Absence Due to Bereavement / Grief
In the event that an undergraduate student must be away from classes due to the loss or catastrophic illness of a loved one, they may request an absence from classes. The policy excuses an absence of five days, with the possibility of additional days based on distance of travel from Brandeis’s campus. Travel days will be determined by the distance of the verified bereavement services from Waltham, MA, as follows:
- Within a 150 mile radius of Waltham - no additional excused absence days
- Within a 150-300 mile radius of Waltham - one additional excused absence day
- Beyond a 300-mile radius of Waltham - two additional excused absence days
- Outside the 48 contiguous United States - four additional excused absence days.
Upon notification of the absence and proper documentation, each faculty member shall excuse the student from class according to this policy and provide a reasonable opportunity to complete/make up missed exams, quizzes, and other required work. Ultimately, the student is responsible for all material covered in class and must work with each individual instructor as soon as they return to complete any required work. If an instructor fails to follow the student grief absence policy, the student may appeal the instructor's decision in writing to the Chair of the relevant academic Department or Program; if a resolution is not reached by the Chair, the student may appeal to the Dean of Undergraduate Studies.
In the event of a loss, undergraduate students should notify their Academic Services advisor via email or the Grief Absence Request Form as soon as possible if they will be away from classes due to bereavement. Notification should be made at the beginning of the mourning period. If necessary, a friend or relative may also make the contact, sharing the full name of the student.
Academic Services will notify the student’s instructors and the Dean of Students Office of the absence; students may also request that staff members in the Brandeis Counseling Center and/or Center for Spiritual Life be notified. If the individual being mourned is a member of the student’s nuclear family (e.g., parent/guardian, sibling, spouse, or child), Student Financial Services and the President of the University will also be notified.
Any undergraduate student who wishes to use the Grief Absence Policy should provide third-party documentation of death for the individual(s) who is/are being mourned. Proof of the individual(s) death(s) should be submitted to Academic Services by the end of the allotted absence days.