Student Attendance

Attendance & Excused Absence Policy and Procedures

Fordham Arts and Sciences and Gabelli School of Business Policy and Procedures

  1. The maximum number of total absences allowed is as follows:

    1. six class meetings for a course that meets three days per week,

    2. four class meetings for a course meeting two days per week,

    3. or two class meetings for a course that meets once a week (but only one class meeting if the course is for one credit),

unless otherwise noted in the syllabus.

  1. The penalty for exceeding the total number of absences allowed is determined by the instructor and must be stated in the syllabus.

    1. Examples of penalties may include failing the course or failing the attendance portion of the course grade.

  2. All faculty must include their attendance policy in the course syllabus distributed at the first course meeting, during which it should also be articulated to students verbally.

  3. Faculty may choose to establish a more stringent attendance policy in accordance with their course goals, but must have the approval of their department chair or other relevant departmental leadership.

  4. Excused Absences

    1. Absences when there is a required in-class activity, such as a presentation, examination, quiz, or other evaluated exercise, are not permitted unless there is a documented excused absence.

      1. Excused absences occur ONLY in instances where students are missing a required in-class activity.

        1. For an absence to be excused, students must submit an Excused Absence Request via the electronic form on the University portal along with appropriate documentation.

          1. The only possible exceptions are university-sponsored athletic events for which a separate mechanism may be developed.

        2. All such required in-class activities must be listed in the syllabus.

        3. For any other absences, students are NOT to submit an Excused Absence Request via the electronic form.

      2. Illness, death in the student’s immediate family, religious observance, and required participation in a University-sponsored event are the only grounds for excused absences.

      3. Obtaining approval for an excused absence does not guarantee that a student will be permitted to make-up a missed test or project in exactly the same form as originally assigned. The determination for how missed projects or exams are to be made-up remains with the instructor. For instance, an instructor may shift the weight of a missed exam to another exam or combine projects, among other alternatives. 

      4. Absences from final exams are not permitted unless there is a documented grounds for excused absence as noted above. In such an instance, students should submit an Excused Absence Request and expect to receive an ABS grade.

School of Professional and Continuing Studies Policy and Procedures

As a standard, students are expected to attend all class meetings and are responsible for the material, assignments, and announcements covered during any absence. Because regular engagement is essential to student learning and successful course completion, attendance expectations must be established by the instructor and stated in the syllabus.

Faculty are responsible for setting clear expectations, applying attendance policies consistently, and communicating promptly with students about attendance-related concerns. Attendance policies should support academic integrity, maintain course standards, and reflect the needs of students in our division.

1. Unless otherwise specified in the syllabus, the maximum number of absences allowed in a 15 week course is as follows:

  • Six class meetings for a course that meets three times per week.
  • Four class meetings for a course that meets two times per week.
  • Two class meetings for a course that meets once per week.

Students enrolled in two weekend intensive courses and 7 week hybrid courses are not permitted to miss any of the in-person meeting sessions and will be required to withdraw from the course if they are unable to attend all meetings.

2. Attendance in asynchronous online courses is defined as documented academic participation which can include completing required assignments, quizzes, exams, discussion posts, reviewing videos or any other activities defined by the faculty. Logging into the Learning Management System alone does not constitute attendance. Students enrolled in asynchronous online courses are expected to complete all course activities according to the published schedule. Failure to submit coursework by the stated deadlines may be considered non-attendance by the faculty.Falling behind by more than one module—or approximately two weeks—in an asynchronous online course requires immediate attention and should be discussed with the student and reported to the PCS advisor for online engagement.

The penalty for exceeding the number of stated absences will be determined by the instructor.

3. Faculty may define a more stringent attendance policy when justified by the nature of the course and its learning outcomes. A more restrictive attendance policy must be approved by the department chair or other relevant departmental leadership.

  • The attendance policy must be clearly detailed and included in the course syllabus distributed at the first class meeting. Faculty are also expected to review the attendance policy verbally with students during that first session. For asynchronous online courses or hybrid courses with a delayed first meeting, the faculty should also include the attendance policy in their welcome email at the start of the term.

Student Absences

Students are expected to be present for all course assessments. In rare cases, if a student misses a required in-class activity, such as an exam, quiz, presentation, or other evaluated requirement, the student must submit an Excused Absence Request through the University portal, along with supporting documentation.

Students should complete the Excused Absence Request form only when approval is needed for a missed, required in-class graded activity. The form is not required for routine absences that do not involve a graded activity.

  1. Approval of an Excused Absence Request does not guarantee that a student will be permitted to make up the missed work in the same format or under identical conditions. The determination of how missed work may be completed, if at all, remains at the discretion of the instructor, consistent with course objectives and academic standards. In some cases, an instructor may allow an alternate assessment, adjusted weighting, or another appropriate make-up arrangement.
  2. Excused absences may be granted for reasons such as religious observance, serious illness, death in the student’s immediate family, or required participation in a University-sponsored event, when supported by appropriate documentation and submitted via the Excused Absence Request Form. The only possible exceptions are university-sponsored athletic events for which a separate mechanism may be developed.
  3. Using the Excused Absence Request will keep advisors informed of any potential academic risk for students, across their courses, and will help the advising team to implement targeted support or early intervention measures if patterns arise.
  4. Students are not required to submit an Excused Absence Request for routine absences that do not involve a required in-class graded activity. 
  5. All absences will count toward the total absence limit for the course, regardless of the reason. No external review will be conducted for unexcused absences but the faculty should keep track of all absences and consult with the student and the student’s advisor if there is reason for concern.

Final Examinations

Absences from final examinations are not permitted except in the case of a documented emergency or illness. In such cases, the student must submit an Excused Absence Request as soon as possible. Students who are unable to complete a final examination and have an approved excused absence, should expect to receive an ABS grade.