Students whose home counties were affected by the recent storms and need to return home to help with cleanup will be granted an excused absence until classes resume after spring break on March 19, according to an email sent to campus from Dr. Hollie Swanson, Faculty Senate council chair.

According to the email, the other Senate rules that pertain to excused absences are as follows:

Students missing any graded work due to an excused absence bear the responsibility of informing the instructor about their absence within one week following the

period of the excused absence (except where prior notification is required). Students also bear the responsibility of making up the missed work.

The instructor shall give the student an opportunity to make up the work and/or exams missed due to an excused absence, and shall try to do so during the semester in which the absence occurred.

If attendance is required by the class policies elaborated in the syllabus or serves as a criterion for a grade in a course, and if a student has excused absences in excess of one-fifth of the class contact hours for that course, a student shall have the right to petition for a “W,” or withdraw. The instructor may require the student to petition for a “W” or take an “I,” an incomplete, in the course.

If a student has an excused absence on a day when a quiz is given, the instructor may not deny permission for a makeup exam and simply calculate the student’s grade on the basis of the remaining requirements.

“Instructors may always exercise their discretion in granting excused absences. The above-stated policy is a minimum, not a maximum,” the email said.

See the full email below.

Dear Faculty Colleagues and Students:

To address the impact that the recent tornados in the Commonwealth may have on our students, the Senate Council, on behalf of the University Senate, has issued the following one-time rule:

If a student’s home county is one that was hit by a tornado and the student needs to be at home for clean-up, that student shall be granted an excused absence until the beginning of classes on Monday, March 19, 2012 (the Monday following spring break 2012).

The other Senate Rules that pertain to an excused absence are as follows.

“Students missing any graded work due to an excused absence bear the responsibility of informing the Instructor of Record about their excused absence within one week following the period of the excused absence (except where prior notification is required), and of making up the missed work. The Instructor of Record shall give the student an opportunity to make up the work and/or the exams missed due to an excused absence, and shall do so, if feasible, during the semester in which the absence occurred.

“If attendance is required by the class policies elaborated in the syllabus or serves as a criterion for a grade in a course, and if a student has excused absences in excess of one-fifth of the class contact hours for that course, a student shall have the right to petition for a “W”, and the Instructor of Record may require the student to petition for a “W” or take an “I” in the course.

If a student has an excused absence on a day when a quiz is given, the instructor may not deny permission for a makeup exam and simply calculate the student’s grade on the basis of the remaining requirements”.

Please note that instructors may always exercise their discretion in granting excused absences. The above-stated policy is a minimum, not a maximum.

Hollie Swanson

Professor

Department of Molecular and Biomedical Pharmacology

Senate Council Chair

University of Kentucky