Flexible Attendance

Understanding Attendance Flexibility

The information below is adapted with permission from the Stanford Office of Accessible Education.


What is this accommodation used for?

For students with chronic conditions that are episodic in nature, there may be periods of time in which they are too unwell to attend class. The purpose of reasonable accommodations is to ensure access, and this extends to providing flexibility within attendance policies to ensure students with disabilities, who must miss class occasionally due to their condition, are given the opportunity to demonstrate or convey their knowledge without penalty for absences. Their condition may be unpredictable and inevitable, despite ongoing health and time management practices.

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Who receives this accommodation?

Students with disabilities who navigate disability-related experiences that are particularly chronic or episodic in nature - such as concussions, gastrointestinal disorders, lupus and other autoimmune diseases, fibromyalgia, migraines, cancer, psychological disorders, and significant medical procedures - may be approved for this accommodation. Granting attendance flexibility ensures that the student is not unfairly penalized for absences due to their disability as long as the absences does not fundamentally alter the essential elements of the class.

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How to evaluate the reasonableness of Flexible Attendance in a class:

The accommodation for Flexible Attendance should always be considered on an individual basis, allowing for a diligent and critical analysis of how attendance is essential to the class learning objectives and pedagogical components. While an attendance policy may be already incorporated into the grading scheme and syllabus, and its value is inherent to student success and learning, this accommodation is intended to modify any stated attendance policies, allowing some flexibility beyond that limit, to account for the student’s disability-related need.

The accommodation should be provided unless the accommodation significantly compromises the integrity of the course as offered. If you believe additional absences beyond the stated policy would fundamentally alter the nature or essential elements of your class, then the instructor must notify the Access Advisor/Coordinator to determine reasonability.

To evaluate the extent to which attendance is critical to the essential learning objectives of a class, and to make a determination whether attendance flexibility can be reasonably implemented, the Access Advisor/Coordinator will guide the faculty through a discussion of the following points:

  1. Is attendance an essential part of the class?
  2. Does a student’s inability to attend class in person or remotely, constitute a significant loss to the educational experience for other students in the class?
  3. What does the class description and syllabus say about attendance?
  4. Does the course rely on a student’s physical participation as an essential or only method for learning? (i.e., Can the student work remotely, if possible, during the days they have disability-related absences?)
  5. How is the final class grade calculated? To what extent is attendance factored into the final grade?
  6. Is the attendance policy consistently applied? (i.e., Have there been any exceptions made to the policy for non-disabled students, such as for athletic travel or religious observances? If so, then these exceptions must also be granted to students with disabilities.)
  7. Is there significant or required interaction between the instructor and students, and among students? If so, how much?
  8. Do student contributions and participation in class constitute a significant component of the learning process (i.e., discussion, presentations, role play, group work)?
  9. Would modification of attendance policies for students with disabilities, to allow for flexible attendance, result in a fundamental alteration of the curriculum?

In general, if the class is mostly lecture based, the in-class experience focuses on reviewing content available in the text or from instructor/peer notes, and involves little student interaction during class, then more flexibility with excused absences and/or participation points is reasonable (U.S. Department of Education; Office of Civil Rights Case 09-96-2150, 1996).

However, there are various classes in which Flexible Attendance as an accommodation (beyond what is allowed as stated in the syllabus) may not be reasonable. Attendance could be critical to the learning objectives of the class for those that utilize significant in-class participation/interaction as a method of instruction, classes where student learning is created/assessed in the classroom through experiential or conversational means, and classes in which absences would compromise the educational experience of other students in the class. In these situations, less flexibility with excused absences and/or participation points is reasonable.

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Considerations to Keep in Mind When Implementing Flexible Attendance

  • Limits are reasonable; provide clear limits to the number of absences allowed. Stay away from blanket “come-and-go and submit work as you please” policies.
  • Make-up tests or missed work due to disability related absences, when reasonable, will typically have short extension windows.
  • The accommodation does not cover non-disability related illness (such as flu) or other non-disability related reasons as to why student is absent.
  • Accommodations are not retroactive; instructors are not obligated to adjust previous penalties for absences if the Faculty Notification Letter is provided later in the term.

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Access Center responsibilities in supporting Flexible Attendance:

The Access Advisor/Coordinator:

  • Reviews documentation and meets with students to better understand their disability-related experiences. Through this interactive process, the Access Advisor/Coordinator determines if a student needs modifications to class attendance policies to mitigate disability-related impacts throughout the quarter. If so, Flexible Attendance consideration will be listed as an eligible accommodation on the student’s Faculty Notification Letter.
  • Consults and supports faculty in determining reasonableness of accommodation or how to implement this accommodation in light of essential class elements.
  • Provides support to students and faculty when questions or difficulties arise related to the accommodation.

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Faculty responsibilities when facilitating Flexible Attendance:

  • Once instructors have been notified of eligibility for accommodations, instructors should determine the extent to which they can reasonably modify any attendance policy for the specific class without fundamentally altering the learning objectives. The Access Advisor/Coordinator is available for consultation if you have questions regarding how the accommodation interacts with essential elements of the class and determining if or what adjustments are reasonable.

If you believe the accommodation is not reasonable in light of your class objectives or pedagogical methods, contact the student’s Access Adviser immediately as instructors should never unilaterally deny an accommodation. Instructors are expected to work with the Access Advisor and provide a clear rationale why flexibility is not reasonable.

  • The instructor should engage in dialogue with the student, or at the student’s request, the Access Advisor/Coordinator can help faciliate the discussion between the student and instructor regarding new attendance expectations.
  • During that discussion, the instructor should precisely describe the preferred communication process for when the student needs to notify you of a disability-related absence, any critical dates that cannot be missed, and whether there are any alternatives to missed participation points or quizzes on days in which the student is absent.

It is highly recommended that the Flexible Attendance agreement is summarized in writing using the Flexible Attendance Agreement Form presented to them by the student. This written agreement will ensure everyone is operating from the same understanding and will serve to clarify any confusion. Students and instructors are to have an interactive discussion to determine the parameters of the flexible attendance agreement. Instructors should complete and sign the form, make copies for themselves and return the signed copy to the student. The student will then sign and return to the Access Center. Students and instructors are welcome to include the Access Advisor/Coordinator on these email exchanges for documentation purposes. Sample form:

Flexible Attendance Form screenshot

  • When a student needs to utilize this accommodation, they are responsible for notifying their instructor in a timely manner. “Timely” is defined as “as soon as possible.” There may be some conditions and/or circumstances in which a student is not able to contact their instructor prior to the class.
  • Please note: At no time are students required to present documentation to instructors in order to justify a disability-related absence.
  • We encourage students and faculty to complete the flexible agreement within the first 2 weeks of the semester or from the time they are approved for this accommodation.
  • The student’s Access Advisor/Coordinator is always available to mediate any concerns about attendance flexibility, including concerns about academic integrity and logistics of this accommodation. The Access Advisor/Coordinator remains a neutral party in evaluating what is reasonable as an accommodation and is here to support you.

Student responsibilities when eligible for Flexible Attendance:

  • Students approved for Flexible Attendance must initiate contact with their instructors, provide them with the flexible attendance form and request to meet with them at the beginning of the semester, or as soon as they are made eligible for the accommodation.
  • Note: The Flexible Attendance accommodation is not retroactive.
  • Students must collaborate with their instructor(s) to discuss the parameters of the accommodation and develop protocols for how it will be used.
  • Students may also request guidance from their Access Advisor/Coordinator or request assistance from the Access Advisor/Coordinator in initiating or facilitating the conversation with their instructor to determine the parameters of the accommodation and any necessary protocols.
  • Student should clearly understand attendance expectations in light of the accommodation. This entails knowing the finite number of absences that can be allowed, how to communicate with the professor when they need to utilize the accommodation, any critical dates that cannot be missed, and whether there are any alternatives to missed participation points or quizzes on days in which they are absent.
  • Students should know that even with the flexible attendance accommodation, they are still expected to meet and complete course objectives.

It is highly recommended that the Flexible Attendance agreement is summarized in writing using the Flexible Attendance Agreement Form presented to them by the student. This written agreement will ensure everyone is operating from the same point of view and that any confusion of the agreement can be clarified. Students and instructors are to have an interactive discussion to determine the parameters of the flexible attendance agreement. Instructors should complete and sign the form, make copies for themselves and return the signed copy to the student. The student will then sign and return to the Access Center. Students and instructors are welcome to include the Access Advisor/Coordinator on these email exchanges for documentation purposes.

  • When a student needs to utilize this accommodation, they are responsible for notifying their instructor in a timely manner. “Timely” is defined as “as soon as possible.” There may be some conditions and/or circumstances in which a student is not able to contact their instructor prior to the class.
  • Please note: At no time are students required to present documentation to instructors in order to justify a disability-related absence.
  • When a student is absent due to their disability, they are responsible for the class content, lecture notes and information presented that day. The student should arrange how they will obtain this information.
  • The Access Advisor/Coordinator is available to mediate any concerns about Flexible Attendance throughout the semester. If the student experiences a significant flare of symptoms that greatly impacts their academics, or reaches the limits of the new agreed-upon number of absences, the student should reach out to their Access Adviser/Coordinator to discuss options and resources.

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