Class attendance and Class Absence
The problem of excessive class absence concerns instructor and student, and consequently requires their mutual effort. All students must realize that for their own welfare, they are expected to attend all class meetings of courses in which they are enrolled.
The instructor, however, has the prerogative of determining the relationship between class attendance, achievement, and course grades, and the responsibility for communicating the relationship to the students at the beginning of each term.
A student must have the instructor's consent in order to take any examination at a time other than that scheduled.
The faculty believes that classroom activities are essential to learning. The student is responsible for knowing and meeting all course requirements, including tests, assignments, and class participation, as indicated by the course instructor.
The responsibility for work missed during absence rests with the student. The instructor has no obligation to give make-up graded coursework or to review other class work missed by a student as a result of absence except under those specific conditions cited below:
- Participation in University-sponsored activities. University-sponsored activities are those that are scheduled by academic, student affairs, and athletic units. They include, but are not limited to: intercollegiate athletic competitions activities approved by academic units, including artistic performances; R.O.T.C. functions; academic field trips; professional conferences; and special events connected with coursework.
- Government-required activities, such as military assignments, jury duty, or court appearances.
- Religious observances that prevent the student from attending class.
- Death of an immediate family member, including father, mother, sister, brother, spouse, children, step-children, step-parent, parent-in-laws, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, grandparents, foster parents, foster children, legal guardians, any person who stands in the place of a parent (loco parentis), or a domestic partner.
- Documented personal illness.
Procedure
The following guidelines describe procedures for students, sponsors of appropriate activities, and instructors.
Students shall:
- Provide all scheduled activity dates to their instructors at the start of the semester. For unforeseen absences, notify the instructor as early as possible in the semester of the upcoming activity.
- In the case of a University-sponsored event, provide the sponsor of the activity with a list of classes that conflict with the proposed activity.
- In the event the absence was due to illness or injury, verification from a health center or medical professional should be presented to the instructor. If the illness was not severe enough to warrant a medical visit, instructors should use their best judgment in determining if it should be excused.
- Be responsible for all material covered in class during their absence. Students are responsible for completing any work resulting from their absence. In no case is an excuse from class to be interpreted as a release from class responsibility.
- Out of courtesy, remind the instructor of the absence approximately one week prior to the absence.
Sponsors of University-sponsored activities shall:
- Provide each participating student with a signed letter for each of the student’s affected classes to be given to their instructors, including time, date, and location of the event. This letter should be provided at the beginning of the semester, or as early as possible in the semester.
- Address any concerns a faculty member might have related to the scheduled activity.
Instructors shall:
- Inform the student about graded coursework that will be or was missed.
- Determine an alternative due date for graded coursework missed.
CONTACT FOR QUESTIONS/CONCERNS
Office: The Office of the Registrar
Location: Meshel Hall
Website: https://ysu.edu/registrars-office