Students are expected to attend all meetings of each class in which they are enrolled and to comply with the standards stated in the course syllabus. Faculty members may fail any student who is absent for a significant portion of class time. Excessive absence is defined as missing more than 20% of class meetings. Late arrival or early departure from a class session translates to absence. Students arriving after class begins or leaving before class ends will be marked as partially absent. Two late arrivals or early departures will be marked as one absence.

It is a student’s responsibility to check their email in case a class meeting is moved online due to inclement weather or a faculty member’s illness.  Attendance will be expected as usual if a class is moved online for any reason.  

Students with ADS Attendance Accommodations: 

Students registered with the Office of Accessibility and Disability Services (ADS) who have approved attendance accommodations will be clearly indicated in their individualized Accommodations Memo, which will be shared with faculty via email. The ADS Office will notify Faculty of the Student's excused attendance as medically necessary.

While Students can opt for the ADS Office to facilitate attendance communications and provide support, ADS Students have the option and are strongly encouraged to self-advocate by emailing their professors directly to communicate their attendance as necessary. It is mandatory for students to copy ADS on all correspondence related to their attendance accommodations should ADS provide additional support as needed. Faculty can verify the validity of the these correspondences from Students by checking their Accommodation MEMO (emailed by ADS) and provided that ADS is copied onto the communication.

Please note, this accommodation does not exempt students from missed class work, or circumvent students from turning in assignments on time. Students with an attendance accommodation understand they are responsible for all missed coursework and learning activities needed to course requirements, aside from attendance. It is the student's responsibility reach out to their professor to arrange to make up for coursework covered in any classes they missed. 

Students with Extended Illness or Absences:

Undergraduate students who have NOT been approved for academic disability accommodations, but who experience an extended illness or other issues that keep them from attending multiple class sessions must contact the Office of Student Outreach and Support (SOS).  SOS will work with the student to determine the cause and appropriateness of the absences and subsequently notify instructors as necessary. In this case, excusing absences is up to the discretion of the professor and is also contingent on the student arranging to make up missed work with their professor.  

Graduate students must contact the instructor, director, and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies. Students in professional studies programs must contact the Associate Dean for Open Studies. The appropriate administrator will facilitate a conversation with relevant faculty to determine whether the student can achieve satisfactory academic progress, which is ultimately at the sole discretion of the faculty member.