Texas A&M University views class attendance as an individual student responsibility. Students are expected to attend class and to complete all assignments. In some instances, students may have a disability which causes unexpected and substantial flares which may impact their ability to attend class or complete assignments (this could include diabetes, epilepsy, cancer, mental health disabilities, migraines and conditions requiring ongoing or specialized medical treatment). These students may be approved for an accommodation of Plan for Absences and Missed Deadlines due to their disability-related need. The student may be absent from class periodically or have difficulty meeting some deadlines due to their disability. The student is expected to notify their instructors by the end of the second working day after the absence or missed deadline. Students must not be asked for a doctor’s note for disability related absences. The following guidelines will be used when the student misses class or an assignment due to their disability:
How does the Plan for Absences and Missed Deadlines accommodation work?
Absences
- Double the number of absences allowed in the syllabus, with a minimum of one absence if there is no attendance policy provided. The student is expected to make up any missed work and there should be a plan in place for the student to obtain notes or assignments due to their absence.
Exams/Quizzes
- One week to make up an exam/quiz missed due to their disability. If there is a make-up exam already scheduled for the class, the student should take the make-up exam.
Daily/weekly assignments
- Allow up to 48 hours to submit assignments missed due to the student’s disability.
If an instructor has concerns about these parameters or they feel this may impact other types of assignments in their course, please contact the student’s Access Coordinator to discuss concerns and additional options.
References and resources
- 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