General Information
Attendance is an essential component of post-secondary education. As such, students are expected to comply with class attendance policies. It is the responsibility of each instructor to notify classes at the outset of each course of the attendance requirements to which each student must adhere.
The University recognizes that there may be times when a student cannot attend class because of disability-related reasons.
The Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) may recommend a reasonable relaxation of attendance for students determined to be eligible for such services by the Documentation Review Committee (DRC). Once recommended, instructors must complete the Reasonable Attendance Adjustment Plan and return to ARC. ARC staff will review and send an official determination via email to the student and each professor outlining the accommodation for each specific course.
Questions asked in the form include, but are not limited to:
- Is there classroom interaction between the instructor and students and among the students themselves designed to meet learning outcomes that cannot be completed outside of the classroom environment?
- Do student contributions in class 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 class constitute a significant loss to the educational experience and attainment of learning outcomes of other students in the class?
If an instructor wishes to be exempt from a reasonable relaxed attendance accommodation, an email or letter must be sent to ARC service provider to take back to the DRC for deliberation. The letter must include why/how the accommodation modifies the essential components of the course and should include any recommendations for alternative accommodations.
Please note: a relaxation of attendance policy does not mean a relaxation of course requirements. Students are required to fulfill all course requirements and evaluation standards as specified in the course syllabus.
Students who are approved for this accommodation are expected to meet with their ARC service provider to discuss the determination of reasonable relaxed attendance accommodations for individual classes and meet with instructors to discuss approved attendance adjustments for that class. For emergencies or unexpected absences, contact should be made with the instructor as soon as possible to discuss the possibility of any make-up work and/or to verify the reason for the absence.
Instructors are encouraged to contact ARC if it is believed that disability-related absences have become excessive and beyond the approved reasonable relaxed attendance accommodation determination.
Accommodations are not retroactive. As with all accommodations, a relaxation of attendance determination is recommended on an individual, case-by-case basis. The implementation of this accommodation is determined by the course instructor and ARC service provider.
If a student is out of class for an extended period of time due to reasons beyond the student’s control, it is the responsibility of the student to provide any substantiating documentation (when required) to ARC. An ARC staff member will work with instructors in determining the reasonableness of extended absences accommodations on a case-by-case, class-by-class basis. Notification of this determination will be provided to the student by the ARC service provider.
Last Revised 03/23/2020