Student Bereavement Policy
Policy. It is the policy of CMU to allow appropriate support to students in the event of a death of a student’s loved one, including but not limited to time off and other support as defined in the Procedure included below.
Procedure. As soon as practicable after learning of the death of a family member, students should notify the Office of Student Affairs (989-774-3346, or studentaffairs@cmich.edu) of the passing. It is important that documentation of the passing (e.g., obituary; service card) is sent to the Office of Student Affairs as soon as possible following the death. The Office of Student Affairs will determine the sufficiency of the submitted documentation and retains the right to request additional documentation if it deems the original documentation insufficient. This information will be kept on file in the event that faculty or university personnel request verification. This is intended to eliminate the need for individual faculty to request and require verification of the event giving rise to the bereavement from the grieving student. The Office of Student Affairs will then notify appropriate members of the faculty of the absence via email.
Students are given up to three (3) consecutive calendar days off to attend funeral and/or memorial services and to provide support to family members. If additional days are needed, due to travel or other reasons, that information must be provided in the initial report to the Office of Student Affairs. Approval for additional days (if necessary) will be granted ( or denied) by the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and adjusted when the notice is sent to faculty. The adjusted amount of approved leave (if any) shall be communicated to appropriate faculty members at the time the notice is sent.
Students are expected to stay in contact with the appropriate faculty members to ascertain how the opportunity for equivalent credit will be determined for missed course assignments. Such determinations shall be at the sole discretion of the faculty member, but shall be reasonable when considering the circumstances of each leave. The Provost, working with the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services will resolve any disputes arising from an allegation that a faculty member’s determination of a bereavement accommodation is unreasonable.
All missed course assignments shall be eligible to be made up and include, but are not limited to: exams, quizzes, presentations, and other required assignments. Once again, ongoing communication with appropriate faculty is very important during this time. Failure of a student to maintain adequate communication with the faculty may result in a failing grade for any or all course assignments missed as a result of leave granted pursuant to this Policy.
For a full copy of this policy (including procedures for faculty and information on available counseling), see Policy 3-40 on the General Counsel website, https://www.cmich.edu/office_president/general_counsel/Pages/default.aspx