If you cannot find an answer to your question below, please contact dos@american.edu

Class Attendance

Students should communicate with their faculty member(s) if they anticipate missing a class session. Instructors use reasonable discretion when determining whether to excuse single-day or short-term absences. Faculty can seek guidance from their department chairs, division directors, or associate deans in their school/college if they are unsure about whether to excuse an absence. For complete information related to class attendance and absences, please review undergraduate regulation 4.1.

Note: there is no regulation for class attendance for graduate students. Faculty can consult with their department chair, division director, or associate dean in their school/college for more guidance regarding graduate student short-term absences.

Crisis Intervention Services

Free, confidential, 24/7 access to on-call crisis clinicians is available to all students through AU ProtoCall Services by calling 202-885-7979. Parents, faculty, and staff may also call AU ProtoCall Services if concerned about a student.

How We Support Students

The Office of the Dean of Students (DOS) team implements case management services to frame a solution-focused approach to assisting students with a wide variety of needs. When a student is referred to DOS (e.g., through self-report, peer, faculty, or staff), they are assigned to a DOS staff member who then provides outreach to the student.

Each member of DOS is considered a case manager and they provide coordinated prevention, intervention, and support efforts across campus and the community to assist at risk students and students facing crises, life traumas, and other barriers that impede success. Through this holistic approach, case managers help students identify barriers to academic and personal success, refer students to appropriate resources, and develop individualized action and advocacy plans for students to implement. 

Incomplete Grade(s)

Students seeking an incomplete in a course should work directly with their faculty member and academic advisor. Faculty members have complete discretion related to assigning an incomplete; please review undergraduate regulation 3.5 or graduate regulation 3.8, as appropriate.

Notification Letters

When determined appropriate by a case manager, letters may be distributed to faculty on behalf of a student by DOS. Notifications are sent when a student is managing an extended absence. Generally, a notification is sent for students who have experienced a situation where they needed to leave immediately to address a personal or medical issue, which may include a death in the family, a serious injury, illness, or hospitalization. Depending on the student's circumstances, DOS may require documentation from a health care professional. 

Distribution of notification letters are contingent upon the student requesting support in a timely manner and actively communicating with their case manager as their circumstances are reviewed. 

Removal of STOPs on Student Accounts

If a DOS stop is placed on a student account for one of the reasons mentioned below, please contact dos@american.edu with details regarding the request to lift the stop.

• Transcript requests (if student will be transferring to another university)
• Course registration (if student is currently on medical leave)
• Submission of Readiness to Return documentation

Scheduling an Appointment

Schedule with a member of our team using our online booking system.

Student Parking Exceptions

First-year residential students are not allowed a vehicle on campus or in the neighborhood surrounding any University property. DOS requires a critical reason to grant an exception to a first-year residential students who live on campus or University property. First-year residential students requesting parking exceptions should contact dos@american.edu with details regarding their request, AUID number, and if applicable to their circumstance, documentation from a medical provider.