Juniata College recognizes that a wide range of experiences contribute to the education of a student and encourages students to seek educational and experiential opportunities which are not available in traditional college courses.  At the same time, the institution upholds the primacy of the academic program.  There is no necessary conflict between these two objectives.  In order to accommodate extra-curricular activities, the provost encourages faculty members to avoid scheduling single sections of classes in the 4 to 8 p.m. time period.  In addition, faculty should not re-schedule classes or laboratories without compelling academic reasons.  This policy addresses responsibilities and priorities when a conflict occurs between an academic course and an extra-curricular activity.

I.  Examples of Extra-curricular Activities Addressed by this Policy

  • Lectures and cultural programming events recommended to a student by a faculty or staff member.
  • Competitions, tournaments and events… the capstone parts of intercollegiate athletics.
  • Performance activities which are part of course work or programs.
  • Workshops or conferences recommended to a student by a faculty or staff member.

II. Responsibilities of the coach:

  • Remind student-athletes of the priority of their academic responsibilities.
  • Develop an awareness of the critical dates of the college calendar and avoid     scheduling activities during mid-terms, Liberal Arts Symposium, Reading Day, final examination periods and other special events insofar as possible. 
  • Communicate to the participating students within the first week of class, or within the first week of the activity, their responsibility to notify in writing each of their instructors of their participation in the activity, travel itineraries, and of the dates of all scheduled events, and travel itinerary.
  • Provide appropriate materials to participating students within the first week of classes or within the first week of the activity.  These materials will include a list of dates of scheduled events and all travel itineraries.
  • Remind student athletes that non-athletic-event related cuts will jeopardize excused absences for athletic-related events.

III. Responsibilities of the student-athlete:

  • Notify each of his or her instructors in writing within the first week of class, or within the first week of the activity, of their involvement in a sport.
  • Give each instructor the list of dates of scheduled events, and a full-season tentative travel itinerary then remind each instructor in person well in advance of each event that will necessitate a class absence.
  • Get to the professor any and all work that is due on that day.   Do this prior to the class.
  • If an event conflicts with a class or class activity, make an appointment with the instructor to discuss the possibility of making up the missed class work.  While faculty is encouraged to be flexible, the decision on make-up work rests with the instructor.
  • The Athletic Department recognizes that all intercollegiate participants are students first and athletes second.  Therefore, if a Juniata faculty member, advisor, Provost or the NCAA Faculty-Athletics Representative determines that a course should be dropped, class be attended, test be taken or field trip attended, the athletics department will advise accordingly so as to maintain the integrity of a student’s academic priorities.
  • As per the bullet above, if it is determined that an NCAA student-athlete has no hope of passing a course, is no longer successfully doing day-to-day work in that course, and also has an opportunity to drop that course, the student-athlete should immediately go through the drop procedure regardless of NCAA eligibility consequences.  Under these circumstances, formal enrollment in a course just to maintain eligibility is not an acceptable option and if a course is not dropped, the Director of Athletics will suspend student-athletes from intercollegiate competition until eligibility naturally returns at the end of the semester.