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ACADEMIC OPERATING POLICY AND PROCEDURE

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Academic Operating Policy and Procedure (AOP) is to establish the policy related to student class attendance at Mississippi State University.

REVIEW

This AOP will be reviewed every five years or whenever circumstances require an earlier review by the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs (APAA) with recommendations for revision presented to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

POLICY/PROCEDURE

Upon registration, the student accepts the responsibility of attending all classes and doing any work the instructor may prescribe. When absence from class is essential, the student is responsible for providing satisfactory evidence to the instructor to substantiate the reason for absence. The student is also responsible for making arrangements that are satisfactory to the instructor in regard to work missed. These arrangements should be made prior to the absence when possible. Among the reasons absences are considered excused by the university are the following:

• Participation in an authorized university activity.

• Death or major illness in a student’s immediate family.

• Illness of a dependent family member.

• Participation in legal proceedings or administrative procedures that require a student’s presence.

• Religious holy day.

• Illness that is too severe or contagious for the student to attend class.

• Required participation in military duties.

• Mandatory admission interviews for professional or graduate school which cannot be rescheduled.

It is the student’s responsibility to secure documentation of an illness from a physician. The documentation must contain the date and time the student sought treatment. Based upon the documentation, the instructor will decide whether makeup work will be allowed.

Because absence from class is detrimental to the learning process, faculty may choose to penalize the student for excessive absences, which may result in a lower grade. Faculty must specify their attendance requirements as related to grading in the course syllabus.

With the exception of freshmen whose absences must be reported, instructors may choose to record and report the absences of all students on both the midterm (where applicable) and final grade reports submitted to the Registrar. It is necessary to report freshman absences to better assess behavior related to retention.

All absences and last dates of attendance (where applicable) will become a part of the student’s file in the Registrar’s Office. Instructors may report absences to the Division of Student Affairs at any time they feel it appropriate to do so and are expected to report students with continued consecutive absences.

RESPONSIBILITIES

OP 12.09
11/05/07

For information about this policy, contact the responsible/reviewing department hyperlinked above.