Class Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend all of their scheduled University classes, and other University activities such as examinations, study halls, and tutorials, as determined by their departments and University faculty and staff. The University reserves the right to deal at any time with individual cases of nonattendance. The effect of absences upon grades is determined by the instructor. Arranging to make up work missed because of legitimate class absence is the responsibility of the student.

Within the University there are several categories of students that are expected to exhibit behavior that conforms to the group to which they belong. These units include, but are not limited to, ROTC cadets, academic honor societies, veterans, athletes and nursing majors. Membership within these units implies that the student agrees to fulfill the obligations of the organization.

A student reported for excessive absence in any course may be required by the academic dean to drop the course with the grade of "F".

Students reported absent for a period of two weeks or more may be readmitted only by permission of their academic dean. Upon readmission the dean may require a reduction of the academic load.

The Florida State University policy on observance of religious holy days provides that students shall, upon notifying their instructor, be excused from class to observe a religious holy day of their faith. While students will be held responsible for the material covered in their absence, each student shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time to make up the work missed. Instructors and University administrators shall in no way arbitrarily penalize students who are absent from academic or social activities because of religious holy day observance. Students who feel that this policy has been improperly applied in specific instances may have their grievances addressed through the general academic appeals process. In this process, the student brings a complaint first to the instructor, then to the department chair, and finally to the academic dean appropriate to the course involved, stopping at the level at which the complaint is resolved. If no resolution is reached, the student brings the complaint to the attention of the Dean of the Faculties for either resolution or referral to the Student Academic Relations Committee of the Faculty Senate. This committee has the authority to direct, through the Vice President for Academic Affairs, that corrective action be taken when justified. Consult the "General Academic Appeals Process" section of this chapter for a complete description.

The faculty member is expected to check attendance in all classes. The faculty member is expected to make some allowance for absence occasioned by illness, by trips for the University, or by authorized field trips. Any arrangement to make up work because of class absence is the responsibility of the student. The effect of absence upon grades is determined by the instructor; at the beginning of the term the faculty member explains the grading policy to the students. Class attendance for student athletes; will be monitored by BOR rule and verified to the Registrar's Office.

The Director of Student Health Services does not issue excuses to students. The student is given a card indicating the time of admission and discharge from the University Hospital. A report will be given the faculty member on request, indicating hour and date of treatment.

No instructor has authority to permit a student to shift from one section of the course to another. Students must attend the section of the course to which he/she has been assigned. No student may drop a course after the fourth week of classes without the permission of their academic dean.