Academic Catalog 2020-2021 > Policies > Academic Policies > Attendance Policy

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend all classes for which they are registered. Each faculty member distributes to students written attendance requirements, if any, for the program of study. Attendance policies specific to a course shall be included in course syllabi, which shall be distributed to students enrolled in applicable course(s). It is the STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY to keep up with the exact number of absences and also to check with his/her instructors regarding permission to make up the work missed.

Any class session missed, regardless of cause, reduces the academic opportunities of the student and could adversely affect the grade which the student achieves in a course. Regulations pertinent to attendance are listed below.

• Students are expected to attend, on time, all sessions of their registered classes; therefore any absence from class should be due to UNAVOIDABLE CIRCUMSTANCES.
• The number of allowable absences in a course is adequate to provide the student the opportunity to take care of emergencies and/or personal business that may occur during the respective academic calendar.
• A student officially representing the College off campus, such as on a field trip, will not be counted absent unless required by an external accrediting or certifying body, such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), provided prior notice is given to the instructor by the Dean of Instruction, proper approval is granted, and any work missed is made up. Likewise, a student with documented jury duty or documented military service will not be counted absent unless required by an external accrediting or certifying body, such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), provided that prior notice is given to the instructor by the Dean of Instruction, proper approval is granted, and any work missed is made up.
• Instructors’ class policies determine whether students will be allowed to make up class work, assignments, or tests missed during any absence.
• Instructors may implement a class tardiness policy which will be clearly stated in the class syllabus and will be applied to all students in the respective class.
• No absence exempts a student from meeting established class policy academic requirements. Students are responsible for all class assignments, tests, or other materials missed during any absence.

On the last day to withdraw without academic penalty, students with a failing grade and excessive absences will be removed from the relevant courses as an administrative withdrawal and will be assigned a grade of W. The details of this policy are explained below.

• For face-to-face courses, on the last day to withdraw without academic penalty, faculty members will identify students who 1) have a FAILING GRADE, 2) have an excessive number of absences (see the attached chart for details), and 3) have NOT completed the withdrawal process. These students will be removed from the course as an administrative withdrawal and will be assigned a grade of W. Such students may petition the Dean of Instruction for readmission into the course and will be officially readmitted to the course only with the approval of the Dean of Instruction and the relevant faculty member. Any such requests for readmission must be made within one calendar week of the administrative withdrawal. During a Summer Semester (full and mini-term sequences), any such requests for readmission must be made within 24 hours of the administrative withdrawal.
• For distance learning courses, on the last day to withdraw without academic penalty, faculty members will identify students who 1) have a FAILING GRADE, 2) have an excessive number of weeks (see the attached chart for details) when they have failed to take the weekly attendance verification quiz* and have, thus, been “absent”, and 3) have NOT completed the withdrawal process. These students will be removed from the course as an administrative withdrawal and will be assigned a grade of W. Such students may petition the Dean of Instruction for readmission into the course and will be officially readmitted to the course only with the approval of the Dean of Instruction and the relevant faculty member. Any such requests for readmission must be made within one calendar week of the administrative withdrawal. During a Summer Semester (full and mini-term sequences), any such requests for readmission must be made within 24 hours of the administrative withdrawal.

*The exact nature of the weekly attendance verification quiz is at the sole discretion of the individual instructor and may consist of a quiz, a test, a student email response, a student discussion board post, etc.

• For hybrid-learning courses, on the last day to withdraw without academic penalty, faculty members will identify students who 1) have a FAILING GRADE, 2) have an excessive number of weeks (see the attached chart for details) when they have failed to meet the weekly attendance requirement* and have, thus, been “absent”, and 3) have NOT completed the withdrawal process. These students will be removed from the course as an administrative withdrawal and will be assigned a grade of W. Such students may petition the Dean of Instruction for readmission into the course and will be officially readmitted to the course only with the approval of the Dean of Instruction and the relevant faculty member. Any such requests for readmission must be made within one calendar week of the administrative withdrawal. During a Summer Semester (full and mini-term sequences), any such requests for readmission must be made within 24 hours of the administrative withdrawal.

*The exact nature of the weekly attendance requirement is at the sole discretion of the individual instructor and may consist of class attendance and/or on-line course assignments such as a quiz, a test, a student email response, a student discussion board post, etc..

Students receiving financial aid should be familiar with the Required Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress in the Financial Aid section of the College Catalog and Student Handbook. STUDENTS ENROLLED IN AN AVIATION COURSE ARE NOT GOVERNED BY THIS ATTENDANCE POLICY AND MUST, INSTEAD, MEET ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AS DICTATED BY THE FAA.

Excused Absences

Absences incurred due to College-sponsored events or activities or caused by appropriate circumstances (example jury duty) may be excused by memorandum or email from the Dean of Instruction and are not counted in the total number of student absences. The student is responsible for all class assignments, tests, or other materials missed. Instructors will make provisions to allow students to make up regularly scheduled class assignments without penalty. There are no excused absences in the aviation program in accordance with FAA requirements.