Excused Absences Policy FAQs

An excused absence is an absence for which the student is not penalized in terms of course evaluation.

Allowing for excused absences acknowledges that students are whole people with lives and responsibilities beyond the classroom and helps students to stay on track academically when unforeseen circumstances arise.

Legitimate reasons for an excused absence include: participation in university activities (e.g., field trips, conferences, athletic events); illness or injury; medical or mental health crisis of the student, a relative, or a friend; birth or adoption of a child; religious observance; military service; jury duty or mandated court appearance; and unforeseen life events beyond the student’s control (e.g., death of family member or friend, sexual assault). Instructors may use their own discretion about allowing excused absences for events or circumstances not specifically listed in the policy.

Instructors are not required to allow excused absences for reasons such as personal travel (e.g., family vacations, leaving early for breaks), work obligations, or oversleeping. Instructors may use their own discretion about whether they wish to allow excused absences for reasons not explicitly listed in the excused absence policy. When exercising this discretion, instructors should strive to be consistent about what they consider to be an acceptable excuse across students.

Yes, instructors may request documentation of the reason for an absence. However, instructors are encouraged to be thoughtful about such requests – instructors should respect students’ privacy and be mindful that written documentation can be difficult to obtain in some circumstances.

Yes. Excused absences do not alter the academic requirements of the course, so makeup work can be assigned when deemed appropriate by the instructor. Students are responsible for fulfilling all course requirements, including completing makeup work resulting from excused absences. 

If a student misses an assessment due to an excused absence, the instructor should offer an alternate assessment. Instructors should make a good faith effort to provide an alternate assessment that is similar to the original assessment in content and challenge level (neither easier nor more difficult). Students are responsible for completing alternate assessments in a timely fashion.

Students are expected to take responsibility for their academic work and progress. Students are responsible for determining what course material they have missed and fulfilling all course requirements, including completing any makeup assignments in a timely manner. Students are responsible for informing their instructors of an absence with as much advance notice as possible. If notification is not possible prior to the absence, notification should occur as soon as possible after the absence.

As part of orientation, students are informed that they are expected to attend class regularly and to be alert and engaged in class. Students are encouraged to reach out to their instructors in advance of planned absences and to connect with the Office of Student Support and Case Management if they need additional support.

You may wish to reach out to the student to express your concern and remind them of the student support resources on campus. If you are unable to reach the student or have continued concerns, you can file a care referral with the Student Support and Case Management Team.

Instructors should evaluate whether students have met the minimum attendance requirements necessary to achieve course competencies. If a student has missed too many classes to meet course requirements, an instructor can discuss various options with them, such as withdrawing from the course or taking an incomplete to allow for more time to meet requirements. Connecting the student with their academic advisor is also suggested. Their advisor can provide them with information about available options, university enrollment deadlines, and degree planning.  If you are unable to reach the student or have continued concerns, you can file a care referral with the Student Support and Case Management Team.

Yes. Existing course policies can still be applied, but additional accommodation may be necessary for cases in which student excused absences exceed the number of drops allowed. Drops for excused absences should not preclude a student’s ability to drop scores for other reasons within the limits of a course’s drop policy.

A student may be reluctant to disclose the cause of an absence for a variety of reasons – avoid asking probing questions about absences. Students may be more likely to attend class and be honest about reasons for absences when they feel that the instructor cares about them and their learning. Creating a supportive class climate and following up with students who miss class or assignments early in the semester can help to promote student engagement.

Instructors may consider building in flexibility to attendance policies or deadlines to reduce the number of accommodations that need to be made for absences. Departments may also work to address this issue by, for example, drafting common syllabus language or creating a pool of makeup assignments for instructors to use. The Center for Teaching Excellence can help instructors and units to think through options for addressing excused absences in an efficient manner.

Research conducted in this area (including by scholars at KU) indicates that students are more likely to attend class when attendance or participation affects their grades, when they believe that the instructor will notice or care that they are not in class, and when they view class as an important means of obtaining course content. Talking with students about the benefits of attending class, incorporating active learning into class meetings, building a positive class community, and connecting course content to students’ lives and goals can encourage students to attend class meetings. The Center for Teaching Excellence website provides further guidance on how to encourage students to attend and participate in class.

If you are a student who has questions about the excused absence policy, you can review the official policy, talk with your course instructor, or consult your advisor. If you have questions that your instructor or advisor is not able to answer, you can contact Student Affairs at 785-864-4060 or studentaffairs@ku.edu.  If you are experiencing extreme or unexpected circumstances (e.g., you are in the hospital or have experienced a significant loss), you can call 785-864-7022 or email studentsupport@ku.edu to connect with a member of the student support care team.