Attendance Policy Modifications: Guidelines and Procedures
Students affiliated with Disability and Accessibility Services (DAS) are expected to attend class on a regular basis. Faculty have the right to establish attendance, course participation, and late work policies. These policies are usually communicated to students via the course syllabus at the beginning of each semester.
In instances where a student provides documentation of a disability that involves random or cyclical acute episodes that may occasionally impact the student's ability to attend class, DAS may recommend a limited modification of course attendance policies.
The specific modification allowed for each class must be determined on a course-by-course basis. The number of absences allowed beyond any limit stated in the course attendance policy should be determined based on several factors, including the course meeting schedule, the course design, and an assessment of the participatory or interactive nature of the course. The number of additional absences may need to be strictly limited in courses where in-class participation or experiential learning is essential.
Students approved by DAS for a modification of course attendance policies must note that:
- The accommodation directs a course instructor to consider providing a limited modification of the established course policies regarding attendance. It does not mean that a student receives unlimited absences.
- Students requiring this accommodation in a particular course must include it when submitting their requests for DAS to email instructors at the start of the semester.
- When the instructor receives the notification email from DAS, they are prompted to log in to the Instructor portal and fill out a Flexibility Plan for the course. The Flexibility Plan will outline how many additional absences beyond what is stated in the syllabus the professor can allow for this class. DAS generally recommends at least two additional absences for courses that meet on a M/W/F schedule, and at least one additional absence for all other courses.
- If the instructor does not fill out the Flexibility Plan in the Instructor portal, DAS and the student will assume that the professor can provide two additional absences for M/W/F courses and one additional absence for all other courses.
- If the student feels the specific attendance accommodation outlined by the professor in the Flexibility Plan will not meet their medical needs, they must email their DAS Accommodations Advisor within three business days of receiving the plan from their professor to inform them of their concerns.
- To use the accommodation, the student must email their professor to notify them about the absence. Students should send the email prior to class, unless that is not physically possible due to their symptoms (in which case the student should email the instructor as soon as possible). The student should note that the absence is/was related to his or her disability. The student does not need to provide a diagnosis or specific details of the symptoms.
- The accommodation is not intended to be applied retroactively. If a student waits to submit a request for DAS to notify their instructors of their approved accommodations until the mid-point or end of the semester, DAS expects that the instructor will consider the accommodation from that point forward.
- The course attendance policy modification is intended to cover only disability-related absences. The student must follow the course policies for all other types of absences, such as for a routine temporary illness or family/personal issues.
- If a student exceeds the number of absences agreed upon in the Flexibility Plan, the professor has the right to treat those additional absences as outlined in the course attendance policy.
- Faculty are not required to re-teach material or provide detailed notes to a student approved for this accommodation when the student misses class.
- Students approved for a course attendance policy modification are still expected to meet all deadlines established for out-of-class assignments in accordance with the syllabus and professor instructions.
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