Attendance Policy (Amendment to 2005 Undergraduate Catalog)
Attendance
Prompt and regular class attendance, being essential to the learning experience, is the responsibility of all students. More specific attendance policies may be established by individual course instructors and must
be distributed to students in written form during the first week of the session. A copy of the policy will be kept on file by the department chairperson.
Absence
Students missing class because of legitimate reasons must consult with the instructor concerning the absence, preferably beforehand. Legitimate absences do not excuse the student from class responsibilities.
Some examples of absences that may be excused by the instructor are illnesses, accident, personal emergency, death in the immediate family, special academic programs, or an authorized University function for which the student's presence is required. Students who feel that they have been unjustly penalized by an instructor's attendance policy or by the instructor refusing to accept an excuse may follow the academic grievance procedures outlined in the student handbook.
Student atheletes are required to confer with their coaches and advisors prior to the start of a semester in order to choose required classes that minimize class and athletic event conflicts. When conflicts are unavoidable they should be kept to a reasonable number per semester. Faculty should be advised of specific conflicts by the student athlete within the first week of the semester. If the athletic event schedule changes after the first week, it is the student's responsibility to notify faculty promptly. When the nature of the work missed is such that it can feasibly be made up, students must make arrangements with faculty to do so.
