A Roundtable Discussion of How to Deal with Student Excuses as Business Faculty

Keywords: Student Excuses, Empathy, Equity, COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract: An inevitable, yet relatable, experience as a professor is being exposed to a variety of excuses from students about why they are unable to complete activities related to the course (e.g., attending class, completing an assignment, etc.). Figuring out how to respond to these excuses can be tiring, time-consuming, and frustrating, but we believe there are productive ways to do so. In this roundtable, we will have an interactive discussion of excuses that we and attendees have experienced, with particular attention paid to how student excuses have evolved since the COVID-19 pandemic. We will then provide a space where we can collectively develop proactive strategies for dealing with student excuses in empathetic and equitable ways.