Chapter 32 - Mid-Year Updates and Addendums

Chapter 21- Flexibility with Attendance/Assignments 

Student engagement and academic success are closely correlated with regular attendance, classroom participation, and collaborative learning between instructors and students.  The University acknowledges, however, that there may be times when students cannot attend class or meet assignment deadlines due to circumstances related to their disabilities, particularly those of a chronic or an episodic nature (i.e., gastrointestinal disorders, autoimmune diseases, mental health disorders, etc.) and may request reasonable accommodation with attendance and due dates.   Students should not request flexibility accommodation for a practicum, internship, field placement, etc.  Please refer to Chapter 28. 

Instructors are responsible for establishing attendance requirements for their classes and communicating those requirements clearly in the syllabus at the beginning of each term.  All students, regardless of disability or medical condition, must fulfill the essential requirements of the applicable course, program, or degree.  Instructors should closely examine essential course requirements and should not waive, compromise, or lower any academic standards, educational experiences or learning outcomes.   

 

Student Responsibilities 

1. Request accommodations each term in the DAS Student Portal. 

2. Review the agreement and contact your DAS Adviser if there are any concerns. 

3. Students are responsible for notifying the instructor of the need to use the Flex Plan based on the information provided in the Flex Plan.  Instructors are not expected to assume that the missed class or late work is due to disability. 

4. The number of allowable absences depends on the interactive or participatory nature of a course, or is based on department, college, or accrediting agency requirements.  In general, the flex plan allows for 50% additional absences without penalty and is based on the number of absences allowed for the course. 

5. Absences that are not related to the effects/impacts of a disability should not be included in this accommodation (e.g., absences due to a common illness, COVID, car trouble, childcare, etc.) and should be addressed according to the attendance/absence policy stated in the syllabus. 

6. Students with flexibility accommodations are responsible for obtaining lecture notes for any missed classes and completing all coursework in a timely manner or per the Flex Plan. 

7. If a student believes the [Red: Default Flex Plan] may not support their access, students should notify their DAS Adviser.  The DAS staff/adviser and instructor will engage in an interactive process to determine what flexibility may be reasonable and appropriate. 

8. Students should be aware that if the student is not able to meet the course learning outcomes, the instructor may recommend an incomplete or withdrawal from the class. 

 

Instructor Responsibility 

1. The accommodation for Attendance/Deadline Flexibility should always be considered on an individual course basis, allowing for a diligent and critical analysis of how attendance and extended due dates are essential to the course learning objectives and pedagogical components.  A rubric is available for instructors to guide their decision-making process regarding attendance and assignment flexibility.   

2. While an attendance policy may already be incorporated into the grading rubric and syllabus, and its value is inherent to student success and learning, this accommodation is intended to provide the maximum amount of flexibility possible without compromising the integrity of the course.    

3. Read the eligibility email DAS sends to the instructors which contains a link to the  Instructor DAS Portal.  Instructors should select this link to access their course information and to complete the Flex Plan to provide information about attendance/assignment requirements.  

4. The agreement should identify the number of late assignments and the maximum number of days of extensions permitted before docking points or not accepting the assignment. 

5. Instructors do not have to provide additional flexibility beyond what is in the agreement.  If questions or concerns arise regarding the use of this accommodation, instructors should communicate directly with the DAS adviser. 

6. Flexibility with attendance and deadline accommodations should be provided unless the accommodation significantly compromises the integrity of the course or is a fundamental alteration to the course.  If the instructor believes additional absences beyond the stated policy or extended deadlines would result in an unreasonable accommodation, then instructors should consult with the DAS adviser. 

7. Instructors are not required to provide retroactive accommodation even when a student receives this accommodation later in the term.  Instructors are still responsible for this accommodation even if they delay in responding to DAS.  DO NOT WAIT! 

8. Instructor completed Flexibility Plan – Things to Consider. 

1. What is identified in the syllabus as the course attendance policy?  

2. Is attendance, late work, and missed exam policies applied consistently?  Are there exceptions to a policy made for extenuating circumstances, such as athletic travel or a religious observance?  

3. Do students’ contributions constitute a significant component of the learning process?  How much interaction is there between the instructor and students, and among students and their peers?  

4. Does the design of the course rely on student participation (e.g., attendance and/or assignment/project contributions) as a significant method for learning?  Is the content only offered during class?  To what degree does a student’s failure to attend class or complete an assignment on time compromise the educational experience of other students in the course? 

5. What method is used to calculate the student's final grade (e.g., attendance, assignments, discussion board posts, exams, etc.)?   

6. Based on learning outcomes, it may not be possible to provide an extension for every course component. 

9. If a student has excessive absences, even with a Flex Plan in place, the instructor should contact DAS and consider submitting a referral to the Student Care Team.  In these circumstances, the student may need to explore options such as a reduced course load, or withdrawal from the course.  As permitted by applicable University policies and procedures, the instructor may also consider granting students an incomplete grade to allow the student an opportunity to fulfill course requirements, such as through independent study or by attending class lectures the following term.  

DAS Responsibilities 

1. DAS determines if Flexibility with Attendance/Assignments is a reasonable accommodation.  

2. During a meeting with their DAS Adviser, students are reminded that this accommodation is not intended to be used every week, for every assignment, or every exam.  Students are still responsible for completing coursework in a timely manner.  

3. DAS will send an email notification of this accommodation and the final completed Flex Plan to the instructor and student.  If either the instructor or student has questions, the student's DAS adviser should be contacted.   

4. If a Flex Plan has not been completed after [Red: one week] from the start of the term or after one week from receiving the DAS Notification email, DAS will move forward the Default Flex Plan. 

5. The finalized flexibility agreement will be considered active as of the day the student requested the accommodation for the course with DAS, or the first day of the term (whichever is later).