Faculty set the attendance rules for their courses, and since attendance can be important to how the class is taught, these policies are decided at the college, department or individual level.
In some courses, attendance is essential for meeting the course goals. For example, students may need to interact with others, engage in critical thinking and debate, or participate in group projects. In other cases, faculty may decide that students can still succeed in the course even with some absences. In rare cases, attendance may not be required at all.
Faculty also decide the policies for making up missed work, quizzes and exams. They are not required to lower their academic standards or make substantial changes to the course for accommodation purposes. The U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, which enforces disability laws in higher education, provides these key questions to help determine if attendance is crucial for a course:
- Are there regular class interactions between the instructor and students and among students?
- Do student contributions constitute a significant component of the learning process?
- Does the fundamental nature of the course rely upon student participation as an essential method for learning?
- To what degree does a student’s failure to attend constitute a significant loss to the educational experience of other students in the class?
- What is the method by which the final course grade is calculated?
- What are the class practices and policies regarding attendance and are they noted in the course syllabus?
The Office of Disabilities Academic Accommodation Process:
Disability Services can provide students with written verification memos based on appropriate medical and/or psychological documentation. These memos outline how a student's medical condition or disability might affect them in class. Disability Services thoroughly reviews who qualifies for these memos. The accommodation memos are sent by email to the faculty member listed as the primary instructor on the student's schedule in Banner. Faculty should clearly explain their course policies so that students can choose classes that suit their needs.