The group met to consider the Department of Athletics’ guideline regarding the number of classes an athlete can miss and to discuss the requirement for student-athletes’ to meet with an academic adviser.
“In athletics, they only allow seven missed class days during regular competition unless an exception is made,” said Debbi Clarke, a consultant to the provost.
Clarke said this is not a University policy, but an athletics department guideline that only applies to regular season competition.
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Jim Dean said it is possible for a student-athlete to miss up to 25 percent of Tuesday/Thursday classes because these classes usually only meet 28 times in a semester.
Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham said it is not uncommon for student-athletes to miss the maximum number of classes.
“It’s pretty close for a fair number of teams, and that’s not unusual,” he said. “Each place I’ve been has been pretty close to the number.”
Cunningham said scheduling games and tournaments around athletes’ class schedules can feel impossible.
“Some of the challenges are surprising and not ones you would think of,” he said. “Like golf — courses are always available Sunday, Monday, so you end up missing a lot of Mondays.”