Resources

Self Advocacy Tips: Reaching Out to Professors

NOTIFY PROFESSORS ASAP

If you experience a medical or personal challenge/emergency, we recommend getting in contact with your professors as soon as you possibly can. This way they know what flexibility you may need such as staying home to recover or travelling home to support family.

CHECK YOUR SYLLABUS

Locate your class syllabi on Canvas to see what policies your professor has in place regarding missed work or class absence. Each class policy varies from professor to professor.

KNOW YOUR OPTIONS

Depending on the time in the semester, you may want to consider other options. For example, if you only have one assignment left and need time beyond the end of the semester, you can work with your professor and academic advisor to see if you can request an incomplete (I).

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

Take care of your health and well-being so that you can heal or recover before returning to classwork. Consider using Wellness Days.

DON’T OVERSHARE (YOU DON’T NEED TO!)

You do not need to share all the minute details about your situation. In fact, we recommend keeping it high level; professors appreciate succinct emails (just like you do!). You can save them and yourself the time.

NEED MORE ASSISTANCE?

Reach out to us or other campus resources if you’d like more support! It is worth knowing that, according to the academic catalog, your professors are not permitted to request medical documentation.

EXAMPLE OF EMAIL TO A PROFESSOR

Below is a template to request academic flexibility from professors. You are encouraged to tailor it to your situation and can also change the specific request for flexibility depending on the professor. The parts underlined should be changed according to your liking – for example, in the reasonable flexibility section, you can provide options you are willing to do. It’s good to keep in mind that you want to inform professors about your challenges without going as far as oversharing. 

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Hello Professors:  

I hope that this email finds you well.  I am enrolled in your insert class name here class this term:  

I am currently facing a very challenging situation, [medically/personally] and I realize that it has affected my academics.  I have begun to actively seek resources and support to assist me as I navigate this challenge.    

I am reaching out to request a time to speak with you about the work I have missed and to see if there is any reasonable flexibility that’d be available to me that would allow me to catch up and remain successful in your class.   

I understand that this is at your discretion but would appreciate any consideration you feel you may be able to give me.    

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you.  

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Feel free to use some of this language as you craft your email.