Undergraduate Excused Absences for University Events

    In order to have a more holistic university experience, undergraduate students may have one hour, technically 50 minutes, of excused absence per credit of each course taken or one entire lab session to participate in important departmental or University sponsored events. This means students within the specified guidelines below should have an opportunity to make up missed exams given during their excused absences without penalty. Arrangements should also be made so that students will not be penalized for unannounced quizzes and other in-class assignments given during their excused absences.

    Events such as post season competitions may exceed minimum excused absence hours.

    It is the student's responsibility to pursue the instructor to make arrangements for all make-up work.

    It is the faculty member's prerogative to allow for additional absences for other reasons such as illness, death in family, etc. Unless otherwise clearly specified, the student will be expected to assume that s/he will not be allowed more than the absences protected by this policy. For example, if an instructor has a policy that allows for two unexcused absences, the student cannot assume that she or he will have those absences in addition to the absences excused for departmental or University events. In order to accomplish the goal of this policy successfully, to protect the right of a student to participate in such events, there must be student responsibility in guarding remaining class meetings so as to minimize damage to their educational experience, and to minimize inconvenience to the instructor and the rest of the class.

    If the student does not have at least a C average at the time of the class immediately prior to the excused absence event, the professor has the prerogative of not excusing the absence.

    All involved parties - coaches, faculty members, administrators, and teammates - must completely refrain from pressuring students to miss classes.

    Definitions

    Departmental or University sponsored events include but are not limited to athletic events, attending conference proceedings, presenting papers, activities associated with fulfilling a course requirement such as department organized field trips, postseason competitions and musical tours.

    Procedures

    As early as possible and no later than the class prior to the excused absence for an event, the student will present a form to the professor who will sign it to verify that the student has met the conditions of this policy. Forms are available in the office of the department offering the course.

    Students should do everything they can to arrange their schedules to minimize the amount of classes they will have to miss for University events, and all known scheduling conflicts are to be brought to the attention of the instructor at the beginning of the semester. This process will also be verified with a signed form.