A T T E N D A N C E P O L I C Y
A student is expected to be present at all classes. Regular class attendance is necessary in order for a student to achieve the desired standard of academic achievement. Irregular attendance normally results in lower levels of achievement.
It is University policy that each instructor determine and communicate the attendance requirements for the class. Only the instructor can excuse missed classes or assignments. An Attendance Policy Appeals Committee exists to hear appeals if a student cannot resolve his or her situation with the instructor and/or Division Head.
An appeal of the instructor's application of the attendance policy will not be sustained unless there is clear and convincing evidence that it was applied in an unreasonable manner or is in violation of widely held ethical or legal principles.
Attendance Policy Guidelines
Truman State University entrusts the faculty with the responsibility of determining how absences will affect student grades.
University faculty are encouraged, whenever possible, to accommodate students who must miss class for important reasons. These reasons may include family and personal emergencies, special religious observances, and extraordinary opportunities that lie beyond the classroom.
University faculty should make an attendance policy available to students in a written format within the first week of the class. The policy should be reasonably clear and help students understand how absences might affect their learning and grades. Not every eventuality can be foreseen, and the individual instructor will have to make some judgments beyond the details outlined in the policy.
Students are encouraged to consult with faculty about absences, in advance if possible, to resolve scheduling conflicts.
The University community recognizes that on occasion an Absence Policy Appeals Committee may be called upon to review and settle disputes that result from an inconsistent application of the absence policy as articulated in the class and this document. Resort to this option would occur only after the student first seeks a satisfactory outcome with the instructor, and, if that fails, with the Division Head.
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