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.