Overview
The following guidelines will be used when the student misses class or an assignment due to a disability-related absence. If these parameters do not work for your class or you have concerns about the impact on other types of assignments or learning objectives now or in the future, please contact the student’s Access Coordinator listed on this letter for further guidance.
Communication:
To be considered an excused absence, the student must notify the instructor in writing (e-mail is acceptable) on or prior to the day of the absence. In cases where advanced or same-day notification is not possible, the student must provide notification by the end of the second business day after the last date of the disability-related absence.
Absences:
Double the number of absences allowed in the syllabus. The student is expected to make up any missed work and will contact their instructor who should have a plan in place to provide any missed assignments or notes.
Exams/Quizzes:
One week to make up an exam/quiz missed due to their disability-related absence. If there is a make-up exam already scheduled for the class, the student should take the make-up exam.
Daily/Weekly Assignments:
Allow 48 hours from the original due date to submit assignments missed due to the student’s disability-related absence. The student will communicate in writing prior to the missed deadline to notify their instructor of a need for additional time to complete an assignment due to a disability-related absence.
References and Resources
- TAMU Student Rule 7: Attendance. Retrieved July 1, 2015, from http://student-rules.tamu.edu/rule07
- Questions and Answers on Disability Discrimination under Section 504 and Title II. Retrieved July 1, 2015, https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/frontpage/faq/disability.html
- Maczaczyj v. New York, 956 F.Supp. 403, 11 NDLR ¶ 59 (W.D.N.Y. 1997) (upholding requirement of in-person residency; participation by phone constituted fundamental alteration of program)
- University of Illinois, 30 NDLR 104, Case No. 05-04-2078 (OCR Region V 2004) (OCR found no fault with an instructor’s announced policy of failing any student who missed in excess of ten classes; evidence adduced that policy was applied to nondisabled students as well)
- Seattle University (WA), Case No. 10-03-2050, 27 NDLR ¶ 321 (OCR Region X 2003) (law school articulated legitimate educational rationale for requiring classroom attendance)
- Metropolitan State College (CO), Case No. 08-98-2013, 15 NDLR ¶ 92 (OCR Region VIII 1998) (upholding accounting department’s refusal to relax attendance policy after engaging in deliberative process and concluding such would result in fundamental alteration based of program)
- Cabrillo Community College (CA), Case No. 09-96-2150 (OCR Region IX 1996) (essentiality of attendance decided on case-by-case basis in light of class requirements and methodology; when attendance is not essential, college should consider taping classes for students whose disabilities prevent attendance)
- Project Shift: Faculty Development. Retrieved August 4, 2015, https://exploreaccess.org/projectshift-refocus/faculty.htm
Case Studies
Effective implementation of a modified attendance accommodation may vary depending on the nature of the course. A reasonable number of absences or extensions on deadlines for an online asynchronous course could likely be excessive if implemented in the same way for a chemistry lab.
In order to assist in determining what works best for your class we have provided several case studies below to illustrate a variety of resolutions to this accommodation.
Lab Course
CHEM 226 is an in-person lab course with no allowed unexcused absences. Students are expected to attend a different section if they are unable to attend their own due to an excused absence. Twice in a semester a student with modified attendance contacts the lab instructor the morning of their scheduled lab and communicates they will be unable to attend that day due to their disability. The lab instructor allowed the student to make up their labs by attending a separate section. The student submitted their reports within the due date for the section they attended.
Participation-Essential Course
ENGL 345 is a participation-essential course. Students work in groups throughout the semester and in-class participation is a major component of the final grade. The instructor determined that the standard wording for the Plan for Absences and Missed Deadlines accommodation was not appropriate given the unique structure of the course. After consulting with an Access Coordinator, they reached out to the two students with modified attendance at the beginning of the semester to meet and discuss how the accommodation would be effectively implemented in their course. As the semester progressed one student was able to fully participate in the course and had no absences or missed deadlines. The other student missed a total of 3 classes due to their disability. In one of these classes the student’s group gave a major presentation. As agreed upon at the beginning of the semester, the student completed a larger portion of the preliminary research for the presentation and did not receive a penalty for being unable to attend the presentation.
Experiential Activity
SEFB 444 is a required clinical internship. A student enrolled in this course communicates their modified attendance agreement to the clerkship instructor at the beginning of the semester. No unexcused absences are allowed and students are expected to make up any excused absences with additional days at the end of the internship. The instructor and the student met at the beginning of the semester to discuss the student’s accommodation. They agreed to allow up to 3 absences due to the student’s disability. The instructor communicated this expectation to the internship supervisor. The student agreed to reach out to both the course instructor and their internship supervisor in a timely manner as soon as they were able if unable to attend. In addition to these excused absences for the student’s disability, the student received excused absences for attendance of religious holidays on 2 days. The student made up the 5 days at the end of the semester.
Face-to-face Seminar
ANTH 152 is a traditional, face-to-face seminar. The instructor allows up to 3 unexcused absences without penalty, and 10% of the grade is based on in-class participation. Over the course of the semester a student with modified attendance missed 12 classes, or 33% of the course. The student did not communicate in a timely manner with the instructor about these absences. The week before finals she reached out to the instructor and requested that she receive no penalty for her missed class, “per her modified attendance accommodation”. The instructor contacted the student’s Access Coordinator for clarification on the accommodation. After engaging in the interactive process and communicating with the student it was determined that the student’s absences were in excess of what would be reasonable given the nature of the course.The student ultimately withdrew for the semester.
Rubric
Plan for Absences and Missed Deadlines is an accommodation intended to support students with a penalty exception when a disability-related event or flare necessitates an absence impacting attendance or completion of work on short-term assignments (daily/weekly assignments).
Please keep in mind this rubric is offered as a starting point based on the course length and number of class meetings per semester. If your course has learning objectives or activities which necessitate fewer absences, please contact the student’s assigned Access coordinator listed on the accommodations letter for course-specific guidance.
| Course Length | Schedule Type | Total Absences Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Week Course – meets once per week (i.e., full Fall and Spring) | Lecture, Activity, or Performance | No more than 3 absences |
| 15 Week Course – meets once per week (i.e., full Fall and Spring) | Laboratory, Recitation, Studio, or Seminar | No more than 3 absences |
| 15 Week Course – meets twice per week (i.e., full Fall and Spring) | Lecture, Activity, or Performance | No more than 6 absences |
| 15 Week Course – meets 3 times or more per week (i.e., full Fall and Spring) | Lecture, Activity, or Performance/td> | No more than 9 absences |
Agreement Form
In situations where a course or its activities cannot be facilitated through the default guidelines for Plan for Absences and Missed Deadlines accommodation, an instructor must complete the agreement form to specify an alternative arrangement to provide support for the accommodation in their class. If you have questions about this accommodation or completing the agreement form, please consult with the student’s assigned Access Coordinator listed on the accommodations letter.