Class Attendance

Summary

This policy outlines Maryville University's administrative approach to class attendance. It addresses attendance requirements, communication, missed work, absences due to unavoidable circumstances, and religious holidays.

Maryville University recognizes that regular class attendance is essential to student success and expects students to attend all classes. While Maryville does not centrally monitor attendance in courses, instructors may do so based on their individual discretion. Accordingly, all students should be aware of the following:

Individual instructors determine their own attendance requirements and will communicate such requirements in writing on the course syllabus
Each student is responsible for their own attendance and is responsible for communication about that attendance with the instructor.
Students are responsible for any work missed as a result of absences of any kind and shall make arrangements with the instructor for make-up work if permitted.

The University recognizes that some absences are unavoidable due to serious personal illness; a family emergency such as serious illness or death involving a member of the immediate family; religious observance; jury or military duty; and representing the University in athletic, academic, professional or leadership development pursuits.

Although instructors are encouraged to make a reasonable effort to allow students to make up exams or work missed due to such unavoidable absences, an instructor is not required to provide alternative experiences that cannot be easily duplicated such as labs, clinical and practical experiences, guest speakers, etc. Students must remain aware that missing such experiences may result in a loss of points in that class. Excessive absences, even if necessary, may deprive students of the grade they are capable of earning and may result in failing the course. In addition, a repeated failure to attend class for a significant period of time may result in a determination that the student has unofficially withdrawn, which may require repayment of financial aid awarded to the student for that course.

The policy applies to all undergraduate courses in all venues – day, evening, and online.

Religious Holidays

Maryville University recognizes the variety of cultural and religious diversity expressed by our student body. Within our mission, “Maryville University regards diversity and inclusion as core principles of our learning environment, and multicultural understanding as an essential measure of student success.” Therefore, students have the opportunity to request reasonable consideration for absences due to religious or cultural observance. Students should communicate with the instructor prior to the end of the second week of the course to present their request.

View Maryville’s procedure for requesting religious accommodation and appeals.