University Policies on class absences appear in both the Undergraduate Announcements and the Graduate Announcements. Students should also review their course syllabus for the class attendance expectations of specific courses and professors.

• Absence Notification — There is no such thing as a “class excuse” in college. Always notify your professor in advance if you must miss a class and be prepared to document the reason you had to miss.  To notify all of your professors and selected other university offices at once, you can use the Notification of Absence in MyCLE.
• Unplanned Absences — OK, you’ve already missed the class, now what? You should still contact your professor as soon as possible. Calling your professor when you are sick to leave a voicemail message is a good idea. Follow up with an e-mail explaining the circumstances. The professor will decide whether the absence is “excused” or “unexcused.” Often the professor will require some documentation of the reason for your absence.
• Documenting the Reason for an Absence — Professors expect students to be able to provide documentation of the reasons for their absences. Here are some examples of documents you could provide in cases of….
  • Minor Accident — a copy of the incident report.
  • Major Accident — a copy of the incident report, the police report, the ambulance report, or the newspaper account.
  • Minor Illness — There may be very little documentation for a minor illness other than the dent in your pillow (smile), so calling your professor when you are sick and leaving a voicemail message is a good idea. Follow up with an e-mail explaining the circumstances. The professor will decide whether the absence is “excused” or “unexcused.”
  • Major illness or hospitalization — a copy of the hospital release instructions, a letter from the attending physician, or a copy of a related bill or receipt.
• Extended Absence Situation — If you are missing multiple classes at the very end of the semester, you might need to consider requesting “I-incomplete” grades from your professors for the courses that are being affected by your absence. Incompletes are used when there is only a small portion of the course remaining to complete, and they are given only when the student is passing the course. This option is explained in more detail in the Grading information in the Undergraduate Announcements and the Graduate Announcements.