Faculty and Staff Resources

We do not provide medical and/or mental health excuses. This is a policy made in conjunction with the Provost’s Office. The decision to excuse an absence is strictly the role of the faculty member. Faculty members are encouraged to communicate their attendance policies to their students frequently throughout the semester and provide accommodations for students who are feeling ill and need to miss class time.

Students may choose to fill out this Absence from Class Form to show that they were seen by a doctor, however, this form does not automatically grant an excused absence. That is still up to the faculty member. 

In the event of serious illness requiring an extended absence, students should be encouraged contact the Office of the Dean of Student Life. The Office of the Dean of Student Life will help students decide how best to deal with the interruption in their studies.

Our staff seeks to provide care for the entire SMU community! While we do not offer our full scope of medical services to SMU faculty and staff, we do offer occasional services like free flu shots to help our community stay healthy during high-risk times. Please see below for a list of upcoming programs available for faculty and staff: 

There are no scheduled events at this time.

If a student is frequently absent for illness or appears ill or distressed for an extended time, there may be some more serious underlying problem. In such a case, you should report your observations to the Office of the Dean of Students by utilizing the Caring Community Connections website. Today's students contend with a variety of personal and/or social problems that may contribute to or be exacerbated by other illnesses. For example, medical problems such as anxiety disorders, depression, panic disorders, attention deficit disorders and issues of abuse are in abundance on campus. Such conditions may be exacerbated by other illnesses such as simple upper respiratory infections or by stresses such as project deadlines. In an effort to preserve their dignity and protect their right to keep such conditions confidential, students are more likely to explain that "I had a bad cold" than to say, "I have an anxiety disorder and my bad cold made me have a panic attack." Be conscious of what your students are saying and how they are behaving. If something seems off do not hesitate to fill out a CCC form.