Center for Academic Success

Attendance Flexibility

What is This Accommodation Used For

For students with chronic conditions episodic in nature, there may be periods of time in which they are too unwell to go to class. Reasonable accommodations ensure access. 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 chronic or episodic —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 makes sure the student is not unfairly penalized for absences due to their disability if the absences does not change the essential elements of the class.

This accommodation provides changes to an attendance policy due to exacerbation of a disability or a disability-related condition. When needed for a disability-related reason, the student is allowed one more absence beyond the stated attendance policy without penalty if the student must notify the instructor before using this accommodation.

If the student meets the attendance limit and/or believes more flexibility is necessary due to a disability-related reason, the student must contact SAS who will consider the request and will discuss with the student and instructor to determine the appropriateness given the specifics of the course. Different classes call for different agreements (e.g., lab classes may call for less flexibility than lecture classes). If granted, an agreement will be created*

How to Evaluate the Reasonableness of an Attendance Flexibility in a Class

The accommodation for an Attendance Flexibility should always be considered on an individual class basis, allowing for a careful and critical analysis of how attendance is essential to the class learning goals and pedagogical parts. 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 change 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 as offered. If you believe more absences beyond the stated policy would fundamentally alter the nature or essential elements of your class, then instructors should consult with a Accessibility Specialist to determine reasonability.

To evaluate the extent to which attendance is critical to the essential learning goals of a class, and to make a determination whether Attendance Flexibility can be reasonably started, Student Accessibility Services will guide the faculty through a discussion of these points:

What does the class description and syllabus say about attendance?
How is the final class grade calculated? Is attendance factored into the final grade?
Is the attendance policy consistently applied? (i.e.., Have there been any exceptions made to the policy for non-disabled students, such as for athletic travel or religious observances? If so, then these exceptions must also be granted to students with disabilities.)
Is there significant interaction between the instructor and students, and among students? If so, how much?
Do student contributions and participation in class constitute a significant component of the learning process? (i.e., discussion, presentations, role play, group work)
To what degree does a student’s failure to attend class compromise the educational experience of other students in the class?

When is an Attendance Flexibility Not Reasonable

If the class is mostly lecture based, the in-class experience focuses on reviewing content in the text or from instructor/peer 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 an Attendance Flexibility as an accommodation would be unreasonable. Attendance could be critical to the learning goals of the class for those that use 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.

SAS Responsibilities in Supporting Attendance Flexibility

Reviews documentation and meets with students to better understand their disability-related experiences. Through this interactive process, an Accessibility Specialist determines if a student needs changes to class attendance policies to mitigate disability-related impacts throughout the quarter. 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 start this accommodation, given 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, please provide for one additional absence beyond the stated attendance policy without penalty.
- If the student meets the attendance limit and/or believes more flexibility is necessary due to a disability-related reason, the student must contact SAS who will consider the request and will discuss with the student and instructor to determine the appropriateness given the specifics of the course. Different classes call for different agreements (e.g., lab classes may call for less flexibility than lecture classes). If granted, an agreement will be created.
SAS is available for consultation if you have questions regarding how the accommodation interacts with essential elements of the class and determining if or what changes are reasonable.
If you believe the accommodation is unreasonable in light of your class goals or pedagogical methods, contact the student’s Accessibility Specialist right away as instructors should never unilaterally deny an accommodation. Instructors are expected to clearly articulate why flexibility is unreasonable.
When a student needs to use this accommodation, they are responsible for telling their instructor promptly. ”Timely” is defined as “as soon as possible.” There may be conditions and/or circumstances in which a student cannot contact their instructor before the class. Please note: never are students required to present documentation to instructors to justify a disability-related absence.

Student Responsibilities When Eligible for Attendance Flexibility

Students approved for Attendance Flexibility must ask for their accommodation letters on myACCESS student portal.
Students distribute their accommodation letters to instructors at the beginning of the semester, or as soon as they are made eligible for acommodation. Note: Accommodations are not retroactive.
SAS has determined eligibility for one more absence beyond the stated attendance policy without penalty.
- If the student meets the attendance limit and/or believes more flexibility is necessary due to a disability-related reason, the student must contact SAS who will consider the request and will discuss with the student and instructor to determine the appropriateness given the specifics of the course. Different classes call for different agreements (e.g., lab classes may call for less flexibility than lecture classes). If granted, an agreement will be created.
Student should clearly understand attendance expectations, given the accommodation. This entails knowing the finite number of absences that can be allowed, how to communicate with the professor when they need to use 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 use this accommodation, they are responsible for telling their instructor promptly. ”Timely” is defined as “as soon as possible.” Please note: never are students required to present documentation to instructors 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.