Belmont University is committed to the idea that regular class attendance is essential to successful scholastic achievement. Absence is permitted only in cases of illness or other legitimate cause. Attendance is checked from the first class meeting. Late registrants will have accrued some absences prior to formal registration in the course. In the case of excused absence from class, students have the right and responsibility to make up all class work missed.
If a class absence is necessary because of an activity by another class or university organization, the sponsor of the activity will provide a detailed memorandum on the letterhead of the unit to the Provost at least two (2) weeks prior to the event. The memo will provide the names of students involved, the type of event, and the date range of the event. If approved the Provost will countersign the memo, generating a Provost’s Excuse, and copies will be provided by the sponsor to each student to present to instructor as an excused absence with the allowance for the student to make up missed class work.
Should the number of absences other than Provost’s Excused Absences exceed 20% of class meeting time (applicable to every term and part-of-term course) for a given student, the faculty member may assign the grade “FN” (failure for nonattendance) to that student.
Students are responsible for notifying faculty members if they miss class(es). They are to provide documentation in support of absenteeism for the faculty member to review and evaluate according to course attendance policies. Student with excused absences (as approved by the faculty or through the Provost’s Excuse) are able to make up all classwork missed during the absenteeism period.
Faculty members will provide an absenteeism policy on each course syllabus and review and explain the policy to all students. Faculty members providing for excused absences will review requests for those not covered by the Provost’s Excuse and communications relating to unexcused absences and approve them according to the course syllabus. They will honor absences that are properly documented and provide either the same or in-kind assignments and provide opportunities for students to make up missed coursework during or immediately following an excused absence period.
Students may appeal a disputed absence matter to the chair of the faculty member’s department or to the appropriate dean’s office should the faculty member be the department chair. The appropriate dean’s decision will be final. Proper documentation must be provided in support of the appeal. If the appeal is approved, the chair or dean will communicate the reason for the approval and the remedy to the faculty member who will permit the student (s) to make up missed coursework in a timely manner.