Attendance/Assignment Flexibility

Students are expected to attend class and meet deadlines for assignments and tests. Faculty have the right to develop attendance and late work policies. However, if a student has a disability that impacts his/her ability to attend class or complete assignments by the schedule time, flexibility with attendance or assignments may be an appropriate accommodation. The number of allowable absences and assignment deadline extensions, depends on the interactive nature of the course.

What does Flexibility in Attendance/Assignments mean?

Students who are registered with the Office of Disability Resources (ODR) may qualify to receive flexibility with assignments/attendance due to the nature of their disability. All requests are considered individually.

What is the process?
1.) The Office of Disability Resources (ODR) determines that the accommodation is reasonable. Students are advised that they cannot miss an excessive number of classes, and they are required to complete all coursework.

2.) ODR sends an Accomodation Letter to the faculty to notify them that the student requires flexibly with attendance and/or assignments.

3.) The faculty member should determine a reasonable timeframe for makeup or postponement of assignment. It may be appropriate to consider alternate assignments/readings/projects for missed classes. Any course modifications or assignment changes should be communicated with ODR, and ODR will determine if the accommodation meets the student’s individual needs. The faculty member should not negotiate these terms with the student. The agreement should include:

• How/when the student should inform you they have missed class
• How the student will make up missed assignments/classes
• The number of absences that would be reasonable as an accommodation
• Exceptions you have made in the past for disabled or non-disabled students

4.) If the student has concerns or questions regarding the agreement that was made, ODR will resolve these issues with the student/faculty.

How will ODR determine attendance/assignment policies for each class?

In conjunction with the faculty member’s recommendations, ODR will explore the following:

1. Attendance policy, course description, objectives and syllabus
2. Method used to calculate final grade 
3.  Is attendance/late work policy applied consistently? Are exceptions made for religious observations? 
4. Do student contributions constitute a significant component of the learning? 
5. Is the course designed to rely on student participation as a significant method of learning?
6. Is there content that is only presented in class?
7. To what extent does a student’s failure to attend class/complete an assignment compromise the student’s education?

Other Information

• This accommodation is not an excuse to miss an excessive number of classes.
• Accomodations cannot be applied retroactively. If you receive an accommodation letter late in the semester, it should be applied from that day forward.
• Regardless of the outcome, the deliberative process should be well documented.
• Absences not related to disability (car trouble, common illness) should be addressed according to the syllabus.
• You are not required to reteach material that has been missed due to the student’s absence.
• Students are responsible to complete all class work and should be held to the same academic standard as all other students.