Attendance Flexibility

What is this Accommodation used for?

For students with chronic conditions that are episodic in nature, there may be periods of time in which they are too unwell to attend class. The purpose of reasonable accommodations is to ensure access, and this extends to providing flexibility within attendance policies to ensure students with disabilities are not disproportionately penalized for exacerbations of their condition that prevent them from being present for every class session, as their condition may be unpredictable and inevitable despite ongoing health and time management practices.

Who receives this Accommodation?

Students with disabilities who navigate disability-related experiences that are particularly chronic or episodic in nature - such as concussions, gastrointestinal disorders, lupus and other autoimmune diseases, fibromyalgia, migraines, cancer, psychological disorders, and significant medical procedures - may be approved for this accommodation. Granting Attendance Flexibility ensures that the student is not unfairly penalized for absences due to their disability so long as the absences does not fundamentally alter the essential elements of the class.

How to evaluate the reasonableness of Attendance Flexibility in a class:

The accommodation for Attendance Flexibility should always be considered on an individual class basis, allowing for a diligent and critical analysis of how attendance is essential to the class learning objectives and pedagogical components. While an attendance policy may be already incorporated into the grading scheme and syllabus, and its value is inherent to student success and learning, this accommodation is intended to modify any stated attendance policies allowing some flexibility beyond that limit to account for the student’s disability-related need.

The accommodation should be provided unless the accommodation significantly compromises the integrity of the course or fundamentally alters the course. If you believe additional absences beyond the stated policy would fundamentally alter the nature or essential elements of your class, then instructors should consult with their DSS school/college representative to determine reasonability.

To evaluate the extent to which attendance is critical to the essential learning objectives of a class, and to make a determination whether Attendance Flexibility can be reasonably implemented, DSS will guide the faculty through a discussion of the following points:

Whether there is classroom interaction between the faculty member and students, and among students;
Whether student contributions constitute a significant component of the learning process;
Whether the fundamental nature of the course relies upon student participation as an essential method for learning and assessment;
To what degree a student’s failure to attend constitutes a significant loss to the educational experience of other students in the class;
What the course description and syllabus says;
The method by which the final course grade is calculated;
What are classroom practices and policies regarding attendance? Is the attendance policy equally applied? Has the policy been modified for others or have any exceptions been made to the policy for students without identified disabilities (e.g., are athletes allowed excused absences)? Is the attendance policy similar to that of faculty teaching other sections of the course?

When is Attendance Flexibility not reasonable?

In general, if the class is mostly lecture based, the in-class experience focuses on reviewing content available in the text or from instructor notes, and involves little student interaction during class, then more flexibility with excused absences and/or participation points is reasonable.

However, there are various classes in which Attendance Flexibility as an accommodation would not be reasonable. Attendance could be critical to the learning objectives of the class for those that utilize significant in-class participation/interaction as a method of instruction, classes where student learning is created/assessed in the classroom through experiential or conversational means, and classes in which absences would compromise the educational experience of other students in the class. In these situations, less flexibility with excused absences and/or participation points is reasonable.

Considerations to Keep in Mind When Implementing Attendance Flexibility

Limits may be necessary for some projects.
Make-up tests or missed work due to absences should be discussed between student and faculty.
The accommodation does not cover non-disability related illness (such as flu, COVID-19) or other non-disability related reasons as to why student is absent.
Accommodations are not retroactive; instructors are not obligated to adjust previous penalties for absences if the letter to professor is provided later in the term.

DSS responsibilities in supporting Attendance Flexibility:

Reviews documentation and meets with students to better understand their disability-related experiences. Through this interactive process, a Disability representative determines if a student needs modifications to class attendance policies to mitigate disability-related impacts throughout the academic year. If so, Attendance Flexibility will be listed as an eligible accommodation on the student’s accommodation letter.

Consults and supports faculty in determining reasonableness of accommodation or how to implement this accommodation in light of essential class elements.

Provides support to students and faculty when questions or difficulties arise related to the accommodation.

Faculty responsibilities when facilitating Attendance Flexibility:

Once instructors have been notified of eligibility for accommodations, instructors should determine the extent to which they can reasonably modify any attendance policy for the specific class without fundamentally altering the learning objectives. DSS is available for consultation if you have questions regarding how the accommodation interacts with essential elements of the class and determining if or what adjustments are reasonable.

If you believe the accommodation is not reasonable in light of your class objectives or pedagogical methods, contact the student’s Disability Representative immediately as instructors should never unilaterally deny an accommodation. Instructors are expected to clearly articulate why flexibility is not reasonable.

The instructor should engage in dialogue with the student or DSS regarding new attendance expectations: delineate the preferred communication process for when the student needs to notify you of a disability-related absence, any critical dates that cannot be missed, and whether there are any alternatives to missed participation points or quizzes on days in which the student is absent.

It is highly recommended that an accommodated attendance agreement is summarized in writing through email. The email summary helps ensure everyone is operating from the same point of view and that any confusion of the agreement can be clarified. Students and instructors are welcome to include Disability Services on these email exchanges for documentation purposes.

When a student needs to utilize this accommodation, they are responsible for notifying their instructor in a timely manner. ”Timely” is defined as “as soon as possible.” There may be some conditions and/or circumstances in which a student is not able to contact their instructor prior to the class. Please note: At no time are students required to present documentation to instructors in order to justify a disability-related absence.

DSS is always available to mediate any concerns about Attendance Flexibility, including concerns about academic integrity and logistics of this accommodation. DSS remains a neutral party in evaluating what is reasonable as an accommodation and is here to support you.

Student responsibilities when eligible for Attendance Flexibility:

Students approved for Attendance Flexibility must request their Letter to Professors and distribute their accommodation letters to instructors at the beginning of the semester, or as soon as they are made eligible for the accommodation. Note: Accommodations are not retroactive.

Students must collaborate to determine the reasonability of Attendance Flexibility within the context of each class by either:

Initiating contact with your instructor to discuss the boundaries of the accommodation and developing protocols for how it will be used

Student should clearly understand attendance expectations in light of the accommodation. This entails knowing the finite number of absences that can be allowed, how to communicate with the professor when they need to utilize the accommodation, any critical dates that cannot be missed, and whether there are any alternatives to missed participation points or quizzes on days in which they are absent.

When a student needs to utilize this accommodation, they are responsible for notifying their instructor in a timely manner. ”Timely” is defined as “as soon as possible.”Please note: At no time are students required to present documentation to instructors in order to justify a disability-related absence.

When a student is absent due to their disability, they are responsible for the class content, lecture notes and information presented that day. The student should arrange how they will obtain this information with the faculty member directly.

DSS is available to mediate any concerns about Attendance Flexibility throughout the semester. If the student experiences a significant flare of symptoms that greatly impacts their academics, reach out to their DSS school/college representative to discuss options and resources. Other campus partners may be engaged( e.g., academic advising).

Student Email Templates

Initial Coordination of Accommodation Agreements

Dear Professor ______,

My name is ________ and I am a student in your _________ class. I am writing to share my DSS letter to profesor with you and to discuss the accommodations outlined in it. I would like to proactively explore how my accommodation for attendance flexibility may work in your class.

I understand that absences cannot change the learning objectives of a course and so the number of absences vary greatly from class to class. I see that your class allows for ___ absences. While I carefully manage my health, I may need additional absence days as I sometimes experience disability exacerbations outside of my control. Please let me know of any alternative participatory assignments that may be available to me should I miss class. While I can not always predict when I will experience disability-related flares that impact my ability to attend your class, I will try to provide as timely notice as possible and notify you that I will be absent.

Thank you for your assistance and support. I have also cc’d my Disability Representative on this message if you have any questions or concerns about my accommodations.

Sincerely,

_____________

Email Notifying Utilization of Attendance Accommodation

Dear Professor ________,

I hope this email finds you well. I’m writing to inform you that I am experiencing a significant exacerbation of my disability today, and as such will not be able to attend class. I recognize that I am responsible for all missed content covered in today’s lecture and will coordinate with my peers to get additional information about class

If missing a lab section consider possible alternatives to suggest: I am also emailing you with a potential solution/make-up scenario. I would like to request that I be permitted to attend the section on ______ to make up for missing today’s section.

Thank you in advance for your consideration,

Best,

_____________