University Attendance Policy

**This is draft language from the NEW Faculty Handbook which will be published soon.**

The following language is the entire policy that will be in the Faculty Handbook. If excused absences are referred to in the grading scale, instructors must list all University approved excuses as noted in bold below. You may edit the bold language to fit your syllabus.

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The instructor decides what effect unexcused absences will have on grades and will explain class attendance and grading policies in writing at the beginning of each semester. Instructors must accommodate absences due to documented illness, deaths in the immediate family and other documented crises, call to active military duty or jury duty, religious holy days, and official University activities and must do so in a way that does not penalize students who have a valid excuse. Consideration should also be given to students whose dependent children experience serious illness. All students are expected to abide by this class attendance policy. Students must also provide, when possible, advance notice of absences as well as relevant documentation regarding absences to the instructor as soon as possible following the illness or event that led to an absence. Regardless of whether an absence is excused or unexcused, the student is responsible for making up all work that is missed. University-wide policy requires all students to attend the first class meeting of all classes for which they are registered. Students who do not attend the first class meeting of a course for which they are registered will be dropped from the course by the academic department that offers the course. In order to enforce this policy, instructors are required to take attendance at the first class meeting and report absences to the appropriate person in their department or school/college.  For further information, consult the FSU General Bulletin at: http://registrar.fsu.edu/bulletin/undergrad/apdefault.htm.  Please note that some schools, colleges and special programs have more stringent requirements for class attendance. Also, see “Medical Excuses” in Section “m” of this chapter.

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Questions may be directed to Susan Fiorito, Chair of the Curriculum Committee or Melissa Crawford, Faculty Senate Coordinator.