Academic Support
The Dean of Students office under the Division of Student Affairs has created the “Mean Green Gowns for Grads” program to support our low income and first-generation University of North Texas students with a free rental of graduation caps and gowns.
One of the primary aspects of the Dean of Students Office is to help students resolve university related issues. Through the Seeking Options & Solutions (SOS) Program, staff assists students and their families in navigating diverse concerns, as well as identifying resources for personal, academic, and social issues. For questions, contact deanofstudents@unt.edu or 940-565-2648.
Student Experience
Students are expected to attend classes regularly and to abide by the attendance policy established by the professor. However, the university is aware that there will be times when a student is unable to attend class due to emergency situations, health or the death of a loved one. The Dean of Students Office is also available to assist you in documenting your absence. Students must provide the Dean of Students with official and verifiable documentation related to the reason for absence. Once the absences have been verified the decision to allow a student to make up course work is left to the discretion of the professor and/or the department. For more information, please review the Student Attendance and Authorized Absences Policy.
All travel by students off the campus for the purpose of participation in athletics, music groups, AFROTC activity, dramatics, exhibitions, debate, student government, conventions, and field trips must be authorized by the dean of the school or college of the sponsoring department. Absence lists must be approved by the department chair and sent to the office of the dean in advance of the travel date. Sponsors must report to the Dean of Students Office all students listed who did not make the trip.
Within three days after the absence, students must obtain authorized absence cards from the Dean of Students Office for presentation to instructors of classes missed. Students with authorized absence cards may make up the work missed when practicable or be given a special allowance so that they are not penalized for the absence. Additional information regarding Authorized Class Absences may be found in the Faculty Handbook. For more information, please review the Student Attendance and Authorized Absences Policy.
The University of North Texas has an interest in supporting our students who serve in the military and who are called to active duty while enrolled. A student who is a member of the National Guard, Reserve, or another branch of the United States Armed Forces and is unable to complete classes because of military activation may request course withdrawals, incomplete, or grades, depending on the timing of the activation and the individual needs of the students. This will ensure understanding and standardized guidelines for awarding grades to students called to active military duty during an academic semester.
If a student is called to active duty while enrolled in the University of North Texas they will be required to provide documentation of military orders to the Dean of Students office and follow procedures for withdrawal through this office indicating the options of withdrawal, requesting an incomplete or requesting assignment of grades depending on the time of activation during the semester. Dean of Students will meet with students to discuss options and consider all areas that affect the student upon withdrawal.
The Dean of Students office will review the form and verify the military orders and review the academic options for the student. If incompletes or grades are requested the student will be referred to the faculty member or academic department for assistance. The Dean of Students will send a notification to faculty, academic department, and Associate Dean of the verification of military orders and student’s preference for incomplete or grade assigned.
Per the Texas Education Code 54.0006 (f) 3. Either grade is assigned or incompletes granted. If a student receives an incomplete he/she will have one year from the end of their active duty to complete the course. The Dean of Students office will complete the official withdrawal of the student and full refund of appropriate tuition and fees. If a student opts for an incomplete or grades are assigned no refund will be given.
The US Department of Education and Office for Civil Rights released new Title IX requirements regarding pregnant and parenting students in June 2013. Those students wishing to seek accommodations for Pregnancy and Parenting please submit the form linked with appropriate documentation.
The requirements and suggestions include:
- Schools must excuse student’s absences because of pregnancy or childbirth for as long as the student’s doctor deems the absences medically necessary.
- Absence policies in classes must accommodate pregnancy or childbirth-related absences and allow for make-up work. “A teacher may not refuse to allow a student to submit work after a deadline that she missed because of absences due to pregnancy or childbirth. Additionally, if a teacher’s grading is based in part on class attendance or participation, the student should be allowed to earn the credits she missed so that she can be reinstated to the status she had before the leave.”
- “A school may offer the student alternatives to making up missed work, such as retaking a semester, taking part in an online course credit recovery program, or allowing the student additional time in a program to continue at the same pace and finish at a later date, especially after longer periods of leave. The student should be allowed to choose how to make up the work.” The UNT Dean of Students Office will provide a Verified Absence slip for parenting students (both male and female) who need to take their children to doctors’ appointments or to take care of their sick children as long as they provide proper documentation. Students needing this documentation should contact the Dean of Students Office.
If you would like to read more about these requirements and guidelines the link is provided below:
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/pregnancy.pdf
Click this link for further Pregnancy and Parenting Resources
If you are facing struggles with many of the themes throughout the popular Netflix series such as betrayal, suicide, physical and sexual violence, bullying, fitting in, and substance abuse, we want you to know that you should never feel alone or hopeless and that someone at UNT is always here to listen and care. We have developed the 13 Reasons Why UNT Cares to promote 13 services on campus that you can reach out to for help with issues you might be facing. The entire UNT community cares about you and your success!
Safety and Success
The mission of the CARE Team is to assist in protecting the health, safety, and welfare of members of the UNT community, to support student, staff, and faculty success, and to provide a comprehensive response to those whose behavior could be harmful to themselves or others. Reports can be made online by completing this form and a staff member will follow-up:
The Dean of Students would like to share some community resources for food, clothing, and rental assistance. The resources provided are intended for informational purposes only in an effort to meet students’ needs. The views/belief of the organizations providing services are not endorsed by the University of North Texas and/or Dean of Students Office. If you are an international student, we encourage you to consult with an attorney if you have any concerns about utilizing a community resource.
Denton County Master List Resources
Denton Community Housing Assistance
DentonCounty Loss and Grief Resources
Collin County Food Pantry Resources
It is the mission of the Early Alert Program to facilitate campus-wide collaboration through the Early Alert Response System in an effort to increase student retention and persistence by identifying struggling students and actively provide a link to academic support services, advising, and campus referrals in a timely way.
Things to consider when submitting an Early Alert:
- Early Alerts for academic concerns are supplemental to, not a replacement for, communication between the professor and student about expectations and topics related to class performance.
- Early Alerts are most beneficial during the first 3-6 weeks of the semester.
- Following submission, a trained advisor will review the alert and make appropriate referrals, often within 24 hours.
- Students are not automatically contacted through the EARS system when an alert is submitted. The student will be highly encouraged by our office to contact the referring party to have appropriate conversations.
The University of North Texas is taking action to address food insecurity among its students, and is doing so with a vision of partnership and community building. The Dean of Students Office has established a pantry that will provide an accessible on-campus food source for students in need. The food Pantry presented by Kroger launched at the start of the spring 2015 semester and is currently housed in Crumley Hall.
Green Dot is a national program built on the premise that everyone can measurably and systematically reduce violence within any given community. This program focuses fundamentally on the productive power of bystanders, on those of us who witness power-based violence between others. In instances of harmful or violent words, actions, or behaviors, bystanders have a choice to ignore & accept the abuse (what we call a "red dot") or intervene & address the violence (a "green dot").
The Dean of Students Office is available to assist students who are facing housing insecurity by removing barriers through a variety of services such as referrals to community resources/shelters, connections to financial resources, discussion of housing resources, connections to the UNT Food Pantry, and the Operation of the Loads of Love program.
The University of North Texas promotes student health and safety through the use of Get Inclusive, a mandatory program for all new incoming freshman and transfer students. Get Inclusive provides a comprehensive baseline course that educates students about the important elements of Identity and Inclusion, Consent and Sexual Violence (including Bystander Intervention), Hazing and Bullying, and Alcohol and other drugs.
Wellness
The Dean of Students Office holds an annual memorial service called Flight Memorial. Flight Memorial is a time for the UNT community to honor all faculty, staff, students, and alumni who have passed away during the last year.
When there is a student death, the main point of contact is the Dean of Students Office. The Dean’s staff will notify all appropriate people and departments on campus. Information needed is the student’s full name and the contact name and number for the student’s family. A staff member will be identified by the Dean of Students to make direct contact with the family and serve as the University liaison to assist the family as needed. The names of the student’s friends should also be given to the Dean of Students for the purpose of outreach to those affected by their friend and fellow student.
The Dean of Students Office organizes the annual Flight Memorial in which the UNT community will recognize all students, faculty, staff members, and alumni who have died over the past year (April 1- March 30) which is usually held the last Wednesday of April. All family members of those who will be honored are welcome to join us for the memorial. Please contact the Dean of Students at deanofstudents@unt.edu or by calling 940-565-2648.
Even though temporary disabilities are not afforded the same consideration for accommodation and/or waivers that are provided under federal law for permanent disabilities the Dean of Students Office can act as an advocate for students dealing with temporary disabilities. If a student has a temporary disability (e.g.,- a broken leg, broken arm, surgery, post-surgery recovery, other injuries, etc) please feel free to contact the Dean of Students Office at deanofstudents@unt.edu and we will make contact with the student’s professors to verify the temporary disability based on verifiable medical documentation.
“For support with long-term academic accommodations for students who meet eligibility, students may contact the Office of Disability by email at apply.oda@unt.edu or by phone at (9400)-565-4323.”
