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Excused Absences

Our excused absence policy states:

The Vice President for Student Affairs may issue excused absences for the following reasons: participation in intercollegiate athletics, course/curriculum field trips, religious observances, military service obligations, and for Title IX-related accommodations. Instructors must accept these excused absences for up to the equivalent of one week’s worth of class time for each course (e.g., for a three credit hour lecture course that meets for three, one-hour sessions a week, missing three sessions amounts to missing a week’s worth of classes.) Instructors have the right to accept or deny excused absences issued by the Vice President for Student Affairs for students who are over this limit. Students having excused absences must fulfill all academic responsibilities. Students will submit a request for an excused absence via the form located on the Student Affairs webpage.

Instructors of record must state their attendance policy (or participation policy for online classes) in their course syllabus, and are able to excuse students for any absence they deem appropriate.

If the absence is planned, all previously assigned work must be submitted prior to the student’s campus departure. The student will complete work and secure all laboratory/lecture information missed immediately upon return to campus. Students missing (quizzes/hourly) examinations will be given the opportunity to take “make-up” examinations OR some other appropriate alternative to the missed examination which would be decided upon at the discretion of the instructor.

Instructors/Advisors planning course or curriculum-related field trips, and coaches planning excused athletic absences are required to compile and circulate (via email) the preliminary roster two weeks prior to the event. Instructors anticipating field trips as part of academic instruction must include the field trip and any associated fees on the course syllabus. Instructors may not mandate field trips. Students unable to attend a field trip should be provided with alternative assignments.

» Excused Absence Request Form