Doctor's note as "Get out of jail free" card

[marshwiggle]

I've gotten a couple of students recently who have basically not handed in any assignments, missed lots of labs, etc., and now that there's only a *couple of weeks of term left, when they can barely pass the course if they get 100% on the final exam, they have explained about mental health issues for which they have "doctor's notes".

I'm not judging, and I sympathize with people who have struggles, but this late in the term there is no more runway left. (I suggested both of them talk to the advising office, since they can look at the big picture and these problems probably affected all of their courses. Approving a late withdrawal from courses so they can restart next term or next year seems like a smart choice to me.)

This course is a prerequisite for other courses, so even if they eke out a bare pass, not only does it harm their GPA but it doesn't prepare them well for the next courses. (And this presumably applies to all of the other courses that they are probably struggling in as well.)

Seriously, a doctor's note isn't a time machine. I don't need proof that your reasons for poor performance are legitimate; I can't magically make you succeed in this course, which would involve you learning a lot of material, which is designed to happen over a few months because that's what it takes under the best circumstances. If I had a way to compress that into a couple of weeks I could be a billionaire overnight.

Does this seem to be happening more frequently, or should I just speed up my planned retirement?




(*Of course, the last day to drop without penalty was a couple of weeks ago.)

[Puget]

These are usually legitimate but as you say all the compassion in the world won't buy a time machine for them. I have to explain to a few students every semester that an incomplete is only allowed for missing the final exam or assignment, not a ticket to making up previously missed work. I do think there has been an increased expectation based on increased flexibility during the pandemic that they should be able to make up missing work or even re-do work for a higher grade in all classes, so some are shocked when that is not the case.

It is best to pass these cases up to the advising office (I wouldn't leave it to the student to do so)-- sometimes there are ways they can allow a late drop due to extenuating circumstances, including medical under-loads, or even a retroactive withdrawal from the semester for medical leave if all their classes are affected. They can also help connect the student to additional mental health services and supports.

[mythbuster]

Yes I am dealing with this as well. I think COVID leniency is a factor in the increased frequency of this issue. Students know that we have been told to help accommodate them. But there is a limit.
  I have also had more "violently ill" students on the morning of an exam than I've ever seen this semester. I'm actually changing my missed exam policy in the future so I don't have to deal with this- real or not.
   I would refer them up the chain to their advisor as well as the dean of students and the counselling office. We have a method to flag these type of students to the Dean of students. Then, they can verify the issue. As you stated. If it's real, it should be affecting all of their classes.

[Puget]

Yes I am dealing with this as well. I think COVID leniency is a factor in the increased frequency of this issue. Students know that we have been told to help accommodate them. But there is a limit.
  I have also had more "violently ill" students on the morning of an exam than I've ever seen this semester. I'm actually changing my missed exam policy in the future so I don't have to deal with this- real or not.
   I would refer them up the chain to their advisor as well as the dean of students and the counselling office. We have a method to flag these type of students to the Dean of students. Then, they can verify the issue. As you stated. If it's real, it should be affecting all of their classes.

What's worked well for me is to have a policy that they can take a "second chance exam" during finals to replace one of the midterm exams (along with the regular third exam- not cumulative). This also serves as the make-up for any missed midterm exam-- they don't need an excuse, real or not, and I don't need to decide who deserves a make-up, or make special arrangements or multiple versions of the exam. Win-win.

[mythbuster]

Puget- my plan is essentially that, but using the final exam instead of having to write (and grade) something new. That way if they really feel unprepared for the midterm, they can skip it and I won't have to grade that either!

[jimbogumbo]

I think they are better off with the late withdrawal (duh), and agree about contacting their advisors directly. In addition our campus has a person in the Dean of Student's Office who can be contacted when students need help navigating difficult situations of this (and other) varieties.

[Mobius]

These issues are tough. We all understand students want to pass, but we are gatekeepers that need to maintain some standards to ensure students meet learning objectives to earn a credential. However, I get many services that students might need (stable housing/food/counseling) are tied to them being in college and being eligible for financial aid.

Professors are often stuck in the middle. We don't want to put students in a worse off situation because the social services for young adults is either tied to their family or being a student.

I know a good deal of students who don't tend to not complete any work shouldn't be in school at that particular moment, but what are their alternatives?

[marshwiggle]

I know a good deal of students who don't tend to not complete any work shouldn't be in school at that particular moment, but what are their alternatives?

What concerns me for the longer term is this lack of understanding of what can be "excused" and what can't. When a person is employed, unless they're in a cube farm or some other position where they're one of a generic pool of workers, then there will be things that they, themselves, are responsible for. If I'm sick, I could get someone else to open a lab for the students, but there's no-one else who knows what needs to be done with the students if I'm not there. For most professionals, they will have duties, clients, etc. that require their personal involvement. Keep in mind that these students who contacted me have been not handing things in for 2 months already; if they had contacted me earlier about what to do there would have been more options. The idea that "it's never too late" is really not going to serve them well in the future. And when people trying to help them suggest that it's never too late, they contribute to the problem (even though it's intended to reduce the students' anxiety in the short term).

[Puget]

These issues are tough. We all understand students want to pass, but we are gatekeepers that need to maintain some standards to ensure students meet learning objectives to earn a credential. However, I get many services that students might need (stable housing/food/counseling) are tied to them being in college and being eligible for financial aid.

Professors are often stuck in the middle. We don't want to put students in a worse off situation because the social services for young adults is either tied to their family or being a student.

I know a good deal of students who don't tend to not complete any work shouldn't be in school at that particular moment, but what are their alternatives?

These are tough issues indeed, and withdrawing entirely from the semester should generally be a last resort. Among other things, there is evidence that students (including even students experiencing suicidal thoughts) do better on average mental health wise if they can stay on campus rather than being sent home -- which shouldn't be a surprise given how important peer relationships and independence are at this age. Whenever possible, a medical under-load is a better option-- dial them back to just a few of their easier classes and give them extra support, and then let them catch up on credits over the summer or by taking an extra semester to graduate if necessary.

[Mobius]

I've heard of underloads as a concept, but do financial aid rules allow that? How high is that bar?

You also run into issues with students maxing out their loans. It's expensive to live on campus.

[Puget]

I've heard of underloads as a concept, but do financial aid rules allow that? How high is that bar?

You also run into issues with students maxing out their loans. It's expensive to live on campus.

It just makes them a part-time student-- I'm not sure how exactly it works with financial aid but however it works for part-time students is how it works for that.

[Mobius]

I've heard of underloads as a concept, but do financial aid rules allow that? How high is that bar?

You also run into issues with students maxing out their loans. It's expensive to live on campus.

It just makes them a part-time student-- I'm not sure how exactly it works with financial aid but however it works for part-time students is how it works for that.

That doesn't do those students much good, though, if they need financial aid to attend in the first place.

[Puget]

I've heard of underloads as a concept, but do financial aid rules allow that? How high is that bar?

You also run into issues with students maxing out their loans. It's expensive to live on campus.

It just makes them a part-time student-- I'm not sure how exactly it works with financial aid but however it works for part-time students is how it works for that.

That doesn't do those students much good, though, if they need financial aid to attend in the first place.

I'm not sure what you mean by this-- students get financial aid for part time study too. If you mean they are counting on financial aid for living expenses beyond tuition, then withdrawing completely from the semester (losing all financial aid) or failing classes and having to take on more debt to get enough classes to graduate would have even worse outcomes.

[mythbuster]

The vast majority of students who I talk to have requirements on their financial aid that they be taking a full time load. I had once come see me about what to take her last semester prior to graduating. She only needed 12 credits to graduate, but her financial aid insisted on 15. The would not cover less, even in the final semester.  There are NO allowances for being part time in the majority of aid that I am aware of. Many of my students would perform much better in school if they could balance 9 -10 credits per semester with work than 12-15.

[Puget]

The vast majority of students who I talk to have requirements on their financial aid that they be taking a full time load. I had once come see me about what to take her last semester prior to graduating. She only needed 12 credits to graduate, but her financial aid insisted on 15. The would not cover less, even in the final semester.  There are NO allowances for being part time in the majority of aid that I am aware of. Many of my students would perform much better in school if they could balance 9 -10 credits per semester with work than 12-15.

Are you talking about grants from your university or other private sources? Because there is no such requirement for federal loans or work-study-- for those students only need to be taking 6 credits to qualify (which is considered half time).

If your university is cutting off grants when students need to take a medical under-load, that's entirely on them and something they need to fix. It actually seems like that might put them in legal jeopardy with the ADA, but I'm not a lawyer.

It is also odd they would consider 15 credits to be the minimum for full time. Most places are 12 hours I believe, which would be consistent with the federal definition.