Approved
by Faculty Senate: May
10, 1999
February 12, 2001 (* modified)
IMPORTANCE OF CLASS ATTENDANCE: At West Virginia University, class attendance contributes significantly to academic success. Students who attend classes regularly tend to earn higher grades and have higher passing rates in courses. Excessive absences may jeopardize students' grades or even their ability to continue in their courses.
There is a strong correlation between regular class attendance and academic success. Faculty are strongly encouraged to require attendance in all 100-level classes. (*)
ATTENDANCE POLICIES: Instructors must set attendance policies that are appropriate for the goals and instructional strategies of their courses. Instructors may include attendance records in determining the final course grade. All attendance policies that affect students' grades must be announced in writing within the first week of class. Moreover, instructors are responsible for keeping accurate enrollment records, and for keeping accurate attendance records when attendance is used in grading. Attendance policies thought to violate the statement on student attendance should first be discussed with the instructor, then with the department chair, and finally the college dean, if necessary.
CLASS ABSENCES: Students who are absent from class for any reason are responsible for all missed work and for contacting their instructors promptly, unless the instructors' policies require otherwise. However, instructors cannot require documentation of student illness from any medical provider as part of an attendance policy, since medical conditions are confidential and frequently not verifiable.
MAKE-UP EXAMINATIONS: Students absent from regularly scheduled examinations because of authorized University activities will have the opportunity to take them at an alternate time. Such make-up examinations should be of comparable difficulty to the original examination.
Students in courses with regularly scheduled evening examinations shall have the opportunity to make up these examinations if they miss them in order to attend a regularly scheduled class that meets at the same time. Such make-up examinations should be of comparable difficulty to the original examination.
Attendance at a regularly scheduled evening examination will not excuse a student from a regularly scheduled class that meets at the same time as the examination.
DAYS OF SPECIAL CONCERN: Instructors are urged not to schedule examinations or field trips on "Days of Special Concern" that are identified in the Schedule of Courses.
CBT/swf