Dean of the College

Dean’s Review Policy

Class attendance is expected of all students because the formal basis of a college learning experience is the lecture, the laboratory, and the discussion group. Faculty members establish and maintain attendance requirements in their courses and must inform students and the Office of the Dean of the College of those policies. Students are responsible for meeting class and examination schedules. Unwillingness to meet attendance obligations may result in a penalty, often failure in the course.

At the will and judgment of the class instructor, if a student accumulates an excessive number of unexcused absences, as defined in the course syllabus, the instructor can request a formal review of this behavior by the appropriate class dean in the Office of the Dean of the College. During the review, the dean will meet with the student to assess the student’s commitment to the course and to formulate a plan, if necessary, for addressing any underlying issues beyond the classroom. Based upon the outcome of this review, the dean will normally include a formal warning to the student of possible mandatory withdrawal from the course if the unexcused absences continue. (In consultation with the instructor, this warning will normally specify the maximum number of additional unexcused absences before mandatory withdrawal.) The outcome of this review will be reported in writing to the instructor and student. The student also must meet with the instructor in order to reaffirm his/her commitment to the course. If the student continues to miss class in excess of the formal warning and without excuse, the instructor may notify the dean of the college, prompting the student’s mandatory withdrawal from the course.

The student will be awarded a WD for a course withdrawal that occurs through the 11^th week of the semester. After the course withdrawal deadline, the student will have earned and be awarded the appropriate grade, as determined by the faculty member.

Any student with an excessive number of absences or attendance patterns of concern should be brought to the attention of the class dean (Erica D’Agostino for first and second year, Karen Clemence for third and fourth year).

Dean’s Excuse Policy

Under certain circumstances, a student may be officially excused from a class or classes with a dean’s excuse, and make-up privileges are appropriate for the excused class or classes. The Office of the Dean of the College issues dean’s excuses; if one is issued, the student receives confirmation by being copied on the email sent to the student’s faculty. A student may initiate a request for a dean’s excuse from the following offices, depending on the circumstance:

Class Dean in the Office of the Dean of the College

• Participation in the National Conference for Undergraduate Research (NCUR)
• Varsity athletics (competitions away from campus). Varsity athletes seeking dean’s excuses for planned absences are expected to provide professors with the dates and total number of proposed class absences as soon as possible and no later than the first day of classes. This allows faculty to determine whether or not the frequency of expected absences violates the pedagogical integrity of the class. In such cases, faculty may advise the student to drop the class or be prepared to accept the academic penalty for such absences.
• Bereavements
• Family emergencies
• Extraordinary circumstances (as determined by the class dean in the Dean of the College Office)

Bailey Health Center

• Admission to area hospitals
• Major medical or psychological problem requiring absence from class.

NOTE: For minor medical problems, students cannot expect to receive a dean’s excuse because they are sick, even if they receive prescription medication. Students who make their own decision that they are too sick to attend class should inform their instructors of their absence, but will not receive a dean’s excuse. Visits to Bailey Health Center for routine medical conditions should not conflict with a student’s class schedule. In the case where a student has been seen by a health care professional other than the College physician, the College physician will review documentation provided by the student to determine the seriousness of the medical condition.

Counseling Center

• Hospitalization or emergency off-campus treatment for psychological reasons
• Acute and serious psychological distress that would prevent most students from being able to attend class.

NOTE: The Counseling Center does not normally support retroactive requests for missed classes or coursework.

Upon their return, students should consult with the relevant professor(s) to discuss the professor’s plan to accommodate the dean’s excuse.  A dean’s excuse is not available for class absences related to activities such as field trips, trips related to research with faculty, or other special opportunities; therefore, students are directed to communicate with relevant faculty members to request possible accommodations. Faculty members have the right to refuse to grant accommodations for absences not covered by a dean’s excuse.