Attendance

Attendance

Students are responsible for class attendance and for the prompt and regular completion of all assigned work. Attendance policies for each course are determined by the instructor, and students are responsible for understanding each course attendance policy as detailed in course syllabi. For all courses, students also have rights and responsibilities as defined by this policy.

Absence Policy: Student Responsibilities and Rights

Class attendance and participation are integral to the academic experience at Drew University. Missing classes, even for legitimate reasons, negatively impacts the class experience for both the absent student and their classmates. Students should realize that absences can indirectly affect final grades as a result of the impact absences have on learning. Students also have the right to miss classes for legitimate reasons, as defined by this policy, without a direct impact on their class grade. Students also bear responsibilities associated with an absence taken for any reason. Specifically,

• students are responsible for all material covered in missed classes;

• students must promptly notify the course instructor of their absence according to the following:

  • for planned absences, such as religious holidays, NCAA-sanctioned athletic competitions, and Drew organized field trips (see list and criteria here), students must notify their course instructor during the first week of class;

  • for unplanned absences, such as illness or injury, death and bereavement or NCAA-sanctioned post-season competitions (see list and criteria here), students must notify the course instructor prior to the absence or as soon as possible thereafter. If requested by the instructor, the student must submit appropriate documentation via the Absence Documentation Verification Form.

  • students with injuries or medical issues that will cause  long-term absences should contact the Office of Accessibility Resources.

This policy defines the minimum number of legitimate absences that every student has the right not to have a direct impact on their class grade, if the criteria and procedures of this Absence Policy are met.

• For legitimate planned absences, students may miss the equivalent of one week of class or less (i.e. three classes for a class that meets three times a week, or one class for classes that meet once a week), so long as they inform the faculty member of their planned absences in the first week of the semester.

• For legitimate unplanned absences, students may miss the equivalent of one week of class or less as long as they notify the instructor prior to the class and as soon as they are aware of the unplanned absence. If extraordinary circumstances prevent a student from providing prior notification, they must notify the instructor within 24 hours of the unplanned absence. If requested by the instructor, the student must submit appropriate documentation via the Absence Documentation Verification Form.

In such cases, students can expect reasonable accommodations such that there is no direct impact on their grade. Additional legitimate absences may be granted at the instructor’s discretion. Students who feel that the Absence policy has not been fairly implemented may appeal to the CLA Dean’s Office.