GSoC participants, being human, will sometimes get sick or have something come up in their life (i.e. death in the family) during GSoC and this can affect their performance. A student’s (or mentor’s) health is more important than a GSoC project.
Do’s:
- Encourage the participant to focus on their health concerns as their priority.
- Provide reasonable accommodations and understanding.
Dont’s:
- Pry into the details of the situation. It’s none of your business.
- Ask for a doctor’s note or proof.
- Make promises about extensions outside the normal GSoC dates.
- Require students to withdraw. This is their choice.
When evaluating students, be cognizant of the amount of time they have put in. A student who has produced good work for most of an evaluation period may be passed. A student who has only spent a few days working shouldn’t be passed. If a student needs to take a week off, that shouldn’t be an automatic fail. Evaluate the big picture. Students should only be passed for work they’ve already done, not work they might do. Failing a student who has a special circumstance isn’t easy, but might be the right thing to do.
Note: Students must still complete their evaluation in order to be passed.