Expectations for student coursework and grading are set forth in individual class syllabi. However, students are entitled to certain appeals and exceptions from those syllabus expectations.

Academic Appeals

If students wish to appeal for exceptions to a college academic policy, they should be aware of the following:

1. Appeals for:
   1. Exceptions to graduation or GE requirements will be considered by the Curriculum or GE Committees.
   2. Appeals dealing with financial aid or scholarship exceptions will be considered by the Financial Aid Office.
   3. Debt appeals will be considered by the Bursar's Office.
   4. Appeals dealing with exceptions to academic policies will be considered by the Registrar's Office.
   5. Grade and Academic Dishonesty appeals will be considered by the Academic Standards Committe.
   6. If unsure about where to submit an appeal, contact an academic advisor. 
2. Please note the statute of limitations for appealing academic policies is one year. Please indicate on the appeal form if you'd like an exception to the statute of limitations.
3. Exceptions to policy are only considered in cases of extenuating circumstances beyond a student's control. Procrastination, forgetfulness, or ignorance of published policy are not acceptable reasons for exceptions.
4. Students who wish to make an appeal should first discuss their options with an academic advisor (or advisor from Office of Disability Services, Title IX Office, or other advising office as relevant).
5. Use the Academic Appeal Form available online. This form requires a login with a Snow College username and password. For help with logging in, contact the IT Office.
6. Be sure to obtain and upload a memo from an advisor, the Office of Disability Services, or the Title IX Office, which indicates having met with someone before submitting the appeal (required).
7. Obtaining and uploading additional supporting documentation is required. This may include a supporting letter from a faculty member, an add/drop form, medical documentation, evidence of circumstance (such as a funeral or death), etc.
8. The results of an appeal will be mailed or e-mailed following the decision.

Excused Absence Policy

While consistent class attendance and participation are essential to academic success, there are occasions where a student is not able to attend due to an excused absence. An excused absence includes:

• participation in a college-sponsored or sanctioned activity or artistic performance (e.g., course-related field trips)
• students participating as representatives of Snow College at academic events (e.g., ambassadors)
• participation as an athlete, manager, or trainer in NJCAA intercollegiate competitions,
• in compliance with military duties, legal proceedings, emergency law enforcement, or jury duty
• accommodation or other support requests, requested by the Office of Disability Services as well as the Title IX Office
• injury, illness, medical or mental condition or status that is too severe or contagious for the student to participate in class (an absence for a non-acute or elective medical service does not constitute an excused absence)
• pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions in accordance with Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act
• major injury, illness, or medical condition/status or a death in a student’s immediate family
• religious holiday observance according to Utah SB 259 and/or Utah Code 53B-27-405
• extreme emergencies that are outside of the student's control (a natural disaster, a fire at their home, being the victim of a crime or domestic violence, a family tragedy, or a related incident; this does not include attendance at a wedding, family vacations, work obligations, or other such matters).

Scheduled Activities

For activities whose schedules are known prior to the start of the semester, a student should provide their instructors with a written schedule during the first week of the semester showing days they expect to miss class. An instructor may determine that recurring, frequent, or lengthy absences will interfere with a student's ability to succeed in the course and recommend that the student seek an alternative. No events may be scheduled during final exam periods; exceptions to this must have prior approval from the Dean’s Council.

Documentation

At the discretion of the instructor, as outlined in the course syllabus, documentation affirming the date and time of the excused absence may be required. This could be a note from a health care professional, letter from the office of disability services, documentation from the athletics department or field trip coordinator, jury duty summons, court subpoena, military order, and other forms of documentation.

Student Responsibility

It is the responsibility of the student to arrange with the instructor an opportunity to complete assignments, activities, and labs that will be missed during excused absences. Students should notify the instructor in writing at the earliest advanced notice of the classes they will miss due to an excused absence. In cases where advance notification is not feasible (e.g., accident or emergency), the student must provide notification by the end of the second working day after the absence. This notification should include an explanation of why notice could not be sent prior to the class. Excused absences can usually be anticipated, and the student should be prepared to complete course work prior to the absence. Students are responsible for all material covered in missed classes, even when absences are excused. Students should be aware that excessive absences, whether excused or unexcused, may affect academic success. Absences exceeding 20% of class meetings may no longer qualify as excused.

Students falsifying information to obtain an excused absence or sharing information about a make-up examination or other materials with other students is in violation of Snow College’s Student Code of Conduct and is subject to disciplinary action.

Instructor Responsibility

Upon request, instructors are responsible for providing students with a reasonable and equitable opportunity to complete work due to an excused absence. Students are responsible for developing a plan to complete missed activities and assignments with input from instructors. Instructors may require work to be completed prior to the absence; however, they are encouraged to work with the student to determine a schedule that gives the student appropriate time to complete the work. Instructors may not directly penalize students for participation points accrued during the excused absence without providing comparable alternatives. Instructors are encouraged to be flexible and understanding of students' circumstances; for example, requests for documentation may introduce inequalities and impinge on student privacy. Furthermore, there are reasons that an absence is not documentable (e.g., short-term illness, family tragedies) and instructors are encouraged to use their best judgment in evaluating student requests.

Instructors concerned with a student's absences may contact the Dean of Students.

Travel Leader Responsibility

Faculty and staff that request students to be excused from other classes for curricular, performance, athletic, recruiting, or other reasons, are asked to notify their faculty colleagues in advance. This can be done with an email sent by the dean or supervisor who have the ability to send faculty-wide messages. This email should include a list of students who will be missing class, the dates and times they will be gone, and a statement that the students are expected to contact their teachers before leaving to make arrangements for missed work. Travel leaders should work with their students to be responsible for their absences. For re-occurring absences, such as athletic events, it is recommended that a notification is sent for each individual event. This will help clarify which students are excused (e.g. if a student athlete is injured and will not be traveling, that student should not be excused from classes) and times they will be excused (e.g. a student will only be excused starting at 3pm the day of the event, not 10am).

Appeals

Any student who has presented the instructor with adequate substantiating evidence of an excused absence and feels they have been treated unfairly concerning absences may appeal. Any appeal must be initiated within one week of the instructor’s decision. In the appeal process, the burden of proof shall be on the student. Appeals should be submitted to the department chair or dean with oversight over the course.

Jury and Witness Leave (Students)

Students absent from school in compliance with an official requirement to appear for jury service or with a subpoena to appear as a witness at a trial, deposition, or other official proceeding, will be able to make up any missed schoolwork. This allowance covers only time while actually engaged in jury service or attendance as a witness, and time spent in reasonable travel to and from the place of such service.

Note: This policy does not apply when an individual appears in court on his/her own behalf.

Students excused for jury duty should keep their teachers informed of required absences and attend school during those periods when not required to be in court. Students must file documentation of jury or witness duty with the Vice President of Student Affairs in the Greenwood Student Center.

Student Belief Accommodations

Alternate Final Exam Times 

The final exam schedule is published prior to registration; as such, students are expected to take their final exams at the scheduled time. The following procedure guides requests for an alternate final exam time:

1. Alternate times for final exams add to a faculty member’s workload at a busy time of the semester. A faculty member is not obligated to grant such a request.
2. There is a $50 fee to move final exams. Unless the circumstances are beyond the student’s control, this fee cannot be waived. The professor and the dean determine together if a waiver is appropriate.
3. If a student has three or more regularly scheduled final exams on the same day, they use this process to move one of those finals. The fee is automatically waived in these circumstances.
4. Students seeking to complete a final exam outside that scheduled by the college are required to discuss an alternative exam time with each professor. If the professor agrees, the student must fill out a request form, get the professor’s signature, pay the $50 fee at the cashier’s window, and have the request considered by the dean.