How to Handle Official University Absences
The Faculty/Staff Handbook states:
“When a student is absent to represent the University (as in Athletics, chorus, band, or national or state meetings of organizations represented at TCU), then an Official University Absence may be granted by the Campus Life Office. . . .
Faculty members are required to permit students to make up work missed because of Official University Absences.”
Faculty—and those students with Official University Absences—need to be aware of their responsibilities regarding missed work. The following list is offered as a helpful reminder of these responsibilities.
- Students with Official University Absences must contact their instructors to find out what they missed and what they need to do to make up that work.
- Students who miss class because of an Official University Absence must be given the opportunity to make up the specific work, tests, and/or assignments that were missed. Make- up work must reflect the original assignment as closely as possible.
- No assigned work can be excused because of absence.
- No altered requirements or dropped grades are permitted. Faculty cannot offer replacements or “drop” assigned work (even if their syllabi permits students to drop one assignment or grade).
- Faculty cannot alter their grading system for any Official University Absences.
- For courses in which some fixed number of absences are allowed, an Official University Absence should not be considered one of these permitted absences.
- The make-up work, tests, or assignments must occur within a reasonable time period convenient to both the instructor and student.
For further information, consult: