Absences

Students with chronic or episodic health conditions may be approved by us in Disability Support Services (DSS) to seek reasonable accommodations from faculty. Upon assessment, DSS may issue an accommodation letter verifying the need for reasonable accommodations, including modified attendance expectations.

While DSS may notify the faculty member of an unavoidable absence for a student, such absences will not exempt the student from their responsibility in meeting a course’s learning expectations. Faculty are expected to assess each case with care to determine whether reasonable accommodations, such as specified flexible attendance, would still allow the student to meet the course objectives. If the requested accommodation fundamentally alters the course and its learning goals, such accommodations may not be extended and approved by the faculty and DSS can help determine alternative options for the student.

Faculty are not expected to apply accommodations retroactively; accommodation conversations can only begin once the official DSS letter is received. Any agreement regarding modified attendance expectations should be documented in writing (such as email) between the instructor and the student, with optional inclusion of DSS. Faculty and students can refer to the Flexible Attendance Agreement for navigating this accommodation.