Attendance Policy

Purpose

Attendance and engagement in courses (offered via lecture, lab or clinic) is an essential part of the student learning process and student success. This policy defines attendance expectations, faculty reporting related to attendance and student engagement.

Scope

The scope of this policy applies to all students in all programs.

Policy

Students are expected to attend and participate regularly in class meetings, required clinic hours, online learning activities and other activities assigned as a part of a course of instruction.

Students are required to attend the first class session or required clinic in order to receive important information about the course from the instructor.

Faculty are required to report student participation in compliance with institutional policies and federal financial aid guidelines.

Revised: October 2017 / Effective: January 1 2018

Definitions

Drop: The process by which a student chooses to discontinue enrollment in a course on or prior to the drop date published on the course syllabus.

Withdrawal: A status on the transcript resulting from a student discontinuing enrollment in a course after the drop date and through the withdraw date published on the syllabus. A student who fails to officially withdraw will be assigned a grade of “UF” for the course.

Course: Refers to any course offered via lecture, labs and/or clinic

Procedure

Each instructor provides attendance policies on the course syllabus/clinic handbook and includes whether or not there are penalties for missed classes/clinic hours and clearly notes the penalty. Penalties may include a course grade deduction for excessive absence as defined by the instructor; grade deduction for missed work; or inability to submit make-up work for evaluation. In extreme cases, or where required by regulatory agencies, penalties may include instructor administrative withdrawal from the course. Instructors are encouraged to include required intervention for excessive absences such as meeting with the course instructor, clinic supervisor or academic advisor.
If a student wishes to remain in a course from which the student has been absent the first day without prior approval, the student must contact the instructor as soon as possible. In this circumstance, instructors have the right to deny access to the class if other students have been added and the course is full. However, instructors should consider extenuating circumstances that may have prevented a student from attending the first course/clinic session and from notifying the instructor in advance.
1. The policy extends to online courses as well as traditional in-person courses. Students must attend the first class meeting or obtain permission from the faculty member to be absent. In the traditional classroom courses, attendance means the student is physically present in the course. For courses that are delivered partially or completely online, instructors have discretion to indicate on the syllabus the academic action as it relates to learning in the class a student would need to take within a specified time period (e.g., post an online discussion group on academic matters, initiating contact with a faculty member to ask a question about an academic course topic, submitting an assignment, taking a quiz) in order to be considered as having attended the online course.
Students should confer with instructors/clinic supervisors in advance if absences are anticipated (see Excused Absence Policy for additional information). If the option for making up work/hours exists (for anticipated or unexpected absences), the student is responsible for consulting with instructors/clinic supervisor immediately upon return in order to make necessary arrangements.
Following the Add/Drop Period, faculty will report students who are no longer participating in academically-related events when a student has two unexcused absences though withdrawal deadline. If the student continues to miss classes or required clinic hours, the student will be administratively withdrawn from the course. The student will be notified when an administrative withdrawal is pending and must respond accordingly if they wish to remain in the course.
Students who find they are unable to continue in a course(s) may choose to withdraw from one or more courses. Students must understand that the act of withdrawing from a course or courses may affect their financial aid status and risk eligibility in future terms. Students should contact the financial aid office to understand the implications of withdrawing from one or more courses.
A student who fails to officially withdraw will be assigned a grade of “UF” for the course.