3364-77-07. Graduate missed class policy

(A) Policy statement

Although students are expected to attend every class meeting of the courses (or other educational or research activities) for which they are registered, the university requires that instructors provide basic protections and reasonable accommodations for students who miss class for any of the following reasons:

(1) Illness or medical emergency that requires a health care provider for a student or a dependent or family member of the student, death of a family member (e.g., spouse, parent, child, grandparent, sibling);

(2) Religious observances that prevent the student from attending class;

(3) Required participation in university disciplinary procedures;

(4) Government-required activities, such as military assignments, jury duty, or court appearances;

(5) In the case of severe weather in which an official agency such as the sheriff's department reports that hazardous driving conditions exist and that travel is not advised; and

(6) Required participation in university-sponsored activities, approved by the appropriate university authority, such as intercollegiate athletic competitions, activities approved by academic units, including but not limited to artistic performances, R.O.T.C. functions, documented educational or scientific presentations, academic field trips and events connected with coursework.

(7) Any situation or condition covered under title nine or other federal legislation.

(8) Disability-related excused absences as specified in the accommodations memo emailed to instructors from the office of student disability services.

For students who miss class due to a reason listed in this paragraph, the instructor must provide reasonable accommodations for completing missed exams, quizzes, and other course work. If a course allows a low grade to be dropped, work missed due to this absence cannot be required to count for the dropped grade.

(B) Purpose of policy

This policy provides for basic protections and reasonable accommodations for students who miss class with excused absences.

(C) Scope

This policy applies to all graduate students.

(D) Procedure

Instructors bear responsibility for the academic conduct of their classes and for providing reasonable accommodations for students who miss class with excused absences. Each college may publish detailed implementation strategies specific to that college. It is the responsibility of each instructor to inform students in writing during the first week of the course of his/her policies or applicable college policies on missed classes and related issues, including excused and unexcused absences, make-up examinations, providing notice or documentation of an excused absence, and makeup of work missed during students' excused absences. It is the responsibility of each instructor to decide and to communicate to students in the syllabus what weight shall be placed on missed classes in the computation of final course grades.

To be excused for any missed class, students must give to the instructor documentation of the reason for the absence per the list in paragraph (A) of this policy (e.g.: funeral director's notification or funeral program; jury duty documentation; health care provider's "return to work" form, notice of participation in a university function, etc.). If an emergency comes up unexpectedly, including such things as a death in the family or an emergency room visit, the student must let the instructor know by UT email what is happening as soon as is reasonably feasible after the missed class for the absence to be excused.

Effective: 5/6/2019
Promulgated Under: 111.15
Statutory Authority: 3364
Rule Amplifies: 3364