Attendance
Student are responsible for attending the classes in which they are registered. Students who miss classes for reasons of official university business will be given the opportunity to make up the missed work without penalty. However, students and/or the sponsor/coach of the official university activity must inform individual instructors prior to absence.
Students who miss a week or more of course content due to extenuating circumstances, such as illness or emergency, should contact Student Affairs for assistance. Upon receipt of the documentation detailing the illness or emergency, Student Affairs will contact individual instructor, in writing, explaining the nature of the absence and requesting consideration making up missed work without penalty.
Documents may be sent to Student Affairs via www.wtamu.edu/absence, studentaffairs@wtamu.edu, fax to (806) 651-2926, in person to the Vice President of Student Affairs office, or mail to WTAMU Box 60775, Canyon, TX 79016. Call (806) 651-2050 or see http://www.wtamu.edu/student-support/sees/index.html for more information.
While the university does not have a standard requirement on attendance, individual instructors have the right to set reasonable and clearly explained attendance standards for their classes. If an attendance requirement is adopted because regular active participation is essential to satisfactory mastery of the course content, the requirement should be reasonable and clearly explained in the course syllabus.
If a student wishes to contest the fairness of an instructor’s attendance policy, a complaint should be filed in accordance with the Student Handbook Complaint procedures.
Rewards for good attendance or penalties resulting in a significant difference between the semester average and the final grade. This practice will ensure that students be aware of their academic standing through the semester.
Students called to active duty should tell instructors and must withdraw from the university by notifying the Office of Registrar of that intent in person, by mail or fax.
When an instructor believes that excessive absences have put a student’s grade in jeopardy, the instructors should report this information to Advising Services will contact the student and will attempt to resolve the problem.