3 - 01.2
Administrative policy regarding class attendance and class absence
- Purpose. Regular attendance in class is expected of all students at all levels and within all modalities at the university. However, the university also recognizes certain conditions under which absence from class shall be excusable as provided for herein. The purpose of this policy is to provide for a process through which students and faculty can work together to navigate the effect that excused absences may have upon the student’s academic performance.
- Class attendance. Faculty have both the responsibility and the prerogative for managing student attendance. The faculty member’s policy regarding class attendance and expectations of engagement in the class shall be published in the course syllabus and provided to students during the first week of the term (or within the same period for courses starting after the first week). Course syllabi may specify additional attendance/engagement expectations and deadlines consistent with this policy and with essential course requirements. In the event of a conflict between the class attendance policy published in a syllabus and this policy, including the list of excusable absences, this policy shall control. This policy is not intended to interfere with or replace minimum standards for attendance or contact hours as may be required due to accreditation, degree requirements and/or state or federal law.
- Academic requirement. This policy does not, and is not intended to, relieve the student of the student’s obligation for fulfilling all academic, programmatic and/or licensure requirements. At all times, the student remains responsible for ensuring compliance with such requirements. Neither academic departments nor individual faculty members are required to waive essential or fundamental academic requirements of a course to accommodate student absences. Faculty who believe the number of student absences will seriously jeopardize the student’s ability to be academically successful in the course are encouraged to share that concern with the student and discuss possible options.
- Procedure for class absences. Students should be prepared to provide documentation for absences under this rule, and faculty members shall be responsible for providing students with the appropriate assistance and support for such absences as provided for herein. In all instances, students shall remain responsible for all material covered in class and are responsible for completing any assignments or examinations due or held during such absences.
- Excusable absence. For the purposes of this policy, an absence from class shall be excusable by the faculty member for the following reasons (faculty may determine that other reasons for absences, not listed below, are excusable):
- Medical illness or injury that, in the opinion of a medical provider, is serious enough that the student is unable to attend class.
- Disability related as approved by the office of student accessibility services accommodation process.
- Death of an immediate family member.
- Military service pursuant to orders issued by a governmental authority; in adherence to the section 3345.53 of the Revised Code and the university’s registrar’s military call-up guidelines.
- University-sponsored activity that is supported through the use of university funding, including but not limited to, participation in intercollegiate athletics, concert or other live performance as approved through the School of Music, or other off-campus academic experiences such as domestic or international travel required for course credit.
- University-supported activity, including but not limited to, presentation of undergraduate or graduate research, attendance at an academic or organizational conference.
- Religious and spiritual beliefs (see rule 3342-3-01.14 of the Administrative Code, administrative policy regarding accommodations for student religious and spiritual beliefs).
- Jury duty (see rule 3342-3-01.201 of the Administrative Code, operational procedures and regulations regarding jury duty absences for students).
- Notice. Students should be prepared to provide written notice to the faculty member of any scheduled excusable absence(s) under this policy as soon as possible. Written notice may be provided through completion of the “class absence authorization form” for university sponsored or supported event, or through other electronic communication between the student and faculty member.
- Alternatively, the department responsible for the university-sponsored activity may provide notice to the faculty on behalf of the student. However, the student remains directly responsible for securing further reasonable support and assistance provided in paragraph (D)(4) of this rule.
- In the event that the student is unable to provide notice due to incapacity caused by medical illness or injury, notice may be provided to the faculty member on the student’s behalf.
- Supporting documentation. Faculty have the prerogative of requesting documentation verifying a student’s absence in support of one of the reasons provided for in paragraphs (D)(1)(a) through (D)(1)(h) of this rule. Such documentation shall be provided by the student to the faculty member as soon as possible prior to the scheduled absence as provided for in paragraph (D)(2) of this rule, or immediately following the student’s return to class if such absence was unscheduled but otherwise excusable.
- In the event of a medical illness/injury, namely paragraph (D)(1)(a) of this rule, students should be prepared to provide documentation from their medical provider that specifies the dates in which the student’s illness/injury was severe enough to prevent them from attending class.
- Reasonable support and assistance. Upon notification of a scheduled absence excusable under this rule, or upon a student’s return to class after an excused absence under this rule, the faculty member shall provide, where possible, reasonable support and assistance to minimize the academic impact of the excused absence. Such support and assistance shall be provided through collaborative discussion with the student and consist of one or more of the following:
- Rescheduling the deadline for upcoming or outstanding assignments, without assessment of a late penalty or other adverse effect upon the student’s grade.
- Providing reasonable opportunity for a makeup examination and/or assignment in the event an excused absence occurs on an examination day without assessment of a late penalty or other adverse effect upon the student’s grade.
Offering any other alternative as mutually agreed upon by the faculty member and the student in writing.
Faculty have discretion as to what constitutes reasonable academic support. For example, reopening time-bound activities when doing so would compromise essential course objectives (e.g. peer interaction) or assessment integrity (e.g. quizzes/exams), reteaching entire class lectures, or providing individual instruction to make up missed work may be considered unreasonable academic support. When appropriate, faculty may offer an alternative equivalent activity.
- Absences relating to paragraph (D)(1)(b) of this rule that require accommodation based upon a disability shall be resolved through an interactive process involving the student accessibility services, the student, and the faculty member, in a manner consistent with rule 3342-3-01.3 of the Administrative Code. Students and faculty members should follow procedures established by student accessibility services to utilize this accommodation. Under no circumstances are students solely responsible for the resolution of such conflicts arising from disability-related absences.
- Absences due to a university-sponsored activity. If the student’s absence is due to participation in a university-sponsored activity, the department sponsoring the activity shall coordinate resolution of conflicts between the student and faculty member regarding this policy.
- College credit plus students shall refer to the college credit plus agreement in the event their respective school-sponsored activity conflicts with class attendance.
- Excusable absence. For the purposes of this policy, an absence from class shall be excusable by the faculty member for the following reasons (faculty may determine that other reasons for absences, not listed below, are excusable):
- Records. Records provided by the student to the faculty member under this rule shall be retained for a period of seven years after the date received, or in a manner otherwise consistent with the university’s records retention schedule.
- If the amount of a student’s absence poses a threat to their ability to be academically successful in classes, the student should consult their academic advisor, the student ombuds, or the financial, billing and enrollment center to discuss options and/or financial aid repercussions.
- Informal resolution should first be attempted between individual instructors and students in the event of any attendance-related concerns. If informal resolution is unsuccessful, the following offices, with respect to that office’s purview, can provide assistance, guidance and instruction on filing a grievance, e.g. student ombuds, student accessibility services, equal opportunity and compliance. Students who believe they have been unfairly impacted by a faculty member’s application of this policy are advised to follow the process provided in rule 3342-4-02.3 of the Administrative Code.
Policy Effective Date:
Sep 09, 2026
Policy Prior Effective Dates:
11/4/1977, 9/13/1979, 10/26/1979, 2/14/1983, 1/30/1985, 7/10/1985, 9/7/1988, 1/29/1992, 9/19/2005, 6/01/2007, 1/13/2014, 3/1/15, 6/12/2023, 8/30/2025
