Attendance Policy

You are expected to attend all classes, unless you have a valid excuse:

• Illness and some injuries are valid excuses. Don't come to class if you are ill. Instead:
  • Consider visiting the Health Services office. Their services are free. For your convenience, they provide a confidential email notification to your professors when you are seen there.
  • If you do not visit the health services offices, or if your illness extends for more than a single missed class period, send an email to your professor indicating that you are ill. Indicate when you hope to return to class.
  • In any case, take care of yourself, but also use all available resources (student assistants, etc.) to catch up with missed work.
• Job and graduate/professional school interviews, attending scientific conferences, and participating in Institute-sponsored activities (e.g. sports teams) are also usually valid excuses provided that:
  • You make every attempt to avoid missing exams and group project meetings.
  • You (or your coach or other faculty/staff person in charge of the trip) notifies the instructor in writing (email is OK), normally at least ten days in advance of the event.
  In all such cases, you are responsible for making up any missed work.
• For other exceptional circumstances that you believe are valid excuses, it is often wise to consult with the Dean of Students. We may require a confirming memo from the Dean of Students provided within one week of the circumstance.

When attending class you are expected to help create a good environment for learning. This includes not distracting other students. For example, poor hygiene, playing games on your computer during class, and interrupting others would all create distractions for other students and should therefore be avoided.

If you miss two class meetings during the first five weeks of the term (valid excuses or not), you should immediately meet with your instructor to determine whether it is advisable for you to continue in the course.

We want to help you succeed in this course; falling behind is the most common reason for not doing well in this course.