Helping You When Life Happens

When students need to be absent due to a crisis  and/or an unexpected situation and are unable to contact their individual instructors directly, the Office of the Dean of Students can send an email notification to a student's faculty and academic advisor.

An Emergency Notification Is:

• An e-mail notification from the Office of the Dean of Students to your faculty members and academic advisers that is sent to you, as well.

• An announcement of an emergency situation that has taken you away from campus/classes (hospitalization, assault, accident, death in the family, etc.).

• A source of information for faculty so they can anticipate the absence and, sometimes, if/when they can expect you to return to class.

• A written reminder that you should work with the faculty member to figure out how you will proceed in their course after the absence.

An Emergency Notification Is Not:

• A notification for non-emergency situations (car problems, planned absences, minor illnesses, a past absence).

• A requirement for students. If you are able to notify your faculty of an emergency situation, you can work out the details with them and do not need to involve our office.

Office of the Dean of Students Staff Does:

• Be prepared to provide some details to our office so we can assess the situation and offer advice about what should be done to make your transition back to class easier. Documentation is not required, but may be a helpful factor as we explore specific options.

• Expect follow up from our office after the emergency notification process. Depending upon your situation, we will tailor our follow-up to your situation, get you the help you need, and help you be better prepared to re-enter your classes.

Office of the Dean of Students Staff Does Not:

• Investigate when we receive requests to send out emergency notifications; we do not contact hospitals, doctors, or family members to assess the validity of an absence.

• Serve as a proxy between you and your faculty throughout your absence to identify assignments and class expectations that need to be met.

The academic grievance process is an option for students when they believe a faculty member (in their academic capacity) behaved unfairly or unprofessionally regarding a grade/decision/situation. Start by reviewing this university policy that summarizes basic appeal procedures for grievances of academic matters. Have additional questions? Reach out to the Office of Advocacy to seek further guidance.

Disability Access Services (DAS) provides accommodations, education, consultation and advocacy for qualified students with disabilities at Oregon State University. DAS works with all OSU students at the Corvallis campus, OSU-Cascades, and Ecampus. To learn more about how to request accommodations, you can visit the Disability Access Services website for more information. If your condition is impacting multiple facets of your academic and personal life and requires immediate (within 2-3 days) assistance, students can work with Student Care staff to discuss options and interim support.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)* provides mental health counseling to students in addition to consultation, outreach, and education to all OSU community members. If you would like to learn more about counseling services offered at OSU, you can contact CAPS by calling 541-737-2131 or by visiting their services website.

*Cascades students can email [email protected] to make an appointment.

Students will be able to get support for any academic related question such as registering, dropping a class, and withdrawing from some or all courses from their academic advisor and relevant deadlines outlined in the academic calendar. Specific steps that outline how to drop or withdraw is also available through the Office of the Registrar. If students are unsure of their academic advisor or want to get additional support, they can reach out to the academic advising unit for each college. The Petition for Late Change of Registration is available if you missed academic deadlines to drop or withdraw due to extenuating circumstances. Be aware that you must provide documentation supporting your petition.

If you withdrew from courses due to extenuating circumstances, refer to the Tuition Refund Appeal. Be aware that you must provide documentation supporting your appeal.

Many Oregon State students experience financial uncertainty or challenges. The Basic Needs Center* helps Corvallis and Ecampus students access a broad range of resources such as SNAP application support, food resources, and more.

*Cascades students can connect with their Student Support Programs.