Attendance Policy

Class Attendance

Individual faculty members and academic departments are free to define individual requirements in regard to particular courses and they publish these requirements in their syllabi. Failure to meet such requirements may result in lowered grades, an involuntary withdrawal from a course, and, if the last day for withdrawal has passed, a failing grade.

The College also grants the Associate Academic Dean the right, following a consultation with the faculty member of record, to withdraw a student administratively from any course in which he or she has reached the number of absences listed below. In no way should students interpret these limits as maximum allowable absences. Instead, they represent the point at which College policy authorizes administrative withdrawal; a student with this number of absences will have missed twenty percent of a given course, and fairness to other students dictates the administrative withdrawal.

• Courses meeting once per week, full semester: three absences
• Courses meeting twice per week, full semester: six absences
• Courses meeting three times per week, full semester: nine absences
• Courses meeting four or five times per week, full semester: twelve absences
  
• Courses meeting once per week, First/Second Half Semester Courses: two absences
• Courses meeting twice per week, First/Second Half Semester Courses: four absences
  
• Summer school courses, five-week session: four absences
• Summer school courses, ten-week session: three absences

Students on academic probation are allowed no absences unless approved by the Associate Academic Dean. Students failing to meet this condition of academic probation are subject to suspension or dismissal. If administrative withdrawal occurs prior to the published last day to withdraw with a "W" grade, the student is awarded a grade of W. When withdrawal occurs later, the student is awarded either a WP (withdrawn passing) or WF (withdrawn failing) grade. A WP has no effect on the cumulative grade point average, but a WF is figured into the cumulative grade point average as a zero. No tuition refunds will be granted for administrative withdrawals other than those allowable under published policies.

NOTE: Laboratory attendance is considered an essential part of science and language courses. The success of classes using discussion techniques and seminars emphasizing student participation depends on regular attendance by the participants.

Registration Cancellation Policy

A student may request to have her/his complete semester course registration canceled up until 30 calendar days after the last day of final exams for that semester if and only if there is no evidence that the student engaged in any academic related activity during the semester such as:

1. Attending a class;
2. Meeting with an academic advisor;
3. Using college resources (e.g., computer account, library, athletic facility);
4. Paying parking fines for parking;
5. Dining in the cafeteria;
6. Consulting a Learnig Commons tutor;
7. Using the Career and Community Learning Center
   
   

To request a registration cancellation, traditional-age students should contact the Office for Campus Life. Adult students should contact the Center for Continuing Education.

If a Student Never Attends a Course:

Full Term Courses: If, by the deadline for reporting interim grades, a student has yet to attend one class, the instructor will award this student, at this time, a (final) grade of WN (withdrawn, never attended). This grade will not affect the student’s grade point average but, because it represents a withdrawal from the course, may adversely affect the student’s subsequent financial aid eligibility. No tuition refunds will be granted for such administrative withdrawals other than those allowable under policies published in the College catalog.

Half Semester and Summer Courses: If, by the deadline for reporting final grades for this course, a student has never attended a class, the instructor will award this student a final grade of WN (withdrawn, never attended). This grade will not affect the student’s grade point average but, because it represents a withdrawal from the course, may adversely affect the student’s subsequent financial aid eligibility. No tuition refunds will be granted for such administrative withdrawals other than those allowable under policies published in the College catalog.

Intercollegiate Athletic Contests

To facilitate the scheduling of intercollegiate athletic competitions, an effort is made to make the calendar for the academic year a stable one that is announced as far in advance as possible. When given satisfactory notice by student athletes, faculty are encouraged to work with students to assure that they are given every opportunity to make up and class assignments or exams.

Class Attendance and Extracurricular Activities

Intellectual development is the central concern of a liberal arts college. Extracurricular activities offer a wide variety of opportunities for enrichment of undergraduate experience, but established academic priorities must be maintained. Guilford students are expected to attend all classes and meetings which are part of their course work. Those representing the College in departmentally or institutionally sponsored extracurricular activities, which cause them to miss classes, labs, or meetings should, with the approval of the professor, make up that work, including examinations. A student must arrange for make-up work with the professor prior to any absence he/she expects to have excused. In cases where make-up work is impossible because of the nature of the instructional experience, students must assume personal responsibility for choosing between their academic obligation and the extracurricular activity. At no time will students be excused from curricular responsibilities such as classes, labs, field trips or meetings to
participate in extracurricular practices, rehearsals, or meetings, but must arrange with coaches and/or sponsors to make up missed extracurricular work or drills.

Travel plans. It is expected that students will make travel plans that do not conflict with scheduled tests, exams, classes, labs or assignments. Faculty have been requested not to adjust course requirements to suit individual travel arrangements.

Personal or Medical Emergency. Students who experience a personal or medical emergency should notify the Office for Campus Life who will notify the instructors of the absence. Students are responsible for all missed work and the notification does not constitute an excused absence.