Fast Facts – Attendance

Attendance

Students are expected to follow the attendance requirements detailed in course syllabi. Class participation and presentations are an integral part of many courses and missing classes can impact the ability to learn course objectives.
When a student with a disability provides faculty with a Disability Services letter indicating an accommodation for attendance, faculty should consider the core course requirements and teaching modality to determine reasonable flexibility in the student’s classroom attendance. The Office of Disability Services carefully evaluates a student’s disability documentation to determine eligibility for an attendance accommodation. Students are informed that ongoing and timely communication with faculty is essential. A student with a disability who is eligible for an attendance accommodation signs a class attendance agreement stating that the accommodation does not excuse the student from any missed class work.

Student’s Responsibilities

  • Check-in for semester accommodations.
  • Provide letter of accommodation to the instructor in a timely manner.
  • Discuss with the instructor a plan that addresses missed assignments, class work and/or exams.
  • Inform the instructor of absences prior to or immediately following the absence.
  • When excessive absences or hospitalizations occur because of a disability, provide documentation of the hospitalization or treatment to Disability Services.
  • If requesting an incomplete for a course, discuss with the instructor assignments needed to satisfactorily complete the course requirements and identify a completion date.
  • In the event of excessive absences as a result of a disability, the student may wish to consider a withdrawal.

Faculty’s Responsibilities

  • Clearly define your class attendance requirements on your syllabus.
  • Instructors are not required to consider disability-related absences without first receiving an accommodation letter from the student. Accommodations are not retroactive.
  • If unavoidable absences occur after the majority of the coursework is successfully finished, an incomplete may be appropriate, however the decision is entirely at the discretion of the instructor.

For additional information, please refer to our website.

Questions or comments?

Email us at disability@uncc.edu or call 704‑687‑0040.