Attendance
Statement on Attendance
Regular attendance and participation are essential to student success at Labouré College of Healthcare. Whether courses are in-person, hybrid, or online, being present helps students stay engaged and contribute to the learning environment. Absences can negatively impact both individual performance and overall class experience.
All Labouré College of Healthcare students are expected to attend and participate in enrolled courses. While absences are discouraged, the College understands that students may occasionally have a legitimate reason to miss a class. Legitimate reasons for missing class may include medical, family illness or death, and unforeseen circumstances such as a car accident. Students will assume full responsibility for any missed assignments due to an excused absence, at the discretion of the professor.
If a student experiences a prolonged illness, accident, or other emergency, they must notify their professor and make arrangements to complete missed work. If absences begin to affect academic progress, the student should meet with their professor to discuss next steps.
Each professor is required to create a course-specific attendance policy, which must be included in the syllabus and shared with students during the first week of class. Policies are reviewed by Department Chairs, the Dean, and the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs.
Instructor Attendance
Whenever a professor is absent without notification, students are expected to wait fifteen minutes before leaving (or signing off) and to sign an attendance list, which a class member delivers to the Office of the Registrar.
Attendance Submission Requirements
Professors are required to record and submit attendance to the Office of the Registrar three times each semester: the first two weeks of the course and midway (at or before the 50% mark). The Office of the Registrar will send faculty attendance deadlines ahead of each semester.
In-person Courses
In-person course attendance will be captured by the instructor on the days that the course meets.
Online and Hybrid Courses
A reporting date will be assigned and emailed to online and hybrid instructors at the start of each semester.
Please note that programs may be required to submit additional attendance per their policy.
Measurement of Attendance
Professors must be able to verify attendance. It may become necessary to confirm the last date of attendance at any point in the semester if requested by the Office of the Registrar.
Attendance requirements for students should be clearly defined in the course syllabus as referenced above.
Attendance should be measured by academically related activities; examples include the following:
- Physically attending a class
- Submitting a graded academic assignment (discussion posts, essays, etc.)
- Taking a quiz or exam
- Communicating with a professor regarding course materials
Attendance should not be measured by the following examples:
- Reading the syllabus
- Logging into an online class without active participation
- Participating in academic counseling or advising
- Communicating with a professor regarding non-course materials
Non-Attendance During the First Week of Class
If a professor notices that a student has not participated in class during the first week (during the add/drop period), then it is the professor's responsibility to reach out to the student to ascertain whether the student intends to remain in the class.
If the student does not respond to this communication, the professor will alert the Office of the Registrar to administratively drop the student from the class.
Habitual Non-Attendance Policy
Habitual non-attendance is defined as an unexcused absence in any course equating to two full weeks of missed class sessions (two missed weeks in a 15-week course and 1 missed week in a 7-week course):
15-Week Courses:
- 2 absences for a course meeting once a week
- 4 absences for a course meeting twice a week
7-Week Courses (accelerated courses):
- 1 absence for a course meeting once a week
- 2 absences for a course meeting twice a week
Professors will reach out to students who are in danger of falling into habitual non-attendance.
When a student has reached the habitual non-attendance criteria for their course, the professor will send an Early Alert Status Report (EASTR) to the Student Success Center and alert the Office of the Registrar.
The Office of the Registrar will email a habitual non-attendance warning to the student. An academic advisor will then reach out to the student to try to resolve the issue within the week. The academic advisor will keep the professor, and the Office of the Registrar informed on any communication.
If the student does not respond to documented attempts to communicate by the assigned deadline, the student will be administratively withdrawn from the course. If the student wishes to be re-enrolled in the course, the student may request permission from the professor.
If a student falls into habitual non-attendance after the deadline to withdraw from courses, they will be awarded the grade earned for the course.
Financial Aid Implication
When a student withdraws from a course, the Financial Aid Office is responsible for completing a calculation (called a Return to Title IV or R2T4). The calculation determines how much federal aid (including grants and loans) the student may keep. The percentage of the semester completed drives the calculation, so a correct last day of attendance is important. If a student completes 10% of the course, then they keep 10% of their federal aid; if they complete 50%, then they keep 50% of their aid. Once a student has completed at least 60% of the scheduled semester, they keep 100% of their federal aid.
To be compliant with federal guidelines, the calculation must be completed within 30 days of the date the school determines the student last attended. It is important that instructors create - and academic advisors follow up on - Early Alerts in a timely manner if a student is not attending class or submitting required assignments.