- Students are expected to attend and participate in all scheduled classes and laboratories. However, special circumstances such as illness, religious holidays, travel difficulties, family emergencies, military deployment and active participation in college-sponsored events, such as sports, may make certain absences unavoidable. In such instances, students should notify instructors of these special circumstances in advance of missing class.
- Each instructor will distribute an attendance/participation policy statement, defining excessive absences and expected participation, the first week of classes each semester, and include these policies on the syllabus. These will be approved by the appropriate Dean to assure no conflict between individual attendance policies and college policy; copies will be on file in the instructor’s school office. Students are responsible for understanding the attendance and participation policy (including procedures for making up missed work) of each of their instructors.
- When, in the opinion of the instructor, absences have placed a student in potential academic jeopardy, the instructor will raise a flag in Starfish and notify the student’s Dean, who will address the concerns with the student, which may include an academic warning. An instructor may initiate discussion to determine the advisability of the student’s dropping or continuing the course in which excessive absences have occurred.
- A faculty member can suspend a student from class or laboratory for disruptive behavior, that is, for actions which interfere with the orderly conduct of the session or which threaten bodily harm to others. All such cases must be referred within 24-hours to the student’s Dean, with a full report. If the student cannot be reinstated in the class or laboratory within one week of the day of suspension, the case must be referred to the Provost for resolution. If a student is suspended, the student is still responsible for all course assignments, readings, and work if and when they may be reinstated.
- Extended, unavoidable absences or complete lack of participation will usually result in student withdrawal. However, in unusual situations where the student indicates a desire and an ability to complete course work even though away from campus, he/she may petition his/her Dean for permission to continue academic work (in absentia). The Dean will then consult with the student’s instructors and, on the basis of these consultations, advise the student to withdraw from the college, to drop courses, or to finish courses under the supervision of consenting instructors.
- Although regular class attendance will not guarantee passing grades, irregular attendance and a lack of engaged participation will usually have an adverse effect upon grades. Because final student evaluation is based upon measurable academic achievement, instructors will not lower final grades solely on the basis of absences. However, instructors may include attendance and participation points as part of the grading scale.
- SUNY Morrisville students must attend class to maintain their awarded federal aid. In a distance education context, students must participate in the class or be engaged in academically related activities (such as assignment submission, discussion posts and so forth). Federal financial aid eligibility requires SUNY Morrisville to identify and submit the record of the students who have not attended class and reduce their federal financial aid award accordingly.
