Class Attendance
The University expects students to attend all regularly scheduled classes for instruction and examination. When a student is compelled for any reason to be absent from class, the student should immediately convey the reason for the absence directly to the instructor. The student is responsible for all material presented in class and for all announcements and assignments. The decision to permit students to make up work that is required in any missed class resides with the instructor. The unexcused absence or "cut" is not regarded as a student privilege.
If a student's total number of absences exceeds 14% of the scheduled classes, it shall become the prerogative of the instructor to drop the student from the class roll with a W or WF or to continue the student in class. Individual instructors or departments may have attendance policies stricter than that of the university, as long as the policies are stated in the class syllabus.
Instructors must refrain from giving students a WF when excessive absences result solely from extenuating circumstances such as participation in university-sponsored activities that are approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs or the Vice President for Student Affairs (see below), hazardous weather conditions, personal hardship, extended illness or hospitalization, family emergencies, or death in the immediate family. Instructors may request documentation to verify the extenuating circumstances.
Students who are absent because of university-sponsored activities that are approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs or the Vice President for Student Affairs will be permitted to make up any work missed during the absence. "University sponsored activities" include activities related to North Georgia performance groups, athletic teams, the Corps of Cadets, the Student Government Association, field trips related to academic courses, as well as any other university-sponsored activities approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs or the Vice President for Student Affairs. Approval of such absences will be granted only if the instructor receives advance notice in writing from the faculty member or university official sponsoring the activity.
Any absence problems which cannot be resolved between the instructor and the student are referred immediately to the appropriate department head and, if necessary, to the dean of the appropriate school. The dean of the appropriate school is the final arbiter in all absence disputes.
Discontinuance of class attendance without officially withdrawing from a course is sufficient cause for receiving a failing grade in the course. In such instances, it is the prerogative of the instructor to award a grade of W or WF prior to the midpoint of the term, or a WF after the midpoint of the term, according to the Board of Regents' policy.