Attendance
In order to maintain the academic integrity of Lesley programs and to meet course-learning objectives for all class members, students are expected to attend and to participate fully in all class meetings. In exceptional circumstances when students need to be absent from class, they should discuss with the faculty member, in advance, any portion of a class meeting they cannot attend.
Faculty members reserve the right, in consultation with their academic program directors, to set specific attendance requirements for their courses, which may include no absences. This applies to all models of delivery including institutes, residencies, workshops, etc. Faculty members establish expectations as part of their syllabus regarding family or medical emergency and “milestone” circumstances that may necessitate student absence from class. Absence from class diminishes the learning community and may have an adverse effect on a student’s grade.
In setting their attendance requirements, faculty members will be guided by the following standards:
Weekly Model:
If a student is absent for more than six (6) hours of class time, the academic consequences will be determined according to the policies of the academic program in which the student is enrolled. Missing more than nine (9) hours of weekly class meetings will result in a grade of administrative withdrawal (AW) on the student’s transcript. The student will then need to retake the class and pay the full tuition amount.
Weekend Model:
When missing any class time up to the equivalent of one full day over the two weekends, students are responsible for contacting the faculty member in advance (or as soon as possible afterwards) to discuss the nature of the family or medical emergency or “milestone” circumstance. The faculty member will determine whether the course attendance expectations will permit make-up work and/or whether there may be an adverse effect on the final grade.
Missing more than the equivalent of one full day over the two weekends will result in a grade of administrative withdrawal (AW) on the student’s transcript. The student will then need to retake the class and pay the full tuition amount.
Serious family or medical emergency and significant “milestone” circumstances may warrant exception to these requirements and will be considered on a case-by-case basis, in consultation with the appropriate academic unit personnel.
The faculty member has full discretion regarding students making up assignments missed, including those completed in and out of class, as well as specific course content (i.e., videos, reflections, discussion, readings, etc.).
Field Programs:
Students attending field programs that are delivered as integrated curricula occurring all day and most evenings may not miss more than 10% of their program. For instance, if the program is seventy (70) days they may miss seven (7) days. Missing more than the equivalent of 10% of the semester will result in a grade of administrative withdrawal (AW) on the student’s transcript. The student will then need to repeat the semester and repay tuition. Serious family or medical emergency and significant “milestone” circumstances may warrant exception to these requirements and will be considered on a case-by-case basis, in consultation with the appropriate academic unit personnel.
Online:
The flexibility of online courses allows students to complete assignments and participate in collaborative work from wherever there is a reliable Internet connection. In an online environment "attendance" in courses that are either fully or partially delivered online is typically measured by the quality and frequency of the posts in the online discussion forums. As online courses are designed to be interactive, often with assignments that require group work, a student's absence from these discussion forums for more than a few days may prevent that student from maintaining the level of interaction that is required for success in the course.
The university acknowledges that on occasion, students may have legitimate reasons for missing class. However, it is important to realize that while some assignments might be submitted after a due date, discussion postings cannot be "made up." If a student knows that she/he will be offline for a week or more, the student must contact the instructor BEFORE the start of a course to discuss possible options for completing required work. Given the highly interactive design of an online course, options to make up required discussion boards or collaborative assignments may be severely limited. In this case, a student should consider taking the course at a later time.
Students should be aware that being offline for a week or more, without prior approval from the instructor, may result in no credit for the week's discussion boards or collaborative assignments. For lengthier absences, an administrative withdrawal (AW) from the course may be warranted. For courses with a grade of AW, no course credit and no tuition refund will be given.