NCAA Annual Guidance

Faculty Responsibilities

OP 34.04 provides guidance for university-approved absences.

• Department chairs, directors or others responsible for students representing the university on officially approved trips must notify instructors of departure and return schedules.
• Students may not be penalized for approved absences, although they remain responsible for material missed.
• Students absent on university business must be allowed to make up missed work within a reasonable period or receive an appropriate alternative when applicable.
• Students with approved absences must receive the same academic options and privileges available to other students in the course.

Academic Assistance

Student-athletes may not receive substantial assistance, academic advantages or favoritism that would not be available to other students.

For example, an instructor should not provide a student-athlete with an additional opportunity for extra credit unless the same opportunity would be available to other students in the course. Likewise, a grade change should only be made when there is a valid academic basis that would apply equally to another student in the same circumstances.

Prospective Student-Athletes

The same principle applies to prospective student-athletes in areas including admissions, housing and academic scholarship decisions.

Student-athletes and prospective student-athletes should be treated according to the same university policies and academic standards as other students.

Suspected Academic Misconduct

Suspected academic misconduct involving a student-athlete should be handled in the same manner as misconduct involving any other student.

Under OP 34.12, instructors should report suspected or alleged academic misconduct to the Office of Student Conduct in accordance with university procedures.

Course Expectations

At the beginning of an independent study course, the student should receive a syllabus, contract or similar document that identifies expected learning outcomes and the grading policy.

The document should provide the basis for assessing the student's achievement of the learning outcomes and determining the final course grade. A copy should be retained with the instructor's other course syllabi and records.

Coaching Staff & Faculty

Coaching staff, including coaches, support staff, volunteer coaches, graduate assistants, student assistants, interns and managers, are prohibited from initiating contact or otherwise communicating with Texas Tech faculty or instructional staff regarding the academic performance of a student-athlete.

Academic & Admissions Matters

Athletics coaching staff are also generally prohibited from contacting campus, college or departmental administrators or admissions personnel regarding academic issues involving student-athletes or admissions decisions involving prospective student-athletes.

Appropriate Communication Channels

Academic communications involving student-athletes should be handled through representatives of Athletics Academic Services at the Marsha Sharp Center or through the Faculty Athletics Representative.

Faculty should not contact coaching staff directly regarding a student-athlete's academic performance.

Athletics Academic Services

Deedee Brown-Campbell
Senior Associate Athletics Director for Academic Excellence and Senior Woman Administrator
dee.brown-campbell@ttu.edu

Athletics Compliance

Jennifer Brashear
Senior Associate Athletics Director for Internal Affairs & Compliance
jennifer.brashear@ttu.edu

Faculty Athletics Representative

Brian Shannon
Horn Distinguished Professor of Law and Faculty Athletics Representative
brian.shannon@ttu.edu