Student
If there is a concern about a student and it is not an emergency situation, submit a Madison Cares referral. This will allow the Dean of Students office to reach out to the student to offer care and support. We highly recommend that you speak with the student about why you are submitting the referral, explain to them what you are seeing, that it is worrying you, and that you care about them. If you believe they are an immediate threat to themself or others, call 911.
Email us at madisoncares@jmu.edu. We would be happy to give you an update and provide any information we are able to. Please note that during certain times of the semester it can take us several business days to get in contact with a student. Students can also choose not to respond to our outreach.
If a student anticipates being absent from class, it is the student’s responsibility to contact their instructors. Since attendance policies vary from instructor to instructor, students should refer to the course syllabus. The Dean of Students office will send a Student Absence Communication on the behalf of a student who is experiencing an injury, hospitalization or extraordinary circumstance lasting two or more days. The communication does not excuse the student’s absence or missed coursework.
All students are responsible for following up with each of their professors to discuss their absences, how they will impact their ability to be successful in their course, and how to make up any missed assignments/exams.
If a student is not connected to the Office of Disability Services for official accommodations and is interested in a class accommodation such as an in-person class going online, we recommend that they discuss their options with their professors.
Speak with your professor about your concern first. If you need further assistance contact academicquestions@jmu.edu. The team that monitors this email works within Academic Affairs and can provide guidance about academic concerns.
In order to withdrawal from the semester, you will need to complete the Non-Return/Leave of Absence form on the Office of the Registrar's website.
https://www.jmu.edu/registrar/students/leaving_jmu.shtml
In order to return to the university after a withdrawal, you will need to complete the Intent to Enroll Form on the Office of the Registrar's website.https://www.jmu.edu/registrar/students/reentry.shtml
If you have questions, you can contact the Office of the Registrar at registrar@jmu.edu or 540/568-6281.
If you live on campus and you have a roommate concern, you can talk with either your RA or hall director. In addition, you can call the Office of Residence Life at (540)568-3501.
If you live off campus, you can talk with your landlord or JMU's Office of Off-Campus Life at (540)568-6071.
This form is often referred to as a Dean's Certification and it is completed by the Office of Student Accountability and Restorative Practices at (540)568-6218.
Faculty Questions
If there is a concern about a student and it is not an emergency situation, submit a Madison Cares Referral. This will allow the Dean of Students office to reach out to the student to offer care and support. We highly recommend that you speak with the student about why you are submitting the referral, explain to them what you are seeing, that it is worrying you, and that you care about them. If you believe they are an immediate threat to themselves or others, call 911.
Email us at madisoncares@jmu.edu. We would be happy to give you an update and provide any information we are able to. Please note that during certain times of the semester it can take us several business days to get in contact with a student. Students can also choose not to respond to our outreach.
If a student anticipates being absent from class, it is the student’s responsibility to contact their instructors. Since attendance policies vary from instructor to instructor, students should refer to the course syllabus. The Dean of Students office will send a Student Absence Communication on the behalf of a student who is experiencing an injury, hospitalization or extraordinary circumstance lasting two or more days. The communication does not excuse the student’s absence or missed coursework.
All students are responsible for following up with each of their professors to discuss their absences, how they will impact their ability to be successful in their course, and how to make up any missed assignments/exams.
If you have questions about Withdrawal Passing (WP), Withdrawal Failing (WF) or Incomplete grades, discuss this with your Academic Unit Head. Our office does not handle academic policies/decisions. If a student asks our office for guidance regarding WP/WF/Incompletes, we refer them to their professor since they are the only ones that can grant those options.
If you have a disruptive student, refer to and follow Academic Policy #12. If you believe the student is an immediate safety threat to themselves or others you need to call 911. If you would like our office to be aware of the student and follow up with them to offer support and resources you can submit a Madison Cares Referral or contact us at 540-568-6468 or deanofstudents@jmu.edu.
We would recommend you discuss this with your Academic Unit Head. Students often ask us about this option for their classes. We instruct them to talk to their professors about what their options are for completing the course remotely but that if their class is listed as in person then that is how it is going to stay regardless of their situation. You/your department can decide to work with the student to create a remote option or not.
If a student anticipates being absent from class, it is the student’s responsibility to contact their instructors. Since attendance policies vary from instructor to instructor, students should refer to the course syllabus. The Dean of Students office will send a Student Absence Communication on the behalf of a student who is experiencing an injury, hospitalization or extraordinary circumstance lasting two or more days. The communication does not excuse the student’s absence or missed coursework.
Students or others communicating on the behalf of a student can submit a request for a Student Absence Communication.
All students are responsible for following up with each of their professors to discuss their absences, how they will impact their ability to be successful in their course, and how to make up any missed assignments/exams.
Communications will NOT be sent for:
- Absences due to self-limiting illness (cold, flu, COVID-19, etc.) that do not result in hospitalization
-
- Student should opt to send a "Self-Care Note" offered through the University Health Center
- Family events (weddings, reunions, birthdays, etc.)
- Conditions/events that occurred earlier in the semester
- Vacations
- Absences for less than 2 days
- Absences due to university sponsored activities (athletic events, student organization events/conferences, etc.)
- Final Exams
- Other reasons determined inappropriate by Dean of Students staff
Student Questions
If a student anticipates being absent from class, it is the student’s responsibility to contact their instructors. Since attendance policies vary from instructor to instructor, students should refer to the course syllabus. The Dean of Students office will send a Student Absence Communication on the behalf of a student who is experiencing an injury, hospitalization or extraordinary circumstance lasting two or more days. The communication does not excuse the student’s absence or missed coursework.
Students or others communicating on the behalf of a student can submit a request for a Student Absence Communication.
All students are responsible for following up with each of their professors to discuss their absences, how they will impact their ability to be successful in their course, and how to make up any missed assignments/exams.
Communications will NOT be sent for:
- Absences due to self-limiting illness (cold, flu, COVID-19, etc.) that do not result in hospitalization
-
- Student should opt to send a "Self-Care Note" offered through the University Health Center
- Family events (weddings, reunions, birthdays, etc.)
- Conditions/events that occurred earlier in the semester
- Vacations
- Absences for less than 2 days
- Absences due to university sponsored activities (athletic events, student organization events/conferences, etc.)
- Final Exams
- Other reasons determined inappropriate by Dean of Students staff
We recommend that you first speak with your professor about your concern. If you need to pursue further options then you should contact the Academic Unit Head or Department Head of the class in question. You can also email your questions to the Provost’s office at academicquestions@jmu.edu.
To see the deadlines for dropping individual classes from your schedule please refer to the Office of the Registrar's website under Current Students → Dates and Deadlines → click current semester. https://www.jmu.edu/registrar/students/print_dates.shtml. If you have decided to leave JMU and want to be removed from all of your classes, you will need to notify the Office of the Registrar and fill out the Non-Return/Leave of Absence form.
https://www.jmu.edu/registrar/students/leaving_jmu.shtml.
If you have questions, you can contact the Office of the Registrar at registrar@jmu.edu or 540/568-6281.
You will need to notify the Office of the Registrar if you are leaving JMU and fill out the Non-Return/Leave of Absence form.
https://www.jmu.edu/registrar/students/leaving_jmu.shtml
If you have questions, you can contact the Office of the Registrar at registrar@jmu.edu or 540/568-6281.
The Dean of Students Office does not handle academic status or policies regarding this issue. You should have received an email noting your suspension/probation status which listed instructions for next steps. Please review that email for that information and the person you need to contact depending on your academic major. You can also contact Academic Student Services at 540-568-7123 or acadconcerns@jmu.edu.
Refer your friend to Madison Cares! This will allow us to reach out to them to offer care and support. We highly recommend that you speak with your friend about why you are submitting the referral, explain to them what you are seeing, that it is worrying you, and that you care about them! If you believe they are an immediate threat to themself or others, call 911.
Family Questions
If you are worried about your student and would like our office to reach out to them to offer support and resources you can submit a Madison Cares Referral. We would highly encourage you to talk with your student about why you are submitting this referral so that we are able to have the most transparent conversation as possible. If you believe your student is a threat to themselves or others, please call JMU Police at 540-568-6912 or 911 so that a welfare check can be performed. Another resource we provide is the Rebound program. This program would pair your student with a mentor on campus who can work with them on setting and reaching their goals.
If your student lives on campus, they should contact their RA and/or Hall Director. If your student lives off campus then they can contact their apartment complex and/or JMU Off Campus Life Office at ocl@jmu.edu to discuss their options. If the roommate is violating a University policy in some way then your student can contact the Office of Student Accountability & Restorative Practices at osarp@jmu.edu.
Your student was likely referred to our office through Madison Cares. Madison Cares is a referral program that allows anyone to inform us of a concern they might have for a student. We attempt to call and email students several times. If we are unable to reach them and are concerned for their well-being then we will call their emergency contact(s) to ensure they are safe. We will encourage you to inform your student that the Dean of Students Office is trying to reach them and that they should contact us as soon as possible.
If we inform you of our concern for your student then we have information that has led us to be worried for your student’s well-being. We ask that you partner with us and offer support to your student when this happens, listen to our concerns, and help us gather relevant information. We only make the call to parents/guardians if we are becoming increasingly worried about your student.
There are many resources that you can talk with your student about! We would first recommend that you encourage your student to speak directly with their professor to talk about the class and how to best improve. There are also offices on campus that might be beneficial to their academic success. Learning Success Strategies (jmu.edu/lss) can help with study skills, time management, and much more. The Learning Centers (jmu.edu/learning) provide tutoring for a variety of subjects that are available to any student during the semester. You can also refer your student to Madison Cares and we can assist them with getting connected to these resources. Our Rebound mentor program could also be a good fit for a student struggling with academics.
No. Due to the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA), your student’s educational records are private. While JMU employees cannot discuss your student’s specific grades we can talk to you about resources that could help your student if they are struggling academically. We recommend that you have an honest conversation with your student about your expectations around grades, sharing grades with you honestly and transparently on a regular basis, and talking about any other struggles related to their time in college.
If a student anticipates being absent from class, it is the student’s responsibility to contact their instructors. Since attendance policies vary from instructor to instructor, students should refer to the course syllabus. The Dean of Students office will send a Student Absence Communication on the behalf of a student who is experiencing an injury, hospitalization or extraordinary circumstance lasting two or more days. The communication does not excuse the student’s absence or missed coursework.
Students or others communicating on the behalf of a student can submit a request for a Student Absence Communication.
All students are responsible for following up with each of their professors to discuss their absences, how they will impact their ability to be successful in their course, and how to make up any missed assignments/exams.
Communications will NOT be sent for:
- Absences due to self-limiting illness (cold, flu, COVID-19, etc.) that do not result in hospitalization
-
- Student should opt to send a "Self-Care Note" offered through the University Health Center
- Family events (weddings, reunions, birthdays, etc.)
- Conditions/events that occurred earlier in the semester
- Vacations
- Absences for less than 2 days
- Absences due to university sponsored activities (athletic events, student organization events/conferences, etc.)
- Final Exams
- Other reasons determined inappropriate by Dean of Students staff