Attendance Policy for Students
Class attendance policies and labor assignment schedules are established by individual faculty members and labor supervisors. Responsibility for meeting attendance requirements rests with the student. Any failure to meet scheduled class sessions, labor schedules, or other appointments must be cleared with the faculty member and/or labor supervisor.
In addition to notifying supervisors and instructors, any time students will be off campus more than two consecutive weekdays (except during official school breaks)—out of the residence hall and/or the classroom—they must inform the Campus Life Department at campuslife@berea.edu of their plans, in advance, giving the date of return. Off-campus students who will not be attending classes or labor assignment for more than two consecutive weekdays also must inform the Campus Life Department at campuslife@berea.edu. Legitimate reasons do arise for absence from classes and labor. When such situations do occur, the student is responsible for:
- Notifying the faculty member or labor supervisor in advance except in cases of emergency. Emergency situations should be reported to the Campus Life Department at campuslife@berea.edu as soon as possible. With the student's permission, instructors and supervisors can be notified of the emergency.
- Arranging in advance to cover course or labor assignments where necessary and possible.
- Arranging to make up lost time or assignments.
- Providing supporting information regarding the absence when requested or otherwise indicated.
No College office or service can excuse students for absence from classes or labor assignments, which can be excused only by a faculty member or labor supervisor. However, supporting information related to an absence may be obtained from various offices and services to be used in consideration of a request for excused absences. The following situations are examples of supporting information that may be provided by offices and services in regard to absences:
Personal Emergencies
Personal emergencies, including death of a family member, requiring absences should be reported to the Campus Life Department at campuslife@berea.edu, and, if requested by the student, notice will be provided to appropriate faculty members and labor supervisors indicating the existence of an emergency situation or other personal circumstances.
Medical Problems
Medical problems resulting in absences may or may not involve the attention of the Student Health Services (White House Clinics). Upon the request of a faculty member or labor supervisor, and with the student’s written permission, the Student Health Services (White House Clinics) will review the medical situation and provide a statement of medical opinion on the need for or advisability of absence from classes and/or labor.
Military Service
Approval for absence from classes and labor must be made in advance, when possible, if a student is called to active military duty or to Reserve or National Guard duty or training. The student must receive approval for the absences from each of the student’s instructors and labor supervisor and notify the Campus Life Department at campuslife@berea.edu and the Office of Student Success & Transition in advance and preferable before the beginning of the term in which the absences are expected. The student must submit copies of military orders to the Campus Life Department at campuslife@berea.edu as soon as practicable. Absences for military service do not automatically provide an excused absence. Individual faculty members and labor supervisors establish class attendance policies and labor assignment schedules and the approval of absences rests solely with them. If absences cannot be accommodated, the student can request a Leave of Absence for that term.
Faculty members report excessive absences to the Early Intervention Program in the Office of Student Success & Transition, which will perform an attendance check with the student’s other instructors to determine if the problem is widespread. A student demonstrating attendance problems in two or more courses may be called in for counseling and academic assistance. The student’s advisor and the instructor who initiated the attendance check will be notified of any action. (Also see Early Intervention Program and Satisfactory Academic Progress.)