Student Class Attendance

Students are expected to attend all sessions of classes for which they are enrolled. Absences shall in no way lessen student responsibility for meeting the requirements of any class. Students are expected to know the attendance requirements for each of their courses. Failure to abide by a faculty member's attendance requirements may adversely impact their grade.

Class Attendance Expectations

Learning is central to our work at Kirkwood Community College. Faculty members use educational experiences to facilitate learning, and students learn by engaging in those experiences. Attendance and engagement in all scheduled classes are regarded as integral to learning and are expected of all students. Kirkwood faculty members identify expectations for learning and attendance in their course syllabi. Students are accountable for the learning outcomes for each session, including those sessions that have been missed. Assessments of learning that occur during an absence may or may not be made up, depending on the instructor's expectations and the nature of the absence. Absences that result from participation in college-sponsored activities, jury duty, or short term military service will be accommodated, subject to the guidelines listed below. For all other absences, authorization of an "excuse" is the province of the individual faculty member and subject to the standard appeal process.

Class Attendance Policy Related to College-Sponsored Activities

College-sponsored activities (excluding practices) include athletic competitions, student academic competitions and conferences, musical and drama performances, and class field trips. Questions on whether an activity is a college-sponsored event for purposes of this procedure should be directed to the Vice President of Academic Affairs. If anticipated absences for a semester appear to be extraordinarily numerous or difficult to accommodate, a faculty member may appeal the need for the full accommodation to the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

Students involved in activities where they are required to represent the college, i.e. college-sponsored activities, must give written notice to the faculty member at least one week in advance of the absence unless last-minute schedule changes make this notice impossible. If regular season athletic schedules have been developed, student participants must present written notice of anticipated absences within the first week of the semester. Failure to provide timely written notice may result in a loss of this opportunity.

The faculty shall accord students the opportunity to independently make up coursework or work of equal value, for the day(s) the event was scheduled and to take a scheduled exam at an alternate time. The faculty member shall determine alternate exam times and due dates for missed course work. These assigned dates may be prior to the date of the absence.

Organizers (coaches, faculty and staff) of college-sponsored activities shall:

1. assist students in planning class schedules to minimize the number of absences;
2. inform students of their responsibilities as described above; and
3. provide written communications to the faculty member announcing and verifying the need for student class absences. Written notices must be provided at the beginning of the semester if the schedule is known, or as soon as possible after the need for a student absence is determined.

Class Absence for Jury Duty

Students who are called to jury duty may have alternative assignments provided assuming the time spent is within normal semester boundaries. Proof of both the call to serve and actual service must be shared with the faculty member, and it is the student's responsibility to notify the faculty member prior to service and to make arrangements to complete alternative work post the jury assignment.

Class Attendance Policy Related to Required Military Duty or Veteran Status

Questions on whether an activity is a required military service activity for purposes of this procedure should be directed to the Vice President of Academic Affairs. If anticipated absences for a semester appear to be extraordinarily numerous or difficult to accommodate, a faculty member may appeal the need for the full accommodation to the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

Absences due to military duty or veteran status must be excused. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Mandatory monthly drill instruction, such as duty completed by national guard members and military reservists (typically this involves a one-day absence in order to extend weekend training).
• Service-related medical appointments where failure to appear might result in a loss of benefits.

Students must give written notice to the faculty member at least one week in advance of the absence unless last-minute schedule changes make this notice impossible. Students are strongly encouraged to inform each faculty member of their known and anticipated absences as far in advance as possible, preferably at the start of the term.

The faculty shall accord students the opportunity to independently make up course work or work of equal value, for the day(s) the event was scheduled and to take a scheduled exam at an alternate time. The faculty member shall determine alternate exam times and due dates for missed course work. These assigned dates may be prior to the date of the absence.

Students are still responsible for demonstrating achievement of course learning goals, even when absences due to military duty are necessary and reasonable. In situations with many absences or extended periods of military duty (e.g. being called to active duty), it may be most appropriate for the student to withdraw and retake the course in a future semester.