Students are expected to be present for every meeting of the classes in which they are enrolled. At the beginning of each semester, instructors are responsible for clarifying their policy for handling class absences and the impact absences will have in the determination of course grades. All matters relative to attendance, including the makeup of missed work, are to be arranged between the student and the instructor involved. Only the instructor can excuse a student from classes or course responsibilities. In the event of an illness, accident, or emergency, when circumstances permit, the student should make direct contact with his/her instructor(s), preferably before a class or an exam takes place. If the instructor cannot be reached in person or by telephone, the student should leave a message in the instructor's department mailbox or with the instructor's secretary.

When a student is unable to make direct contact with the instructor and is unable to leave word with the instructor's department because of circumstances beyond the student's control, the student or the student's representative should contact the Office of the Dean of Students if the reported absence is expected to be for an extended period of time (normally more than five days). A member of the Dean of Students staff will notify the student's instructor(s) of the circumstances. Only the instructor may excuse class absences. The student should be aware that this intervention does not change, in any way, the outcome of the instructor's decision regarding the student's academic work and performance in any given course. The student must make personal contact with the instructor(s) as soon as it is possible to do so. The student may discuss the circumstances of the absence with a member of the Office of the Dean of Students for advice on how to proceed.

If a student will be absent for more than five days, has not been able to reach the instructor in person or by telephone, or through leaving notification of the student's circumstances with the instructor's secretary, the student or the student's representative should notify the Office of the Dean of Students, at 765-494-1254 as soon as possible after becoming aware that the absence is necessary. Be advised, the student, or the student's representative may be asked by the instructor(s) to provide documentation from an authorized professional or agency which supports an explanation for the student's absence.