Families FAQs

The staff of the Office of Advocacy and Success strives to advocate for students as they pursue academic and personal success. We are located in 202 Hendrix Student Center off McMillan Road. We urge you to call us at 864-656-0935 and schedule an appointment. Scheduling an appointment will help ensure there is plenty of time for you to express your concerns and for us to help you develop a plan to resolve whatever problems you might be experiencing. An appointment is strongly encouraged, but not required. Even if you're not sure we can help, you can still CONTACT US!

Some available resources are listed below with contact information where available:

1. Office of Advocacy and Success Staff

2. Counseling and Psychological Services Center

3. Student Ombuds

4. Student Health Services

5. Campus Activities and Events

6. The Office of Undergraduate Studies

7. The Graduate School

8. College Advising Centers

9. College Deans and Associate Deans

10. Student Financial Aid

11. Center for Career and Professional Development

12. Student Accessibility Services

When the Office of Advocacy and Success (OAS) is made aware that a student is injured or critically ill, OAS can assist with establishing contact with the hospital, the student, and/or the student's family in order to provide resources and support.

In the case of a student death, please call the Clemson University Police Department (CUPD) at 864-656-2222 immediately. The Office of Advocacy and Success will work to provide support to family and friends impacted by the student death.

University Policies on class absences appear in both the Undergraduate Announcements and the Graduate Announcements. You should also review the course syllabus for each of your classes to understand both the attendance policy and tardiness policy, as those policies can vary greatly with each professor. The Notification of Absence system in Canvas can also be very useful in notifying professors in the case of absence.

No, the Office of Advocacy and Success does NOT excuse absences. It is also solely the responsibility of the student to quickly and openly communicate with each professor regarding any missed assignments and develop a plan for making up those missed assignments if permitted. Students should also review their course syllabus to obtain a clear understanding of the attendance and tardiness policies for each course, as those policies may vary professor to professor. Students should be sure to follow whatever guidelines are provided in the course syllabus for notifications of absence, as each professor may prefer a different way of communicating. The Notification of Absence system in Canvas can be very useful also, but be sure it is acceptable for each professor.

You should still contact your professor as soon as possible. Students should always refer to their course syllabus to be sure to use the professor’s preferred method of communication in case of absence. The Notification of Absence system in Canvas can also be useful, but students should be sure it is acceptable for each professor. Sometimes, the professor may request some documentation of the reason for your absence. As soon as you can, discuss with your professor(s) what course work was missed and develop a plan to make up all missed assignments. Also, determine if the professor requires any documentation regarding the reason for the absence and what documentation will suffice.

If the student is missing multiple classes at the very end of the semester, it is recommended the student consider requesting “I-incomplete” grades from professors for the courses that are being affected by extended absence. Incompletes are used when there is only a small portion of the course remaining to complete, and they are given only when the student is passing the course. This option is explained in more detail in the Grading information in the Undergraduate Announcements and the Graduate Announcements. The visit the Registrar’s Office for more information and review the Clemson Academic Regulations.

Students with extenuating circumstances or who have questions related to withdrawal from one or more courses should talk to their instructor(s) or consult with The Office of Undergraduate Studies. We also recommend you talk to your academic advisor. There are specific dates and deadlines to be aware of also, so please view the current academic calendar.

Sometimes illness or other life circumstances cause a student to have to drop all classes for that semester. If you think you might be headed in this direction, here are a few suggestions:

• Talk to your parents, family or another trusted an adult.

• Talk to your academic adviser. If you don’t know who your academic advisor is, click for the Academic Advising homepage.

• Ask a Financial Aid counselor what impact this could have on present and future aid. 

• Consider the tuition refund schedule if withdrawing seems to be the right answer for this semester. Contact Student Financial Services. 

• Consider your housing contract or lease agreement whether you live on or off campus.

• Contact one of these offices to discuss further your options:

  • Office Undergraduate Studies 

  • The Graduate School 

  • The Registrar’s Office 

• Talk with a counselor in Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) located within the Student Health Center.

If you are a freshman not living in your family home, you will live in on-campus housing for at least your freshman year. On-campus housing is the best place for new students to make connections and become acquainted with the university. Even after the freshman year, research shows that Clemson students who live on campus make better grades, drink less alcohol and tend to be more engaged in learning than those who live off campus. Should you decide that living off-campus is best for you at some point, check out our Off-Campus Student Services page to find some helpful information.