Student Absences and Sick Notes

The SFU Health Care Provider Statement form can be found here. A completed health care provider form will give you the type of information you need to make decisions around student absences (i.e., possible grade deferrals, etc.). Be specific about the documentation you will accept in your course. 

Student Athletes

Instructors may be asked to support SFU’s student-athletes by accommodating scheduling conflicts with exams and assignments that occur while a student-athlete is representing SFU at away competitions. At the start of each term, student-athletes are given a letter to present to each of their instructors. The letter identifies the individual as a student-athlete and sets out the dates in which classes will be missed due to travel. However, sometimes a competition will arise that was not anticipated and instructors should be sensitive to this fact.

If an instructor is willing to make an accommodation, it is not uncommon to have student-athletes write a midterm or exam on the road proctored by their coach. However, if an instructor is uncomfortable with this approach, arrangements can be made to have a tenured professor at the university where the student-athlete will be competing invigilate the exam. 

If you as an instructor are unwilling or unable to accommodate a student-athlete's absences, please notify the student before the course drop deadline so that they can find an alternative class. If a student-athlete fails to provide the above-noted letter, or does not advise the instructor at the beginning of the semester that there is a potential for missed course components, it is the instructor’s decision as to whether to provide accommodation.

You can find additional information here.

Students with Disabilities

If a students requests accommodations in your course, you will be informed of the accommodations that are required for the student through an official email from the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) to your SFU account. Please note that the CAL follows compliance procedures and will only send notifications to official SFU email addresses. 

Faculty and other staff have a legal responsibility to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified students when notified of the requirement by the CAL. However, there may be elements of the course work that make the authorized accommodation difficult to fulfill, or the request may violate an element of the course which has previously been established as essential (e.g., a request to provide flexibility in grading of spelling and grammar in a basic English course). In this type of situation, you should inform the CAL of the issue so that a full discussion can be undertaken and effective alternatives identified, where necessary.

For more information on student accommodations, click here.

Students in Distress

If you suspect a student is in immediate danger, including self-harm, call 9-1-1. 

If a student should come to you with a crisis affecting their mental or emotional well-being, please visit SFU Health and Counselling for information. Here you will find online counselling resources, on-campus counselling support, and the My SSP app which is designed to provide students 24/7 counselling support on their phones.

SFU Health & Counselling offers workshops to recognize distress and/or suicide risk, and can help you learn to recognize when it's time to refer students to seek our mental health support. For more information and to register, click here.

You can also visit the Crisis Centre website for additional resources, such as online counselling, an emergency suicide hotline and emergency phone counselling.

Campus Support Services

The following offices are available to assist students with specific needs or special circumstances. You are welcome to refer students to these offices if the need should arise. 

· Health Sciences Graduate Academic Advisor: Provides graduate students with guidance in support of their academic progress and degree completion.

· Health Sciences Undergraduate Academic Advisor: Provides undergraduate students with guidance in support of their academic progress and degree completion. Appointments and drop-in sessions are available to help students with academic planning, internal transfers to FHS, selecting courses, declaring majors, and assisting those students who are on academic probation or forced to withdraw.

· Centre for Accessible Learning (formerly Centre for Students with Disabilities) helps students with disabilities eliminate barriers to reach their academic and personal goals, through individualized services and accommodations for students with psychological, physical, or learning disabilities.  

· Financial Aid & Awards offers information on scholarships, awards, bursaries, and financial aid options for students.

· Indigenous Student Centre provides Indigenous students with programs and services that are unique, cultural, and holistic.

· International Services for Students provides support and services for all students seeking information regarding a variety of international learning opportunities.  

· Student Learning Commons offers expert and friendly help with academic writing, learning, and study strategies within an environment of collaboration, discussion, and peer learning.