Do you need to miss a class?
If you will be missing a class, you must work directly with your instructor regarding all types of absences, including personal, illness, family emergencies, and others.
Please have a look at the information below for more information on how to address these situations.
I need to miss my class. What should I do?
It's important for students to inform their faculty about their absence, as faculty members are responsible for classroom attendance policies. While the Dean of Students Office cannot excuse absences, we are here to offer support in the following ways:
- We highly recommend reading our Faculty Absence Outreach Guide. This comprehensive guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to communicate with your professors about an upcoming absence.
- If your instructor referred you to our department for a "Dean's Excuse." We encourage you to share our Activity's Excuse Guide FAQ form with them. This infographic will help them understand the instances where we can excuse absences.
- Refer to the page to learn more about the attendance policy within the University of Arizona.
- If your absence is related to a disability, we encourage you to contact the Disability Resource Center to learn about the support their department can offer.
- If you need additional support or want to connect with campus resources, we encourage you to submit a CARE Report to communicate with our student assistance professionals.
Resources for Students
Activity's Excuses (formerly known as dean's excuses) are only for university-sponsored events. Students must work directly with the instructor to address absences unrelated to a university-sponsored event. You can learn more about the distinction by reading this infographic!
Absences that do not qualify for an activity's excuse include the following:
- Personal
- Family Emergencies
- Illness / Surgeries / Medical
- Jury Duty / Court Dates
- Religious
- Vacation
If you are unexpectedly hospitalized and are unable to communicate with faculty, a friend, family member, or guardian can contact our office at 520-621-7057 or submit a CARE Report. Our department will help you communicate with your instructors by sending an Emergency Notification Letter. In these situations, we will serve as the link between you and the faculty member.
Examples of hospitalizations may be due to medical injury while unconscious, admittance into a behavioral health program with no access to technology, etc.
If you have tried to work with a faculty member regarding your absence, your next step will be to contact the department head in which the professor works under. You can find this information by visiting the campus directory, the associated department's website under their staff, or by using the phonebook.
Students who need to miss more than 1 week of classes (or the equivalent for accelerated courses) should provide documentation to the Dean of Students office (DOS-deanofstudents@email.arizona.edu(link sends e-mail)). Documentation should be submitted prior to a planned absence. Documentation may be submitted during or after an unplanned absence. Examples of appropriate documentation include:
- doctor’s note
- jury service verification
- letter from the Office of Institutional Equity
- other documents that demonstrate extenuating circ*mstances
If the student is unable to offer documentation or communicate due to the nature of the situation, the Dean of Students office should be contacted to better assess what supports are needed for the student. The Dean of Students Office will communicate the receipt of the documentation (with expected end date) to the relevant faculty.
Students who adhere to this process should not be penalized per the attendance policy for the course. Instructors should work with students to provide means to participate in or view lectures, turn in assignments, and complete exams remotely if possible. Students remain responsible for staying abreast of the coursework and for completion of all assignments or examinations. Non-attendance for any reason does not guarantee an automatic extension of due dates or rescheduling of examinations, laboratory, or practicum work.
Resources for Faculty
Faculty have jurisdiction over their classroom policies and procedures. We encourage faculty to work with students, as every student's situation is different, and there may be some underlying factors affecting their performance or forcing them to be absent.
If this is the case and you feel that the student can benefit from student assistance, we encourage you to submit a CARE Report.
It is up to the faculty to decide what grade they should issue (final grade or incomplete).
Consider meeting with the student to determine the nature of their low performance and seek guidance from the department head. If this is the case, you can choose to issue an incomplete grade or the final class grade. If you choose to issue an incomplete, make sure you let the student know that incompletes do not count towards their GPA.
More information can be found by contacting the Office of the Registrar.
