JCU Undergraduate Bulletin 2005-2007: Academic Policies & Procedures -- Attendance

Attendance

Attendance Regulations

Students are expected to attend each and every scheduled meeting of all courses in which they are enrolled and to be present for the full class period. Absenteeism and tardiness, regardless of cause, are a threat to academic achievement. Recognizing that perfect attendance is not always possible, the university addresses the issue of absences as follows.
During the first week of a semester each instructor will provide, as part of the class syllabus, a written statement of the attendance policy for that class. The statement will contain an explanation of the consequences for absences as well as a policy on excused absences, and will be made available to each student properly enrolled in the class.
A student who is absent from a class is responsible, nevertheless, for all material covered during the class period. The student is also subject to appropriate consequences, as described by the instructor in the syllabus, if a test, quiz, recitation, homework assignment, or any other activity falls on the day of absence unless the student is granted an excused absence.

Excused Absences
A student who must miss a scheduled class meeting may be granted an excused absence at the discretion of the instructor. An excused absence entitles the student to make up any required activity that took place on the day of the absence. The student is still responsible, however, for any material covered during the class period that was missed. In case of illness, accidents, or other serious emergencies, the university presumes an excused absence would be granted.

Excused Absences for Extracurricular Activities
Students who anticipate missing a class because of extracurricular events which are officially sponsored by the university have the responsibility to consult the syllabus for the class and identify any possible conflicts between required activities in the course and their extracurricular events. If conflicts are identified, the student should obtain an official letter of participation from the coordinator of the activity and present it, along with a schedule of events for the semester, to the faculty member involved, identifying the dates of conflict, if possible, and requesting excused absences. If possible, faculty members are to grant excused absences for these students. However, students should be aware that last minute requests are usually inappropriate. One week prior to each event the student will present to the faculty member a written request for an excused absence and, if an excused absence is allowed, make final arrangements for any work that will be missed. If a faculty member finds it impossible to grant an excused absence, the student will be bound by the statements on attendance as described in the syllabus for the class.

If an excused absence is not granted, an appeal is first made to the course instructor. If the matter remains unsettled, the faculty member and the chairperson will then attempt to resolve the difficulty with the student. If this does not lead to resolution, the academic dean normally will rule in the matter.

Policy and Procedure for Making Up Missed Final Examinations

Policy. A student's failure to take a final examination at the regularly scheduled time is a serious matter.

Only extraordinary circumstances warrant a student’s being allowed to make up a missed final examination. Reasons such as misreading the examination schedule, having three examinations on the same day, oversleeping, and the like are not normally considered extraordinary. In the process of determining whether a request for taking a make up examination should be allowed, the burden of proof is on the student. The instructor has the right to request verification of the excuse offered by the student.

Procedure: Step 1. If a student knows beforehand that he/she will be forced to miss taking a final examination at the regularly scheduled time, it is the student's responsibility before the scheduled time of the examination to inform the instructor and to request permission to reschedule the final examination.

If a student has missed the scheduled final examination because of extraordinary circumstances, the student is responsible for contacting the instructor by the end of the first working day after the day of the missed examination and requesting permission to take a make up examination. If the instructor is unavailable when the student seeks him/her, the student is to contact the department office, which will contact the instructor. The student's leaving a note expressing a desire to take a rescheduled final examination is not to be taken by the student as having received permission to do so.

Step 2. The instructor, upon speaking to the student, will either deny the request or approve it and make arrangements with the student for a make up examination to be taken, normally before final grades are due, at an agreed upon time and place.

If, after being contacted, the instructor will be unavailable to see the student, the instructor, with the department chairperson's permission, may delegate authority to the chairperson to make the decision and leave a make up examination with the chairperson in case approval is given.

Step 3. A student who is denied permission to take a make up examination may appeal immediately to the dean of the academic unit to which the instructor belongs. In any case, any appeal must be made by the end of the first working day after the day of the denial. The decision of the dean will be final.

Withdrawal Regulations

Students are considered in attendance until they have completed all prescribed withdrawal procedures. Withdrawal procedure is as formal as registration procedure. Tuition and laboratory fees are returnable only as indicated under "Refunds."

Students must carry out proper withdrawal procedures personally in the Student Service Center. Withdrawals during the first week of class leave no indication of the course on the student's transcript. For withdrawals between the 2nd and 12th week of a regular semester, a W appears on the transcript; this is the time of "withdrawal without prejudice." No withdrawals are permitted after the 12th week. Students withdrawing at any time without following proper procedures automatically receive a WF, which is considered a failing grade and is computed in the cumulative average. Final dates for the above periods are indicated in the academic calendar. Withdrawal deadlines for summer sessions are printed in the Schedule of Summer Classes.

First-year students who wish to withdraw from a course, including the first week of classes, must first consult with their advisor. In cases where the advisor is not available, students must consult with the assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences or a staff member of the Academic Advising Office before dropping. The academic advisor course-drop discussion form must be used when a first-year student drops a course.