We’d Like to Hear From You!
To provide the best academic support for the student-athletes, receiving information from faculty and staff is integral to the process. If you would like to contact the ASPSA about a specific student-athlete or with general feedback, you can send an email to ASPSA@unc.edu. Also, you may directly contact Dr. Michelle Brown, Assistant Provost and Director of the ASPSA, at michellebrown@unc.edu or (919) 962-9533.
ASPSA Academic Services
All student-athletes are offered services and academic support from the ASPSA and the level of support will vary on students’ specific needs. Each team has an academic counselor assigned to work with the respective student-athletes. Some student-athletes, such as our first-years, meet weekly with academic counselors while others meet on an as-needed basis. Tutoring may be requested by student-athletes or it can be assigned as part of a student-athlete’s MAP (My Academic Plan). Learning Specialists work with identified student-athletes in partnership with Accessibility Resources Services. Please contact the ASPSA if there are any questions on the support being provided to a particular student. And, referrals for tutors are always welcome; please contact ASPSATutoring@unc.edu.
Student-Athlete Class Absences as a Result of Competition
Expectation to Attend Class
For all students, class attendance is the first step toward academic success. The expectation is that student-athletes are attending class except for University Approved Absences due to competition or travel-related to competition. It is a best practice for universities to monitor student-athlete class attendance to support academic success. Instructor Feedback Reports and Academic Progress Reports are the primary sources of feedback regarding a student-athlete’s class attendance. To ensure that student-athletes are meeting the expectation of attending classes and to encourage academic success, the Department of Athletics may also choose to coordinate class checking. A coach may choose to hire class checkers for his or her specific team. If a coach chooses to utilize class checkers, the class checkers are trained not to interrupt a class in progress. If instructors would like to communicate academic information about a student-athlete, the instructors are asked to contact the ASPSA directly and not share the information with the class checker. Coaches may also choose to utilize an early alert system that utilizes beacon technology to confirm class attendance. The beacon technology does not have GPS tracking capability. It does not detect nor track student-athletes outside of classrooms with installed beacons. In addition, it monitors only student-athletes who have (1) downloaded the app, (2) installed the app, and (3) authorized the app to use his/her phone’s Bluetooth radio. The collected information confirms that the student-athlete, more precisely the iPhone or Android device where the app resides, is in the vicinity of the beacon. The beacon is active during the class time with a short period before and after the scheduled class time. This beacon technology is approved by the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost and the Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and Chief Information Office.
UNC-Chapel Hill Class Attendance Policy: Resolution 2024-6 (Extracted from the Undergraduate Catalog)
Regular class attendance is a student obligation. Students are responsible for all their work, including assessments, tests, and written work, and for all class meetings as outlined in each individual course syllabus.These policies apply for Fall, Spring and Summer Terms.
No right or privilege exists that permits a student to be absent from any class meetings, except for these University Approved Absences:
- Authorized University Activities
- Disability/religious observance/pregnancy, as required by law and approved by Accessibility Resources and Service and/or the Equal Opportunity and Compliance Office (EOC)
- Significant health condition and/or personal/family emergency as approved by the Office of the Dean of Students, Gender Violence Service Coordinators, and/or the Equal Opportunity and Compliance Office (EOC).
In situations when an absence is not University Approved (e.g., due to a job interview, club activity, common illness such as the flu, strep throat or COVID), instructors determine their own approach to missed classes and make-up assessments and assignments.
The University’s policy regarding University Approved Absences as well as the instructor’s course-level policies, including those for attendance, are communicated to students via the instructor’s course syllabus on the first day of class.
Students are encouraged to communicate early and often with their instructors about potential absences, and are reminded that they are bound by the Honor Code to always be honest in making a request for a University Approved Absence.
Make-up Coursework and Assessment
All students with University Approved Absences will be treated fairly and equitably, regardless of the reason for the absence. The rationale for University Approved Absence will not be communicated in the notification to instructors.
Instructors will provide reasonable adjustments that permit course objectives and learning outcomes to be met. These adjustments must allow students to demonstrate what they have learned and not penalize the students’ final grade in the course. Faculty will clearly define these adjustments in the syllabus. It is a University expectation that instructor be prudent, fair, and equitable when a student misses an assessment due to a University Approved Absence. The total number of allowable University Approved Absences per course will be based on individual course learning methodologies and outcomes as determined by the student, their course instructor(s) and the designated university office/department (e.g., EOC, department chair). For further details on make-up policies, see implementation details on the University Approved Absence Office website as well as the process described at the end of the policy.
The Undergraduate Testing Center provides a secure, proctored environment for administration of makeup assessments, tests, and exams for undergraduate and graduate courses throughout each term. There are regularly scheduled session times each week in addition to the Center’s traditional use during final exams time. Please see the center’s web site for more information and instructions as well as teaching and learning resources provided by the Center for Faculty Excellence. Note: Students registered with EOC Accommodations should utilize that office’s testing center.
For more information regarding University Approved Absences, please visit the University Approved Absence Office resources below:
Student-Athlete University Approved Absences due to athletically related activities
Class attendance is an expectation for all student-athletes unless the student-athlete misses class as a result of competition, an authorized University Approved Absence as outlined in the University Bulletin. ASPSA in partnership with the UAAO will be utilizing the Fall 2024 semester to transition athletically related absences into the campus wide system utilized to process all University Approved Absences (UAAs). Historically, ASPSA has provided documentation for these University Approved Absences in the form of a travel letter given directly to the professors by the students. The travel letters will no longer be generated each semester and faculty will receive the Approved Absence notifications directly from the University Approved Absence Office. These absences should be treated the same as any other UAA given to students by the university. If there is ever a question about a student-athlete’s travel schedule, please contact an ASPSA staff member for assistance. Although Division I student-athletes practice throughout the year, travel is limited to the season of competition which is different for each team. Practice should not interfere with any regular scheduled class times.
To see a full listing of the Seasons of Competition, click here: Seasons of Competition
Proctoring of Exams: Optional Service
In the event that a student-athlete misses an exam due to a University Approved Absence, the best option is to have the professor work out a solution directly with the student-athlete to make-up the exam before or after the travel conflict. The preference is that the professor, or his or her designee, proctors the exam and that the make-up is provided in his or her facility. If the professor would like assistance with the proctoring of an exam, there are several options. An ASPSA staff member may assist with the administration of the exam and/or the logistics of making the arrangements for the administration of the exam.
NCAA Rules Education for Faculty and Staff
As an NCAA and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) member institution, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is obligated to follow the rules governing college athletics. This obligation extends beyond Carolina Athletics and includes all Carolina employees. The Athletics Compliance Office has provided a summary of the applicable NCAA legislation that you should be aware of when working with student-athletes. If you have any questions, please contact the Compliance Office at ncaacompliance@unc.edu or the ASPSA at ASPSA@unc.edu.
PDF:UNC Faculty and Staff Rules Education
Instructor Feedback Reports for Student-Athletes
ASPSA academic counselors monitor the academic progress of student-athletes throughout the semester. Twice per semester, instructor feedback reports are delivered to faculty members requesting information on student-athlete academic performance and class attendance. This information is valuable and assists the academic counselors in managing academic support for student-athletes and offering proper guidance to campus services and resources. If at any time, a professor would like to share information about a student-athlete’s progress, an email can be sent to ASPSA@unc.edu or directly to the student-athlete’s academic counselor (Staff page). These reports are FERPA protected and ASPSA staff are granted consent, see the Registrar’s Statement on ASPSA Instructor Feedback Reports.
The Instructor Feedback Reports are delivered to faculty using a secure online form that requires one to log in using the UNC single sign-on to access. To read a FAQ page on this online form, please click here: ASPSA Instructor Feedback FAQs