EXCUSED ABSENCES

PURPOSE: To guide the student in providing information to instructors concerning absences from class due to circumstances beyond the student's control.

POLICY: See here for a full description of the university's policy on excused absences.

RESPONSIBILITIES: The student is responsible for communicating directly with each instructor concerning absences and missed coursework. In a class with an attendance policy, the instructor is required to enforce the policy.

The Office of the Dean of Students serves as a contact resource by providing instructors with notification of class absences in critical and emergency situations, such as hospitalization, serious illness, serious injury of the student, or death of an immediate family member. Notifications from the Dean of Students concerning absences are strictly informational and advisory, and are not intended to verify or provide proof of the legitimacy of any absence.

The Office of the Dean of Students will not provide verification or proof of the legitimacy of the reason for an absence for non-critical or non-emergency situations.

The Office of the Dean of Students is available to assist students concerning situations that are causing absences from class. Dean of Students' staff can advise students and make appropriate referrals to other campus resources.

Absences to represent the university:

Students who represent the university in intercollegiate competitive events or in artistic performances at which their presence is requested by university officials are entitled to excused absences from classes missed.

A student entitled to an excused absence must obtain a letter from the requesting university official and must inform the professor in advance of any classes to be missed. The student is responsible for any missed work. In turn, professors must make arrangements to accommodate reasonable requests of excused absences for opportunity to make up the work missed.

In courses in which the evaluation of the student's work includes an attendance and participation requirement that specifies a maximum allowable number of missed classes during the semester, student are not entitled to excused absences beyond the total allowed for all students.

See here for the full policy concerning absences to represent the university at intercollegiate athletic events or in artistic performances.

FURTHER INFORMATION:
Email the Undergraduate Office as-ugprogramsoffice@cua.edu or call 202 319-5114

Dean of Students' office, 353 Pryzbyla Center, 202 319-5619

Updated July 12, 2023