IN-PERSON CLASS POLICY

Students are expected to attend all meetings of the classes in which they are enrolled.  Before registering for classes, students in all University programs should anticipate the number of absences that may result from family obligations, work-related responsibilities, and University-sponsored activities, such as Division III athletic team events. Once a class has begun, students who anticipate that they will not meet the attendance requirements to earn a passing grade should drop or withdraw from the class. A student who does not wish to remain in a class should follow the Add/Drop Policy or Withdrawal Policy. Any student who stops attending a course without having officially withdrawn will receive a grade of F and must assume any remaining financial obligations for the course. Dropping or withdrawing from a course may negatively impact a student’s financial aid and GPA.

Consistent class attendance and participation are essential for academic success. The University attendance guideline is that students attend a minimum of 75 percent of the scheduled class meetings and applicable laboratory/practicum meetings.

NOTE: Spalding University colleges, schools, or academic units (particularly those with accreditation and/or licensing criteria) may have stricter attendance policies. These policies are clearly stated in course syllabi and handbooks (where applicable).

Course instructors determine a passing grade by combining the results of assessments, assignments, participation, and compliance with attendance policies (relative to the 75 percent minimum). All absences (excused and unexcused) will be used by the instructor to determine whether a student has met course attendance requirements.

It is the student’s responsibility to know the grading methods and attendance policies for each course in which they are enrolled, as they may differ from instructor to instructor.

Class Attendance the First Week

Instructors are required to report that students began attendance during the first week of the enrollment census. All students are expected to attend a minimum of half the class meetings per course during the first week (the drop/add period), or they will be administratively dropped. This may negatively impact a student’s financial aid.

By the end of the first week of classes, student-athletes are expected to communicate directly with instructors regarding game schedules.

Excused Absences

The University excuses a class absence for illness, bereavement, a major religious holiday, a University-sponsored activity/event, required court attendance as certified by the Clerk of Court, or military duty as certified by the student’s commanding officer. For an absence to be excused, a student is expected to provide written notice to the instructor at the earliest opportunity before the missed class meeting (except for sudden illness or an indisputable emergency). The instructor may request additional documentation.

An excused absence provides a student the opportunity to submit graded work for the missed class on an agreed-upon timeline documented in writing in consultation with the instructor. The student is responsible for contacting the instructor for approval to submit missed work for an excused absence. If the exact work cannot be made up, the instructor may identify a substitute assignment. Excusing an absence (beyond the excused absences defined by the University) and providing the opportunity to submit missed work for credit is at the discretion of the instructor.

NOTE: Spalding University colleges, schools, or academic units (particularly those with accreditation and/or licensing criteria) may require specific course assignments be made up when a student is absent (excused or unexcused). These assignments are clearly identified in course syllabi and handbooks (where applicable).

Absences Due to Illness

Students who have an illness that is contagious or who are too sick to attend class should contact their instructor at the earliest opportunity before the missed class meeting. An instructor may ask the student to provide documentation from Student Health or a health-care professional, if possible. The instructor may excuse a student who shows up for class and is clearly too ill to participate.

University-Sponsored Activities

Students participating in University-sponsored activities or events represent Spalding University. University-sponsored activities/events that qualify for excused absences include those with a clear educational purpose endorsed by the advisor/supervisor of the sponsoring organization and athletic competitions supervised by the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics (including post-season tournaments and subsequent changes to the schedule). Student-athletes are NOT permitted to miss class for practice, meeting with coaches, open gym, strength and conditioning, or athletic training treatment.

NOTE: Spalding University colleges, schools, or academic units (particularly those with accreditation and/or licensing criteria) may have stricter attendance policies related to University-sponsored activities. These policies are clearly stated in all course syllabi and handbooks (where applicable).

Veterans/Active Military Attendance Policy

Spalding University supports its veteran and active military students. The University Catalog provides specific provisions and guidelines single, short-term, and long-term absences by veteran and active military students that are related to their veteran or active military status. The link to the policy is Military and Veteran Student Policies; the attendance policy starts approximately half-way down the page. 

ONLINE CLASS POLICY

Online classes begin on the first Monday of the Undergraduate Day schedule and end on the last Friday of each Undergraduate session. Course materials should be made available no later than 6:00 p.m. EST on the first day of class, but instructors are encouraged to make class available before that time.

In the event that the last day of an online class falls on an official University holiday, the class will end on the following Monday.

Online classes are generally asynchronous, meaning that students do not have to log into the class at a particular time. Students should plan to log into the class and expect to have assignments due throughout the course of each week of the session. A class that has required synchronous sessions will be listed as such when the Schedule of Classes is posted so that students are aware, at the time of registration, of any required synchronous meetings.

Assignments and Exams

1. Online classes require the submission of weekly assignments.
2. It is preferable that all assessments for an online class be delivered online. In rare instances, the instructor may find it necessary that students complete an assessment in person.
3. Exams must be scheduled at a time that is mutually agreeable to the instructor and student. Alternately, students may make arrangements to have their exam proctored at a convenient location in consult with the instructor. Such testing sites may include: public libraries, local colleges or universities, or commercial testing centers. Students must coordinate proctor approval with their instructor, and the student will be responsible for any proctoring fees incurred.

Attendance Policy for Online Classes

A student registered for an online class must log-in to the learning management system of the online class and submit one graded assignment or task by 11:59 p.m. on Friday of the first week of class to be counted as present for the first class. A student who does not log-in and complete the assignment, task, or attendance requirement noted in the syllabus should be reported to Academic Advising & Student Success, the Registrar, and Financial Aid Offices by the faculty and may be subject to be dropped from the class and/or reduction in financial aid.

Online classes require the submission of weekly assignments. Any student who has missed (as defined by Spalding University's online standards) the equivalent of 25 percent of an online class should withdraw from the class or receive the grade of F for the class. A student who withdraws from an online class will be responsible for the tuition accrued for the chronological time that has elapsed in the class, not for the amount of work that student has completed. A student may not withdraw from an online class after 11:59 p.m. on the 4th Friday of the session/semester.

A student who does not wish to remain in a class should follow the Add/Drop Policy or Withdrawal Policy. Any student who stops attending a class without having officially withdrawn from that class will receive the grade of F and must assume any remaining financial obligations for the class. 

Back to Undergraduate Academic Policies