Absence Policy

Attendance and Medical Excuses

Lectures:  Students are expected to attend all lectures during the semester. Attendance to the lectures will not be monitored. However, note that you are also responsible for all course material and administrative announcements made in class, including problem assignments, syllabus changes, and exam locations.  Thus, you should attend every lecture.  

Discussion Sessions: Students are required to attend all the discussion sessions.  Students will be working in groups with other students on a worksheet during the scheduled discussion time. You should turn in your completed worksheet to your TA at the end of each session.  We will not accept late or unreadable worksheets. Since we will implement the policy of dropping the lowest two grades of your discussions, There is no makeup for missed discussion worksheets due to COVID related or other medical and non-medical related circumstances. However, in case of medical or other emergencies (that prohibit students from attending a discussion session), notify your instructor as soon as possible.  After a review of the circumstances, you may be allowed to work on one discussion worksheet independently at home and turn in your completed worksheet by the deadline. Please see the Discussion Grading Policy and Regrade Request.

Exams: There will be three midterms and a final exam during the semester, which will be held at the scheduled time. The dates for the examinations are given in the detailed class schedule. If you have a conflict with the regular exam schedule, you will need to fill out a conflict request form with proper documentation to make a conflict exam request. The form will be posted at the appropriate time on the Canvas Exam Schedule page. Conflict exams will be held on the same day as the regular exams but at a different time.

Make-up examinations will be considered only in special cases if there is just cause.  If you miss an examination for a non-trivial reason (documented illness or death of a close relative), notify your instructor as soon as possible.  After a review of the circumstances, you may be allowed to take one make-up exam. 

Note that if you are sick, or hospitalized (hospital or clinic) because of prolonged illness or injury of three days or more you should contact the Student Assistance Center in the Office of the Dean of Students to request an absence letter (link). The illness must be formally documented by a health care provider who has provided the student treatment and must be on the provider’s letterhead. It is your responsibility to personally contact your instructors to discuss any missed exams due to medical excuses. You must bring and show your professor a letter from the Dean of Students confirming your medical excuse within seven days of your discharge (hospital or clinic).

Homework (HW): Since we will implement the policy of dropping the lowest two grades in homework you do not need to show your instructor any medical excuse. Everybody gets these lowest grades dropped, no questions asked! Please take into account that no further concessions will be given during the semester for any reason: this policy is firm. We will not accept late or unreadable homework. Please avoid submitting/uploading your homework at the borderline of the HW deadline. Make sure to upload/submit your HW before the deadline (usually at 11:59 PM every Wednesday).

Labs: Since we will implement the policy of dropping the lowest single grade in labs (excluding Labs 8, 12, and 13), we will not accept any late submissions. There is no makeup for missed Labs. However, we may only allow late submission in special cases if there is a cause.  If you miss a Lab deadline for a non-trivial reason (documented illness or death of a close relative), notify your instructor as soon as possible.  After a review of the circumstances, you may be given an extension for one missed lab. 

Please visit (link) to learn more about the University Class Attendance Policy in the Student Code of Conduct.