Class Attendance
(Policy 2.10)
Class attendance is an essential part of college education, and students are expected to attend classes and laboratories for which they are registered. Cumulative absences may result in a lowered grade or loss of credit for the course. Tardiness is also subject to penalty, as is any failure to complete required course work on time. Although some specific requirements may vary according to the nature and structure of the course, the following guidelines summarize institutional policy.
Attendance Required. Class attendance is required, and accurate records are kept.
Number of Absences. A student receives a grade of FA in any course immediately upon accumulating absences equivalent to 12.5% of the class meetings, whether excused or unexcused in that class. Any exception to this rule, granted only in extraordinary circumstances, must be approved by the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Grades and Absences. The calculation of the semester grade, including any penalty for absences, is the responsibility of the professor and may vary according to the nature of the course and the grading scale used.
Unexcused Absences. Absences created by leaving prior to the end of a semester or by arriving after the beginning of a semester are unexcused, and any work missed during that time may not be made up. Any requests for exceptions must be approved by the Provost and Vice President.
Excused Absences. The faculty member may excuse a limited number of absences for serious illness and for other emergency reasons that the faculty member finds justifiable.
Absences are excused due to serious medical conditions, pregnancy or related conditions, including recovery from childbirth, for as long as the student’s doctor deems the absences to be medically necessary.
University-Sponsored or Denominational Events.The Provost and Vice President will allow students to attend University-sponsored events. Sponsors of field trips, choir trips, athletic events, or any other event must provide the Office of Academic Affairs with an alphabetical list of participating students one week prior to departure. Athletic staff and advisors of University events should limit the number of days a student is out of class to no more than twelve Monday-Wednesday-Friday classes or eight Tuesday-Thursday classes. Any exception to this rule must be approved by the Provost/Vice President. Students who are out of class for University-sponsored events are to be treated as if in class and are in no way to be penalized. These students must make up all work missed due to the event.
Making Up Coursework Due to Absences. Whether an absence is excused or the student misses class for University-sponsored events, the student who is out of class misses learning that takes place in the class. Naturally, the faculty member is more inclined to assist the student in making up the work if the absence was excused or due to a University-sponsored event. However, the responsibility for work missed rests entirely with the student.
When the student who has been absent due to pregnancy or related conditions returns to school, she must be reinstated to the status she held when the leave began, which includes giving her the opportunity to make up any work missed.
A teacher may not refuse to allow a student to submit work after a deadline that she missed because of absences due to pregnancy or childbirth. If a teacher’s grading is based in part on class attendance or participation, the student should be allowed to earn the credits she missed so that she can be reinstated to the status she had before the leave.
When a student who has been absent due to serious medical conditions returns to school, the student must present a doctor’s excuse and be allowed to make up any work missed during that period of time.
Reporting Absences. A faculty member must report all absences daily in the campus ERP, CAMS.
Tardies. A student is considered tardy after the class period begins. An accumulation of three tardies will constitute an absence. Students who are tardy must be granted admission to a class. A student is considered absent if not present after twenty minutes of class time.