Class Attendance

With the intent of optimizing student performance and ensuring that students have the opportunity to achieve academic success, students are expected to attend all classes. Faculty members shall provide as part of their course syllabi a clear explanation of their policy on unexcused absences and class attendance including the consequences of violating their policy. The faculty member’s policy on unexcused absences and class attendance must be distributed to students within the first week of classes each semester. Excessive absences may result in a failing grade.

It is the sole responsibility of the student to withdraw from a course they are no longer attending prior to the published deadline on the Academic Calendar. The instructor may administratively withdraw students failing to attend the first week of any class and the instructor must notify the Registrar’s Office by the end of the day of the second class meeting.

Students who occasionally fail to attend class may have a valid documented reason for their absence. Students who possess acceptable documentation for their absence from class will be allowed to make up and/or complete class assignments, tests, quizzes, papers, etc. Students must, whenever possible, provide prior notice to the faculty of their intended absence and upon the request of the faculty provide documentation that will account for their absence on the date(s) of the class assignments, tests, quizzes, papers, etc. For example, faculty members may request that students provide documented evidence of:

Personal Sickness, e.g., a written statement from a nurse, doctor, or hospital records.

Death in Family, e.g., a funeral program, documentation from the funeral director, and/or minister.

Emergencies, e.g., appropriate evidence sufficient to document the particular emergency.

Participating in Required School Activities, e.g., a written statement from the appropriate College official such as a coach, band director, choir director, etc.

Students on academic probation are allowed no absences unless approved the Director of Academic Advising and students who fail to meet this condition are subject to suspension.

The academic divisions of the college may adopt supplementary rules on attendance not inconsistent with these general rules with the approval of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs has the authority to suspend any student who fails to meet scholarship requirements or to abide by academic regulations.