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Proposal:
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College student bereavement is much more prevalent than one might expect. Research suggests that around 37 to 44% of college students report the death of someone significant to them (i.e., family member or close friend) in the last two years (Cousins et al., 2017; Cox et al., 2015), and 22% to 30% college students are in the first 12 months of grieving (Balk, 2011). These estimates are likely more prevalent in recent years, given that as of December 13, 2023, more than a million deaths due to COVID-19 have been recorded in the US (World Health Organization, 2023). It is estimated that for every COVID-19 death, nine family members are bereaved, in addition to bereaved friends or community members (Verdery, 2020). Research suggests that following loss, young adults may experience difficulty concentrating (Cupit et al., 2016) and have lower GPAs than their matched nongrieving peers during the semester of their death loss (Servaty-Seib & Hamilton, 2006). Further, college students are particularly vulnerable to adverse outcomes after loss due to academic pressures and because they are away from home and often lack strong support from those closest to them (Balk, 2011). In fact, students often describe isolation, lack of support, and decreased sense of belongingness (Servaty-Seib & Fajgenbaum, 2015), and are at risk for dropping out of college at higher rates than their matched non-grieving peers (Servaty-Seib & Hamilton, 2006).
According to current UMD Policy V-1.00(G), death in the family is considered an example of a “compelling circumstances beyond the student’s control” that justifies an excused absence. The excused absence policy does not delineate specific accommodations for bereavement but rather broadly states that for university-sanctioned excused absences, the student must be provided academic accommodation, within reason, that neither advantages nor disadvantages the student or their classmates. For makeup work that is not feasible, the excused absence policy states that an alternate accommodation will be provided. In the case students feel they have been unfairly denied excused absence or appropriate accommodation, students are directed to seek resolution with the course instructor first, after which they may file an appeal with the Chair of the department for departmental units or the Dean in the case of non-departmentalized and interdepartmental programs.
Ultimately, discretion is left to individual instructors as to whether and how a student’s experience of death loss should be accommodated as a “compelling circumstance.” This creates challenges as students attempt to navigate different responses from instructors to their loss and seek accommodations while simultaneously experiencing bereavement (with particularly disproportionate impacts on marginalized communities; see below). A review of the literature found that staff and
faculty responses to student bereavement were regularly inadequate, unempathetic, and/or unhelpful in guiding students toward the next steps (Hay et al., 2022). In the absence of established policies and guidelines on how to address the needs and concerns of grieving students, faculty may find themselves unprepared or unsure of how to provide the necessary and appropriate support. Thus, the development of formal bereavement policies would not only work to support the academic and emotional well-being of bereaved students but also support faculty in adequately and fairly responding to grieving students regarding absences and extensions. Echoing nationwide calls for compassionate and inclusive student bereavement leave policies (Actively Moving Forward, n.d.), we propose a review and fundamental redesign of the established policies and practices concerning student bereavement at the University of Maryland. |
