of the grade in a course is based on attendance.  This policy shall not apply to laboratory sections or clinical sections.
  3. Except for absences resulting from travel to, or participation in regularly-scheduled intercollegiate athletic contests about which the instructor has been properly notified, UML student-athletes shall have the responsibility of attending class, sitting for exams, and meeting assignment due dates on the same schedule as other students enrolled in the same course, and may be penalized for absences other than those resulting from such travel or participation.

Passed by the UMass Lowell Faculty Senate 4/6/2014.