University Faculty & Staff

The University of Georgia Athletic Association has developed the guidelines below to help ensure we do not run afoul of NCAA rules while working with student-athletes.

The general rule is that faculty and staff members should check with the University of Georgia Athletic Association Compliance Office prior to offering or providing support or services to a student-athlete outside of the traditional classroom setting.

 For example, in working with student-athletes a faculty member should not:

• Deter from class, department, university policies and procedures;
• Allow student-athletes to charge long-distance phone calls or faxes from your office or home;
• Offer special courses or make special academic arrangements for student-athletes;
• Create academic assignments for student-athletes that differ from those required of all other students in a class;
• Offer student-athletes incompletes or extra credit work unless the opportunities are available to all students, as identified in a course syllabus and in accordance with Department and University policy;
• Authorize a course waiver or substitution of academic requirements unless the same would be done for any other student under similar non-athletics-related circumstances.
• Authorize a grade change, unless for valid, non-athletics-related reasons and in accordance with Department and University policy;
• Handle any case of academic dishonesty or other prohibited classroom behavior by student-athletes in a manner any different from which you would handle such behavior by any other student.

Communication Between Members of the Coaching Staff and Faculty Members

Our policy is that coaches are not permitted to communicate with faculty members or other instructional personnel regarding a student-athlete’s performance in a class or any other academic matters. All contact with faculty members and other instructional staff regarding a student-athletes academic matters should come from the Senior Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Support Services or a member of the academic or student services staff.

If faculty members or other instructional personnel feel as if they are being pressured into giving an unearned grade or inappropriate support, or if the coaching staff contacts them directly, they should contact the Faculty Athletics Representative, David Shipley or Jim Booz in the University’s Athletics Compliance Office immediately.

It is incumbent upon each of us to know and uphold our Department and University policies and procedures. We understand that circumstances may arise whereby relief from a policy is warranted, those decisions can be made but not without appropriate consideration and approval. Please be sure to consult with your supervisor, Department Chair, and/or Dean to ensure that the appropriate decisions are being made and applied.

In the event you ever have questions about how to manage a specific situation, please do not hesitate to contact any of the individuals below: