Student Attendance

Faculty members may fail any student who is absent for a significant portion of class time. A significant portion of class time is defined as three absences for classes that meet once per week and four absences for classes that meet two or more times per week. During intensive summer sessions a significant portion of class time is defined as two absences. Lateness or early departure from class may also translate into one full absence.

Faculty will make attendance standards clear, in writing, at the beginning of the semester. Students may be asked to withdraw from a course if their habitual absenteeism or tardiness has a negative impact on the class environment.

Students who must miss a class session should notify his or her instructor and arrange to make up any missed work as soon as possible. Students who anticipate a potentially lengthy absence must immediately inform the program Chair or Director and must explain the extenuating circumstances in writing. Students must receive advance approval for the absence in order to ensure successful completion of the course. A Leave of Absence or Withdrawal from Program will be recommended if the absence would compromise the student’s ability to meet course requirements and standards.

Religious Observance
Students will not be penalized for absences due to religious observance. However, the student still may not miss a significant portion of class time as defined in “Attendance” above. It is the student's responsibility, prior to registering, to assess the number of holidays that will arise during a given semester and their impact on attendance. The student, in consultation with the major department, should make a determination as to whether or not the given semester is the appropriate time to take a particular class. Accommodations may include make-up sessions in a different section of the class and/or independent projects. The student must inform the instructor at the beginning of term of any anticipated absences due to religious observance.

Assignments, Exams and Deadlines
Unless special permission is received in advance, students must be present for all regularly scheduled examinations and final reviews and must submit completed assignments when they are due. Failure to take examinations or submit work on time may result in lowered grades or failure of the course.

Attendance Records
Parsons requires instructors to keep records of attendance, whether or not these records are used in the determination of the student's grades. In some instances these records are required by law. In addition any student who misses two consecutive class sessions _without explanation_ should be reported to the department immediately.

Attendance books should be kept up to date and turned in at the end of the semester if requested by the Department Chair. Otherwise, faculty are advised to retain their records for at least 5 years. They should be available upon request of the Department Chair or the Dean's Office.

Class Rosters
Class rosters are available online via ALVIN. Paper rosters are no longer distributed, check ALVIN just prior to the start of your class for an up-to-date roster. Faculty should check the roster in ALVIN regularly until the end of the add/drop period. These rosters are complete and accurate and should be used to verify registration. Students not appearing on the roster:

• are not officially registered
• will not receive credit for the course
• should not be allowed to attend the class unless they show proof of registration in one of the following two ways:
• 1. the student shows a green registration receipt with the course listed on it.
  2. the student shows you a Permission to Attend Classes card.

Discrepancies between faculty attendance records and class rosters should be reported to the Chair immediately. Course changes (drop/add) are accepted only through the third week of classes. (Consult academic calendar at the beginning of this manual for actual deadlines.)

Permission to Attend Class
If a student is unable to register, the Office of Advising may grant the student permission to attend classes. If this permission is granted, the student will receive a card stating for how long the extension has been granted. Faculty should check after the expiration date that the student has officially registered for the course.

Faculty Responsibilities (see above for details):

• Include a clear attendance policy in your syllabus at the beginning of the semester.
• Keep a written record of attendance for each and every class.
• Notify the Chair of any discrepancies between faculty attendance records and class rosters.
• Notify department of degree student absences.
• Fail any student who is absent for a significant portion of class time.