DelVal's Attendance Policy:
1. Students are expected to regularly attend scheduled classes and laboratories*. The university’s attendance policy is that a student shall not be permitted to miss more than the equivalent of two weeks of classes in a course during a Semester. For example, if a course is three credits with a laboratory (that is, two lecture hours and a three hour laboratory scheduled per week), the student may not miss more than six class meetings, to include no more than two laboratory periods. Absence in excess of these criteria may result in the grade of “FA” (failure due to absence) for the course. Additionally, the individual professor has discretion with regard to how he or she will utilize the university’s attendance policy. The instructor’s attendance policy will be stated clearly from the beginning of the semester in the syllabus.
2. The Office of the Registrar may be petitioned for an official excuse in cases of prolonged absence (lasting more than three consecutive days but no more than two weeks) for bona fide medical or personal problems. A student must submit a completed Excused Absence Request Form to the Registrar with official documentation as to the reason for the absence (e.g. doctor’s excuse). The request will be reviewed by the Registrar in consultation with the student’s Area Dean; the Registrar will communicate the decision directly to the student. A student must provide documentation in order to return to the University.
3. Absences for personal reasons (e.g. brief illness, lack of transportation) are not considered excused absences. Students may receive an excused absence for up to three days for a death in their immediate family. Immediate family is defined as a parent (or legal guardian), grandparent, brother, sister, child or spouse. Documentation must be submitted immediately (within one calendar week upon returning to class and prior to the start of final exams) to the Office of the Registrar in order to obtain an official excused absence. Students should notify their instructors of the courses they will miss prior to the absences, if possible. The Office of the Registrar does not notify faculty except when the Registrar has granted an official excuse.
4. Excused absences will not be granted for any other reason than those specifically outlined above. All other absences from class must be discussed with the faculty members. Students are responsible for all work missed during any absence from class at the direction of the faculty member.
*For online classes, regular attendance is defined as the timely completion of syllabus requirements.