policy statement 22 - student absence from class

POLICY STATEMENT 22

STUDENT ABSENCE FROM CLASS

POLICY DIGEST

Monitoring Unit: Office of Academic Affairs

Initially Issued: October 1, 1977

Last Revised: October 30, 2020

I. PURPOSE

While students are expected to attend all classes and complete all exercises and assignments,

including those that may take place in class, this policy establishes valid reasons for absences;

provides for instructors to work with students to make-up missed work in certain circumstances; and

outlines procedures for the granting of excused absences and requesting travel insurance for student

trips.

II. GENERAL POLICY

Class attendance is the responsibility of the student. The student is expected to attend all classes. A

student who finds it necessary to miss class assumes responsibility for making up examinations,

obtaining lecture notes, and otherwise compensating for was missed. The course instructor will

determine the validity of a student's reason(s) for absences and will assist those students who have

valid reasons.

Valid reasons for absences include:

A. Serious or infectious illness

B. Serious emergencies involving members of the student’s household (permanent or campus) or

immediate family

C. Special curricular requirements such as judging trips or field trips

D. Court-imposed legal obligations such as subpoenas or jury duty

E. Military obligations

F. Hazardous weather conditions or effects

G. Religious observances. See the interfaith calendar website (http://www.interfaith-calendar.org/)

for an updated calendar of holidays and primary holy days of various religions.

H. Varsity athletic and other events in which the student is representing the university in an official

capacity

I. Professional school and graduate school interviews

J. Interviews at LSU-sponsored career fairs

K. Voting in local, state, and federal elections

III. PROCEDURES

A. The student is responsible for providing reasonable prior notification—at as early a date as

possible—and appropriate documentation of the reason for the absence. Should the

instructor and student disagree over the validity of a reason for an absence or over the timing

of the student’s notification, the student has the right to appeal the instructor's decision

according to the general appeal procedure in Policy Statement 48.

B. Making up Coursework

It is the instructor’s responsibility to develop a make-up policy for excused absences that allows

a student to specifically make up the work missed. It is the instructor’s obligation to include a

clearly stated make-up policy for excused absences in course syllabi.

Because the nature of each course is different, practices for making up assignments may differ.

However, students with excused absences must be given the opportunity to make up the work

they missed prior to being given other options, such as having later assignments count for more

credit.

C. Group Activities

1. Group activities which conflict with scheduled classes may be sponsored by the deans

and directors of colleges and schools and the Director of Athletics. Approval of the

individual student's absence must be obtained from the dean or director of the college or

school in which the student is enrolled before that student may be included in the group.

2. Group absences may be approved only in the following circumstances:

a. A trip by a group of students in fulfillment of class or departmental requirements when

the university controls time, route, and mode of travel. (See Permanent Memorandum

4, Section 1.A.)

b. Travel by an individual or non-class group for the purpose of representing the

university and where the University controls the time, route and mode of travel. (See

Permanent Memorandum 4, Section 1.B.)

c. Authorized special duties at the university (e.g. ROTC students participating in

President’s Day Parade or band members participating in special campus programs).

Special duties are authorized by an administrator at the level of vice president or vice

provost.

3. In any event in which group absences are requested, university regulations with respect to group

insurance must be observed. The appropriate Student Trip Travel Coverage Request Form found

online at https://www.lsu.edu/riskmgt/insurances/studnet-travel.php must be completed before travel.

Student Trip Travel insurance is provided by Student Government at no cost to departments or

student organizations traveling with LSU students.

IV. SOURCES

Permanent Memorandum 4

Policy Statement 48