Flexible attendance may be appropriate for students with chronic physical and behavioral health conditions that cause occasional, brief absences due to flares. It allows limited flexibility for unexpected health disruptions but is not intended to support extended or ongoing absences.
General Guidelines
Class attendance is a key part of college learning, and students are expected to follow course attendance policies. However, for students whose disability may cause occasional, unexpected absences, flexible attendance and deadlines allows limited penalty exemptions.
The accommodation is not an attendance waiver. It does not cover frequent or extended absences, nor does it override essential course requirements. Students remain responsible for meeting all academic expectations, and instructors are not required to fundamentally alter the course.
How is a reasonable number of disability-related absences determined?
The accommodation allows penalty exemptions for disability-related absences. For in-person classes, students are generally expected to attend at least 80 – 85% of meetings. Additional flexibility may be considered on a case-by-case basis, depending on individual needs and course structure.
Keep in mind: These are guidelines. Instructors who do not believe the rubric reflects what is reasonable for their course should consult ODS.
| Course Length | Schedule Type | Total Absences Allowed |
| 4 Week Course – meets 3 times per week (i.e., Summer I and II) | 1 – Lecture (LEC), Combined Lecture/Lab (LLB) | No more than 3 absences |
| *2 – Laboratory (LAB), Recitation (RCT), Seminar (SEM), Activity, Performance, or Studio (APS) | No more than 2 absences | |
| 4 Week Course – meets 5 times per week (i.e., Summer I and II) | 1 – Lecture (LEC), Combined Lecture/Lab (LLB) | No more than 4 absences |
| *2 – Laboratory (LAB), Recitation (RCT), Seminar (SEM), Activity, Performance, or Studio (APS) | No more than 3 absences | |
| 10 Week Course – meets once per week (i.e., Fall II and Spring II) | 1 – Lecture (LEC), Combined Lecture/Lab (LLB) | No more than 2 absences |
| *2 – Laboratory (LAB), Recitation (RCT), Seminar (SEM), Activity, Performance, or Studio (APS) | No more than 2 absences | |
| 10 Week Course – meets twice per week (i.e., Fall II and Spring II) | 1 – Lecture (LEC), Combined Lecture/Lab (LLB) | No more than 4 absences |
| *2 – Laboratory (LAB), Recitation (RCT), Seminar (SEM), Activity, Performance, or Studio (APS) | No more than 3 absences | |
| 10 Week Course – meets 3 times or more per week (i.e., Fall II and Spring II) | 1 – Lecture (LEC), Combined Lecture/Lab (LLB) | No more than 6 absences |
| *2 – Laboratory (LAB), Recitation (RCT), Seminar (SEM), Activity, Performance, or Studio (APS) | No more than 5 absences | |
| 15 Week Course – meets once per week (i.e., full Fall and Spring) | 1 – Lecture (LEC), Combined Lecture/Lab (LLB) | No more than 3 absences |
| *2 – Laboratory (LAB), Recitation (RCT), Seminar (SEM), Activity, Performance, or Studio (APS) | No more than 3 absences | |
| 15 Week Course – meets twice per week (i.e., full Fall and Spring) | 1 – Lecture (LEC), Combined Lecture/Lab (LLB) | No more than 6 absences |
| *2 – Laboratory (LAB), Recitation (RCT), Seminar (SEM), Activity, Performance, or Studio (APS) | No more than 5 absences | |
| 15 Week Course – meets 3 times or more per week (i.e., full Fall and Spring) | 1 – Lecture (LEC), Combined Lecture/Lab (LLB) | No more than 9 absences |
| *2 – Laboratory (LAB), Recitation (RCT), Seminar (SEM), Activity, Performance, or Studio (APS) | No more than 7 absences |
*2 – LAB, RCT, SEM courses are designed to be highly experiential, interaction, and/or discussion-based, thus limiting the amount of flexibility that is reasonable.
If the course attendance policy provides for additional flexibility beyond what is listed above, ODS considers that to meet the accommodation.
Course formats not represented in the above table:
- Interim courses (Winter and Summer) are 3 weeks in length and generally follow an asynchronous, online format.
- Independent Study (IND), Research (RES), Thesis or Dissertation (THD): The Registrar defines these as courses where no classroom or meeting pattern is expected to be scheduled. If flex attendance is applicable to and needed in these course formats, students should contact their Accommodations Specialist.
- Clinical (CLN), Field Experience (FLD), Internship (INT), Practicum (PRA), Student Teaching (STT): The Registrar defines these as courses where no classroom or meeting pattern is expected to be scheduled. Instruction may occur off-campus and course requirements may be dictated by state/licensing/credentialing organizations or specialized accreditors. Therefore, flexibility is limited. Students who need flex attendance in these settings should promptly contact their Accommodations Specialist to request a clinical accommodation letter.
How is the accommodation implemented?
If a student’s disability causes them to miss a class, exam, or deadline, they may be eligible for a penalty exemption. However, this is not automatic – the student must notify the instructor and Accommodations Specialist via email or the ODS Online Portal.
Guidelines for implementation:
- Absences – Typically limited to 15-20% of meetings, depending on course format and schedule.
- Missed exams – Make up typically within 1 week or during the department’s make-up date. The deferred final should be used to make-up a final exam.
- Missed assignments – A 48-hour extension may apply if:
- The assignment (including all instructions and required content) was available for 7 or fewer calendar days before the due date, and
- The student requested the extension (preferably in advance but no later than 24 hours after the due date).
Instructors will create a Flex Plan, which ODS will review. Students will be notified by email when it's ready. Students who have concerns about the parameters of the Flex Plan should contact their Accommodations Specialist immediately.
Note: Accommodations are not retroactive and only apply after your accommodation letter has been sent to your instructor.
What are the student's responsibilities?
As students need to use the accommodation, the student should:
- If a Flex Plan is in place, use the ODS Online Portal to implement the accommodation.
- If no Flex Plan has been completed,
- Email the instructor promptly to request a disability-related absence and arrange make-up work. For multiple missed classes, email each instructor. You may simply state, “I need to miss class today due to my disability.” No need to share confidential details.
- CC the Accommodations Specialist on all emails. Students must notify both instructor and ODS when using this accommodation.
Failure to follow these steps may result in an unexcused absence.