WCSU Faculty Handbook : Policies Pertaining to Students

Guidelines on Classes Missed Because of University Sponsored Events

It is the responsibility of all students to recognize that meeting the requirements of all classes is their first priority. It is the students’ responsibility to communicate with their professors before a conflict occurs to ensure that all classroom work is properly completed per the terms established with the professor. It is also the students’ responsibility to make up all required work as well as to become familiar with the material presented in the class that was missed.

Faculty are encouraged to make accommodations for a student who will miss class for any of the following circumstances, providing documentation from an appropriate third party (police, medical professional, religious leader, etc.):

  1. Medical absence
  2. Student or family emergency
  3. Observance of a religious holiday (accommodations mandated by CT law[1]
  4. Participation in a university-sponsored event*
  5. Other circumstances deemed appropriate by the faculty member (e.g. jury duty, etc.)

 

*By definition university-sponsored events are legitimate, co-curricular events which are scheduled through a university department or entity, with adequate notice to all parties. For example, participation in a sports contest or a museum trip for the university would be such an event, but attending a practice session would not. It is requested that faculty members understand the depth of the students’ commitment, allow reasonable accommodation of student activities, and permit work missed because of legitimate university events to be made up.

The form related to Missed Classes due to University Events is in the appendices to this handbook.

   
Senate approval: (R-04-04-02) 10/20/04 Revised Senate Approval 5/8/2019
Administrative 12/22/04 Administrative Approval 5/8/2019

 

 

 

[1] CT Law regarding accommodations for observance of a religious holiday:

Sec. 10a-50. (Formerly Sec. 10-334g). Absence of students due to religious beliefs. No person shall be expelled from or refused admission as a student to an institution of higher education for the reason that he is unable, because the tenets of his religion forbid secular activity on a particular day or days or at a particular time of day, to attend classes or to participate in any examination, study or work requirements on such particular day or days or at such time of day. Any student in an institution of higher education who is unable, because of such reason, to attend classes on a particular day or days or at a particular time of day shall be excused from any examination or any study or work assignments on such particular day or days or at such particular time of day. It shall be the responsibility of the faculty and of the administrative officials of each institution of higher education to make available to each student who is absent from school because of such reason an equivalent opportunity to make up any examination, study or work requirements which he has missed because of such absence on any particular day or days or at any particular time of day. No special fees of any kind shall be charged to the student for making available to such student such equivalent opportunity. No adverse or prejudicial effects shall result to any student because of his availing himself of the provisions of this section. For the purposes of this section, “institution of higher education” means any of the schools comprising the state system of higher education, as defined in section 10a-1. (P.A. 75-367, S. 1; P.A. 14-122, S. 85.)