Curriculum Action Notice

From:

Academic Affairs Committee

Date:

October 21, 2004

This is a bulletin from the Academic Affairs Committee concerning proposed curricular actions. Please forward any comments or concerns in the next 10 days to the AAC chair, Flor Blanco, Belknap Hall 110A, Ext. 4604, fblanco@mnsfld.edu.

Below there are possible descriptions for a MU Attendance Policy description for the catalog. AAC encourages you to send comments or concerns to the committee, and to attend the Faculty Assembly on October 29, 2004.

Mansfield University Attendance Policy Version 1 (slightly amended version of our current Password language)

Regular and punctual class attendance is expected. Documented excuses because of illness, serious mitigating circumstances, or absences because of official university representation will be accepted by all faculty members, thus permitting you to make up missed tests and/or assignments in a reasonable manner at the instructor’s discretion. It is mandatory for the student to provide documentation before absences can be excused.

More than two weeks worth of absences in any course will be grounds for failure in the course, although cases of serious illness may be dealt with on an individual basis.

In courses where classroom participation is an integral component, your attendance is essential and may influence your final grade. If this is the case in your course, the instructor will explain that relationship in the syllabus during the first week of the course.


Mansfield University Attendance Policy Version 2

The goal of Mansfield University’s attendance policy is to reward student attendance, planning, and foresight, thereby facilitating student participation and contribution in classroom or lab activities. These two factors dramatically increase a student’s opportunity to learn and achieve in the academic environment.

In an effort to improve and maintain high levels of attendance and reciprocally academic achievement, Mansfield University requires all of its students to attend every class or lab session and every examination period unless their absence qualifies as one of the Excused Absences listed below. Furthermore, Mansfield University approves the use of academic penalties by its faculty for unexcused absences, as long as these penalties are reasonable and commensurate with the importance of the work missed and are clearly defined in the class syllabus. Similarly, Mansfield University grants each faculty member the right to drop a student from their course, should they miss three consecutive days of class during the first week of the Add/Drop period. Finally, in the case of any approved or excused absence, students will be held responsible for communicating, coordinating, and making arrangements to make up any work missed during an approved absence. In the event that an alternative assignment or alternative turn-in date cannot be established or agreed upon, a student will forfeit his/her right to receive credit for this work. More than two weeks worth of absences in any course will be grounds for failure in the course, although cases of serious illness may be dealt with on an individual basis.

Approved and Excused Absences

Mansfield University students shall receive excused absences for any of the following anticipated absences or for any of following emergencies, as long as students have contacted their professor(s) at least 24hrs prior to the anticipated absence and within one week after an emergency absence:

Anticipated Absences:

1. official university function
2. professional meeting, accompanied or officially sanctioned by a University faculty member.
3. participation in an athletic event
4. court attendance
5. religious observances as verified by the Director of Residence Life
6. military duty as certified by the student's commanding officer
   

Emergency absences:

1. Illness or injury, when certified by an attending physician.
2. Death or serious illnesses to a family member, when documented appropriately.

Mansfield University Attendance Policy Version 3

Regular and punctual class attendance is expected. Documented excuses because of illness, serious mitigating circumstances, or absences because of official university representation will be accepted by all faculty members, thus permitting you to make up missed tests and/or assignments in a reasonable manner at the instructor’s discretion. It is mandatory for the student to provide documentation before absences can be excused.

Instructors may not penalize students in any way for excused absences, either on graded assignments or on participation, and must devise alternative assignments for students who miss courses in which participation is essential so that they can make up for the material missed during class time.


Mansfield University Attendance Policy Version 4

Regular and punctual class attendance is required of all students in all courses. Class attendance policy is determined individually by faculty members, and all instructors are expected to make their attendance policies clear in the course syllabus.


Mansfield University Attendance Policy Version 5 (suggested by Provost Lane)
(This is a revision of the 10/21/04 version, distributed 10/22/04 by AAC.)

Regular and punctual class attendance is expected in all classes. Documented excused absences because of illness, serious mitigating circumstances, or absences because of official university representation will be accepted by all faculty members (See list below). Students with these excused absences will be permitted to recover lost points by making up the work or completing an alternate assignment. In the case of any approved or excused absence, students will be held responsible for communicating, coordinating, and making arrangements to make up any work missed (or alternate assignments) during an approved absence. Students must meet with their instructor within one week of the absence to arrange for make-up work.. It is mandatory for the student to provide documentation to the Registrar before absences can be excused.

In courses where classroom participation is an integral component, your attendance is essential and may influence your final grade. If this is the case in your course, the instructor will explain that relationship in the syllabus during the first week of the course.

Instructors may not penalize students in any way for excused absences, either on graded assignments or on participation, and must devise alternative assignments for students who miss classes in which participation is essential so that they can make up for the material missed during class time.

Excusable Absences:
1. official university function
2. professional meeting, accompanied or officially sanctioned by the University.
3. participation in an athletic event
4. court attendance
5. military duty as certified by the student's commanding officer

Emergency absences:
1. Illness or injury, when certified by an attending physician.
2. Death or serious illnesses to a family member, when documented appropriately.

If a student misses more than three weeks of classes, during the normal withdrawal period, as a result of unexcused absences, the faculty member may request the Provost remove the student from the class. The Provost will ask the registrar to contact the students and discuss the reason for missing classes. Significant and substantial justification for these absences will be required to permit the student to remain in the class.