Attendance Policy
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Academic success is a shared responsibility between students and the College. Students are expected to attend all scheduled class meetings, participate actively in their courses, and complete all academic requirements.
Albertus Magnus College is required to verify the enrollment and participation of students who receive Federal Title IV financial aid and/or educational benefits through other funding sources. Attendance and participation records are maintained to ensure compliance with federal regulations and institutional policies.
The College has adopted the following attendance policies:
- Attendance will be recorded in all courses, including on-campus, online, blended, practicum, internship, and other experiential learning courses.
- A student who does not attend class or demonstrate meaningful academic engagement within the first 14 calendar days of the semester or module, does not complete any coursework, and does not communicate with the Office of the Registrar and/or the Office of Advising and Student Success will be considered a no-show and may be administratively withdrawn from the course.
- Students who are administratively withdrawn as no-shows will have the course and all associated tuition and fees removed from their academic record.
- Federal and institutional financial aid will be adjusted based only on the courses in which the student established attendance or participation, in accordance with applicable regulations.
- Students will receive written notification of the administrative withdrawal from the Office of the Registrar and/or the Office of Advising and Student Success.
- Student-athletes who fail to attend any classes for seven consecutive calendar days are not eligible to practice or compete until the Office of the Registrar confirms that class attendance has resumed.
- Individual instructors may establish attendance expectations and participation requirements within their courses. In accordance with the course syllabus, instructors may reduce a student's grade or assign a failing grade based on attendance and participation.
- Refer to the Administrative Withdrawal Policy for additional information.
Attendance Recording
Faculty are responsible for recording attendance for every scheduled class meeting. Faculty are expected to record attendance within 24 hours of each scheduled class meeting.
Attendance will be recorded as either:
- Present – The student attended the class meeting or, for online courses, demonstrated meaningful academic engagement through required instructional activities.
- Absent – The student did not attend the class meeting or failed to demonstrate meaningful academic engagement.
- Excused – The student has been excused from attending class for an approved reason. This option applies to Traditional Undergraduate Students only.
Meaningful academic engagement is defined as actively participating in the course by attending in person or completing required course activities in Canvas. Examples include, but are not limited to, submitting an assignment, taking an assessment, or participating in an instructor-facilitated discussion. Logging into Canvas and viewing courses does not constitute attendance.
Excused Absences
Within the Traditional Undergraduate Program, instructors may designate an absence as excused for the reasons outlined below. Except for the circumstances described in this policy, any absence approved by an individual instructor for course purposes will still be recorded as an official absence for institutional attendance reporting.
Students remain responsible for communicating with their instructors regarding missed coursework and for completing all academic requirements in accordance with course policies.
In both the Traditional Undergraduate and Accelerated Degree Programs, students who add a course during the add/drop period after the first-class meeting has occurred will be marked excused for any missed classes before joining the course roster.
The following constitute official excused absences:
- Participation in Intercollegiate Athletic Competition
Student-athletes who miss class because of participation in an official College-sponsored athletic competition will receive an excused absence.
Students are responsible for notifying their instructors in advance and making arrangements to complete missed coursework.
Excused absences apply only to official competitions and related travel approved by the College. Scheduled practices are not considered excused absences. When a conflict exists between a class meeting and an athletic practice, students are expected to attend class.
- Participation in College-Sponsored Activities
Students representing the College at approved academic or institutional events may receive an excused absence.
Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Academic conferences
- Scholarly presentations
- Official College-sponsored experiential learning activities (e.g., field trips)
- Other approved institutional events
Students must notify their instructors in advance and complete all missed coursework in accordance with course requirements.
- Health or Medical Illness/Injury
Students who are unable to attend class because of a short-term or long-term illness or injury may qualify for an excused absence.
Students must submit appropriate medical documentation from a licensed healthcare provider to the Dean of Academic Affairs and/or the Director of Health and Wellness. Upon review, the Dean of Academic Affairs will notify instructors of the approved excused absence.
If additional academic accommodations are necessary, the Dean of Academic Affairs will coordinate with the Coordinator of Accessibility Services to determine appropriate accommodations.
- Approval by College Administrators
The Dean of Academic Affairs, the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs & Title IX Coordinator, and/or the College Registrar may approve excused absences for significant mitigating circumstances not otherwise addressed in this policy.
When appropriate, notification will be provided to the student's instructors, and approved absences will be handled on a case-by-case basis.