Notifying Professors of Class Absence
While meeting commitments to Wolf Pack athletics, occasions will occur when travel and competition conflict with class attendance. It is Nevada's policy that students are expected to attend class and to complete all assignments based on the expectations of the instructor. Therefore, communication with instructors is vital to receive positive resolutions to these conflicts. That is why WAC has outlined some steps to assist student-athletes in their meetings with instructors. Instructors may request additional information that goes beyond these steps outlined below, but they are to be used as general guidelines to start things "on the right foot".
1. Introduce yourself to all of your instructors in the first two of three weeks of the semester, preferably during their office hours.
2. Physically hand the instructor a letter from your head coach outlining your travel and competition dates (if your coach does not have one, WAC will supply you with one); this can be a letter of travel dates with a schedule card attached.
3. Discuss, in detail, the expectations your instructor will have concerning how all assignments will be submitted, how you can schedule exams, and/or how you will receive notes from lectures missed while are traveling for your sport.
4. Follow-up with another meeting to make sure all paperwork was received and properly recorded in the grade book. It is your responsibility to meet any exceptional demands your instructors feel are appropriate. This can include taking the exam prior to departure, doing extra credit for a class that grades attendance as mandatory, or restricting the student-athlete to not miss class for any other reason outside of athletics. All instructors vary with their requirements. If, for any reason, the requirements are not possible for a proactive student-athlete, please see WAC within the first weeks of school.
Withdrawing From a Course
From time to time, student-athletes will experience a course on their schedule that does not meet their expectations, or they do not meet the instructor's expectations. The expectations can vary but usually come down to student-athletes no longer having the proper time to devote to the course and therefore, are not earning the grade they had envisioned. Before any decision is made to give up on the course, WAC strongly recommends that student-athletes come in and visit. The WAC personnel can give student-athletes options and assist them in proper decision making. One of the options discussed will be withdrawing from the course. This is an option that should be discussed with WAC as well as the head coach. Student-athletes may think withdrawing from a course will be the only answer due to a poor grade or due to the frustrations they are experiencing, but remember, eligibility always plays a role in the student-athletes' decision making process. The procedure of withdrawing from a course begins in WAC. As a student-athlete, you must discuss withdrawing from a course with your academic advisor. Should one chose not to follow the specific procedure for class withdraw, one will jeopardize his or her eligibility. Therefore, student-athletes are held responsible for their actions and could possibly affect their eligibility for the present and future semester.
It must also be noted that instructors have the right to withdraw student-athletes from their course anytime they feel students are not meeting their attendance policy. They can do this without a student-athlete's approval and, again, create an eligibility concern. When in doubt, student-athletes should talk to WAC about academic concerns and know they are the bottom line to every decision made.
Declaring an Academic Program
Based on a student-athlete's university application, placement within an academic program is determined. Student-athletes are advised by this information. If there comes a time when a student-athlete may want to switch their academic interest to another department or college, a meeting with WAC is mandatory. This meeting will review major requirements, the student-athletes' current standing with the university, and how the change will effect their graduation and eligibility. We advise student-athletes to comply with the following guidelines:
1. Once the decision is made to consider a change of major, you need to make an immediate appointment with WAC personnel.
2. After all options are discussed; you will be given a Major Declaration Form to walk over to your future academic college to accept you into their major.
3. Once the Major Declaration Form is completed, you will give it to a WAC representative to review and copy.
4. A WAC representative will then turn it into the Office of Admissions and Records for verification and final approval.
This procedure is dependent upon the student-athlete making an appointment with WAC. WAC is here to ensure that a student-athlete's graduation and eligibility goals occur simultaneously without jeopardizing the other.
Approving Off-Campus Summer School
After completing an academic year at Nevada, student-athletes may decide to go home for the summer and take a class or two at a nearby institution. It is a NCAA rule that student-athletes must seek prior approval for such a course before departing campus. All approvals are granted by WAC. The procedure is as follows:
1. Visit a WAC representative and discuss your summer plans.
2. Complete an Off-Campus Summer School Request Form and discuss the reason for your course selection (additional paperwork from the community college or university may be needed).
3. The WAC representative will work with your academic advisor and the Office of Admissions and Records to ensure the course will transfer to the University of Nevada and that it is relevant to your academic program.
4. Once approvals are documented, you will receive a copy of the Off-Campus Summer School Request Form with all appropriate signatures and the instructions to send a final transcript to the University of Nevada once your summer course is complete.
This is a vital procedure to follow, especially if a student-athlete is taking a summer course for eligibility reasons. This procedure is must be followed to prevent eligibility issues.
Repeating a Course
After receiving semester grades, student-athletes will have a handful of options to pursue if they do not agree with their final course grade. Options range from a simple grade change (if an error has been made by the instructor) to filing an Intent to Appeal Grade Form with the Office of Admission and Records. One option that will be discussed by WAC personnel is the opportunity to repeat the course. The university policy is any students may repeat a maximum of twelve (12) lower-division credits. The course(s) must be repeated during the next regular semester in which the course is offered and the student is enrolled. The most recent grade will be used in the grade point average calculation. The procedure to follow is:
1. Visit WAC and discuss your thoughts about appealing a grade and/or repeating a course.
2. WAC personnel will discuss all of your options and the procedures to follow. If repeating a course is decided, a Repeat Waiver Form will be filled out and given to the WAC representative.
3. The WAC representative will deliver the form to the Office of Admissions and Records and follow up to ensure the waiver is approved and granted once the repeated course is complete.
Again, it is important for student-athletes to meet their WAC advisor to discuss their options. Eligibility is always at risk when academic appeals and waivers are considered.
