Attendance and absences

Students are expected to attend all sessions of each course in which they are registered. In accordance with University policy, if the instructor intends to use attendance in assigning grades, the instructor's policy on attendance must be specified in the course outline. Some instructors take attendance every class and assign a portion of the overall grade to attendance. Instructors may specify that a student who fails to attend a specified minimum number or portion of class sessions will not be permitted to write the final exam or get credit for the course.

Illness, accident or family affliction

Students who are absent from more than one class due to illness, accident, or family affliction should notify their instructor. If illness, accident, or family affliction causes a student to miss an exam during the term, or to be late submitting a course assignment, the student should contact the instructor to request a deferred exam or due date. Normally the instructor will require documentation from a health professional to support the request. If illness, accident, or family affliction causes a student to miss the final exam or to fail to complete any assignment by the end of the term, the student must submit a Request for Academic Concession to Undergraduate Records in the University Centre. The form is available on the Undergrad Registrar website, and must be accompanied by documentation from a health professional. Policies regarding academic concessions and deferrals are also detailed on the Undergrad Registrar site. If deferral is granted, all of the work for the course must be completed by the end of the following term. Requests for extended deferral in which the due date is extended beyond the end of the following term are granted only in exceptional cases.

Academic concession

Students who miss substantial portions of a course due to illness, accident, or family affliction may be encouraged to seek an academic concession that will permit them to withdraw from the course without academic penalty rather than be granted a deferral if, in the instructor's judgment, the student has missed too many classes to be granted credit for the course.

Traveling during exams

Students are expected to be available for exams and other course assignments throughout the term, including to the end of the exam period for the term. Students must not make travel plans for the end of term until the date of the final exam for the course (if any) is known. Instructors will not normally re-schedule examinations for students who wish to be away from campus at the time scheduled for an exam, whether that exam is held in class during the term or during the exam period.