Central Campus

English Department Attendance Policy

Because class attendance plays a major role in the teaching/learning process (especially in writing courses), the English Department requires students to attend classes regularly and on time. Although there may be times when you have legitimate excuses for missing class, being tardy, or handing in work late, there is a point (no matter how valid your excuses) beyond which you cannot get credit for taking a course simply because you have not been present often enough in class.

Your instructor will be solely responsible for determining the number of absences you are permitted . Although many instructors follow a general English Department attendance policy, each instructor has the right to establish his or her own policy. By staying in a class, students accept and agree to abide by the attendance policy for that class.

General English Department Attendance Policy

According to the general English Department attendance policy, you may be given a final grade of "F” if you miss more than six class hours of instruction . This means that if a class meets three times a week, you are permitted six absences; if a class meets twice a week, you are permitted four absences; if a class meets once a week, you are permitted two absences. This rule holds true even if all or some of your absences are excused ; an excused absence gives you only the opportunity to make up missed work; it does not give you an extra absence.

Most of the English Department faculty recognize two types of absences: excused and unexcused.

Excused . Providing that your absences do not exceed the six hour maximum explained in the “Excessive Absences” section, you will not be penalized for being absent from class because of religious holy day observances in your own faith, your own serious illness, a death in your immediate family (defined as a mother, father, spouse, child, brother, sister, grandparent, grandchild), or attendance to statutory governmental responsibilities (defined as jury duty, a subpoena for court appearance, or a military obligation).

Unexcused. Faculty members are not required to allow you to make up work missed because of unexcused absences.

Excessive Absences. If students accumulate more than the permitted number of combined excused and unexcused absences, another absence—even if for an excused reason—may result in withdrawal from the course or a grade of “F.” It is your responsibility to keep track of your absences. If you are in doubt about how many absences you have accumulated, ask your instructor.

Student Responsibilities in the Case of Excused Absences . You must notify your instructor in advance of any absence to observe a religious holy day or to fulfill jury duty. If an excused absence occurs on the first day of class, you must notify your instructor of the reason for your absence at the next class meeting. You must provide documentation for excused absences if the instructor requests it.

Work Missed During Absences. You are responsible for all material covered during any absence. In the case of non-penalized absences, you will be granted a reasonable amount of time to make up any work or test(s) if you submit documentation excusing the absence. In the case of unexcused absences, the opportunity to make up work is at the sole discretion of your instructor.

Tardiness. Many English instructors count two instances of tardiness as an absence. Your instructor, however, will be solely responsible for determining how tardiness affects your attendance record.

Make sure that you check the course syllabus for the attendance policy that will be followed by your instructor . If you have any questions about that policy, ask your instructor what his or her attendance policy is .