Emergency Absence Notification FAQ for Instructors

An Emergency Absence Notification is an email sent as a courtesy by the Office of the Dean of Students to a student’s instructors when a student is unable to communicate their own absence due to extenuating circumstances, such as:

• an acute medical or mental health emergency, excluding communicable disease.
• the loss of an immediate family member.
• being impacted by fire, flood, or other disaster.

An Emergency Absence Notification does not excuse a student from completing class work. It simply alerts instructors of a student’s absence due to a serious disruption/circumstance and establishes an entry point from which a student can begin communicating with instructors regarding arrangements for making up coursework.

When you receive an Emergency Absence Notification, all you need to do is make note of the following:

• The student mentioned in the notification is navigating a difficult situation. This means that the student may have been absent or will be absent for a variable period of time and that the student might not have the capacity or ability to tend to their schoolwork as usual.

• It is the responsibility of the student to follow up with you, the instructor, to make up any missed coursework.

Emergency Absence Notifications do not specify the student’s extenuating circumstances. It is the student’s choice whether or not they want to share the nature of the circumstances they’re experiencing with you directly. Please do not expect disclosure from the student.

However, know that staff members at the Office of the Dean of Students review every request for an Emergency Absence Notification and only approve requests that meet criteria which substantiate the need for emergency communications. Additionally, all students who submit an Emergency Absence Notification request will be offered support from case managers in the Office of the Dean of Students.

Because it is the responsibility of the student to follow up with you, simply wait for the student to email you. Trust that the student will share what they feel comfortable sharing and that they will ask for what they sincerely need.

In the event of a student’s emergency, you are encouraged by the Office of the Dean of Students to provide reasonable arrangements to make up coursework to promote the retention and success of this student, so long as the student’s absences are not excessive. 

It’s important to note that determinations regarding the acceptance of absences are at your discretion based on the attendance policy included in your class syllabus unless the student’s absence is a university-recognized student absence, e.g., bereavement for the death of an immediate family member.

Refer to the “Approaching student needs when learning is disrupted” section of the Boise State University Teaching Guide for helpful language from the Office of the Provost and the Office of the Dean of Students to consider in your decision-making as you support students navigating extenuating circumstance or emerging from crises.

You are also welcome to reach out to your department chair, associate dean, the Center for Teaching and Learning and/or the Office of the Provost for consultation.

• • Helpful and Supportive Communication page: Find tips and tools, including email templates, about connecting students directly to helpful university offices, sharing concern for students who are disengaging, communicating with unresponsive students, setting boundaries to clarify your role as a supportive instructor, and more.
  • Request a Responding to Students in Distress presentation: This 1-hour skills training equips attendees with strategies and resources to support students who display distressing behavior or communication.