Flexible Attendance

Some students have medical conditions that may require nonpenalized flexibility for attendance and avenues to make up in-class assignments, assessments, and activities. As part of the interactive process required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, a student and their instructor should work together to identify the parameters of the student’s flexible attendance in ways that align the student’s disability-related needs with the essential requirements of the course.  

Frequently Asked Questions

  • When are flexible attendance agreement forms required?

    If the Access Center has approved flexible attendance as a reasonable accommodation, the student and their instructor can complete the flexible attendance agreement or memorialize their agreement via email or some other writing. 

  • Where can I access a blank copy of the agreement form?

    Please email access.center@wsu.edu for a blank copy of the agreement form. 

  • What are my responsibilities when a student has flexible attendance listed as an accommodation?

    • Have an interactive discussion with the student to identify their needs and determine how the flexible attendance accommodation will be applied to the course. 

    • Thoroughly complete the flexible attendance agreement form in collaboration with the student, sign the form, and keep a copy of the signed form for your records. 

    • In accordance with the flexible attendance agreement, provide opportunities for the student to complete without penalty any activities, assignments, or assessments they may miss because of a disability-related absence. 

    • Contact the student’s Access Advisor in a timely manner if you have any questions or concerns regarding the student’s flexible attendance accommodation or how it can be applied to your course. 

    • While not required, the Access Center encourages instructors to reach out to students with the flexibility in attendance consideration accommodation to explain how the student can schedule with the instructor or provide the instructor’s available meeting dates to discuss the flexible attendance form. 

     

  • What are the student’s responsibilities?

    • The student is responsible for reaching out to the professor to schedule a meeting to discuss the flexible attendance agreement form.  

    • Have an interactive discussion with their instructor to identify their needs and determine how the flexible attendance accommodation will be applied to the course. 

    • Thoroughly complete the flexible attendance agreement form with their instructor, sign it, keep a copy of the signed form for their records, and return it to the Access Center to keep on file. 

    • Communicate with their instructor as soon as possible if they will need to be absent from class for disability-related reasons, as defined in their agreement with their instructor. 

    • Complete any missed activities, assignments, or assessments by the agreed upon due date. 

    • Contact their Access Advisor in a timely manner if they have any questions or concerns regarding their flexible attendance accommodation or how it can be applied to your course. 

  • Am I required to give additional absences beyond what is outlined in the attendance policy included in my course syllabus?

    • The number of disability-related absences a student may need depends on the student’s condition, so they may need additional flexibility beyond what is offered in your course syllabus. Absences covered by the flexible attendance accommodation are only for disability-related reasons and are in addition to the absences already provided to all students in your attendance policy. In general, the Access Center may consider, where appropriate, the following a reasonable number of absences for a standard semester-long course. The table below is only for illustrative purposes and are not inclusive of any published course attendance policy absences. By law, each student’s needs must be considered case-by-case and while this may be considered reasonable absences for many students, this should not be considered appropriate in all circumstances.  

    Number of times your course meets per week (reasonable allotments of absences)

    • 5 times a week (10 absences)
    • 4 times a week (8 absences) 
    • 3 times a week (6 absences) 
    • 2 times a week (4 absences) 
    • 1 time a week (2 absences) 

    Adapted from the University of Virginia 

  • If my course is already designed to provide flexible attendance for all students, do I still need to complete the agreement form with the student who has flexible attendance as an accommodation?

    Yes, reasonable accommodations may require additional flexibility. Each student’s needs are different, and the agreement form is designed to serve as a record of the agreement you have made with the student regarding their flexible attendance accommodation as well as ensure all parties have the same understanding of the expectations and how the accommodation will be applied. The student may determine that they do not want to use their accommodation in a specific course, but that is not a decision the instructor can make on their behalf. 

  • Are accommodations retroactive?

    No. The flexible attendance accommodation will be in effect once the instructor and student agree. 

  • Do I need to meet with the student to fill out the form?

    Meeting in person is not a requirement, but the agreement process does need to be interactive and completed in collaboration with the student, whether by phone, email, virtual meeting, or other means. 

  • Can the agreement be revised during the semester?

    Yes. If the student’s needs have changed since the agreement form was completed, the student and the instructor should meet again to review and revise the terms of the agreement. If the instructor has concerns that the flexibility agreed upon is fundamentally altering the course, the instructor must reach out to the student’s access advisor to discuss these concerns. 

  • What are reasonable alternatives academic adjustments if a student misses a hands-on/interactive activity due to a disability-related absence?

    • Any alternative academic adjustment should be equivalent in length and required effort of the original activity/assignment, and it should provide the student with an opportunity to meet the same outcomes as the original. Some examples include: 

      • the student writes a short paragraph responding to a prompt that aligns with the Clicker questions that were offered in class;

      • the student writes a short paragraph identifying their opinions and other perspectives if they missed a discussion on an article, case study, or book chapter(s). 

  • What should I do if a student with Flexible Attendance has been absent more times than the number of absences we agreed upon when filling out the agreement form?

    If the student has missed more than the agreed upon number of disability-related absences, the attendance policy for your course can be applied for absences beyond that agreed upon number. Please contact the student’s Access Advisor if you have any questions or require additional guidance. 

  • What is the procedure if the student and instructor cannot find an agreeable solution together?

    • If agreement cannot be reached on one or more points of the agreement, then the student and/or instructor must contact the student’s Access Advisor immediately. The Access Center will work with the student and the instructor, to help determine the appropriate level of flexibility to be granted, if any. Factors include:  

      1. What do the course description and syllabus say regarding attendance? 

      2. By what method is the final grade calculated? 

      3. Is there regular classroom interaction between the instructor and students and among the students? 

      4. Do student contributions in class constitute a significant component of the learning process? 

      5. Does the course's fundamental nature rely on student participation as an essential learning method? 

      6. To what degree does a student's failure to attend class constitute a significant loss of the educational experience of other students in the class? 

      7. Is there an alternative way for the student to make up class participation?  

  • I think that missing class is a fundamental alteration to my course. What is the process for a fundamental alteration?

    Whether a requested accommodation would fundamentally alter an essential requirement of a course or program will generally need to be determined on a case-by-case basis. It is important to distinguish general expectations and common practice from what are the true essential objectives and components of the academic course or program. Methods of instruction and assessment and alternative accommodations should be evaluated and considered for achieving the course outcomes. 

    Formal determinations about fundamental alterations must be made by a group of people who are trained, knowledgeable, and experienced in the area. This group may include individuals familiar with: 

    1. The instructor’s course policies, teaching methodology, and assessment criteria 

    1. The academic requirements of the course, program, or activity 

    1. Licensure and accreditation requirements 

    1. The individual student’s disability related needs and limitations, and 

    1.  Appropriate accommodations for individuals with disabilities.  

    Decisions must be made through a careful, thoughtful and rational review of the academic program and its requirements, and decision-makers must consider a series of alternatives for the essential requirements, as well as whether the essential requirement in question can be modified for a specific student with a disability, or whether an alternative accommodation would allow the student to successfully complete the essential requirement in question.  

    For more information, please reach out to Assistant Dean of Students, Dr. Matthew Jeffries at matthew.jeffries@wsu.edu.