General Expectations: Students are expected to attend each class session, to arrive on time, and to remain for the entire class session. Faculty will record attendance from the first day of the semester. Students in all classes, regardless of instructional modalities, will be required to complete an attendance verification activity or assignment. Excessive absences, regardless of the reason or circumstance, may interfere with the student’s ability to successfully complete the requirements of the course. In such cases, the student should withdraw from the class before the last date to withdraw with a grade of “W”. Withdrawal from class may affect eligibility for federal financial aid. Students should contact the Financial Aid Office for information prior to withdrawing from a class.
Distance Education Course Attendance Requirements: Attendance in Virtual, Hybrid, Online, and Videoconference courses goes beyond course login, and is based on documentable engagement in class activities. The assignment used to base attendance verification may include interacting with the instructor and enrolled students, attending required on-campus meetings, and/or submitting course assignments. It is recommended that distance education students access their courses in the LMS at least four times per week to remain current regarding course announcements and due dates for exams and assignments.
Absences and Make-Up Work: When a student is absent from class, the student is responsible for all material covered in class and for any assignments made in class. The instructor is not required or responsible for notifying a student of missed work. Students are responsible for checking grades posted in the Learning Management System (LMS), such as Canvas.The instructor’s policies regarding makeup work, if allowed, are defined in the syllabus, which is available in the LMS.
Modes of Instructional Delivery and Student Responsibility: Students enrolled in courses taught in all modes of instructional delivery and at all instructional sites, including online instructional modalities, are responsible for course materials and assignments posted in the LMS and/or distributed in class. Modes of instructional delivery include, but may not be limited to, the following: Traditional, Virtual, Hybrid, Online, Videoconference, and Independent Study courses. Instructional sites include, but may not be limited to, all campuses, off-campus instructional sites, and online instructional modalities. All students should access the LMS on the first official day of classes and become familiar with each individual course’s requirements. Distance education students (that is, a student enrolled in at least one Virtual, Hybrid, Online, Videoconference, or Independent Study course) must complete the Attendance Verification assignment by the due date, or they will be administratively withdrawn from class without penalty.
Excused Absences: An absence may be excused due to extenuating circumstances. Excused absences include, but may not be limited to, the following reasons:
- Active military duty
- Jury duty/court appearance
- Death in the immediate family
- Illness
- College-sponsored functions
- Other reasons deemed appropriate by the instructor
When such an absence occurs, students are responsible for providing official documentation of the reason for the absence to the instructor. Make-up work, if allowed as stated in the course syllabus, may be accepted.
Instructor Grading and Attendance: Course grades at SUSCC are based on the demonstration of the understanding of principles and concepts, or the successful application and performance of skills and competencies related to course content. An instructor’s syllabus may include a class participation grade as a component of the overall grading policy. The class participation grade is based upon activities and/or assignments completed in class that may be excluded from make-up policy guidelines. Faculty absences are not counted as student absences.
Administrative Withdrawal from a Course or from the College
A student may be administratively withdrawn from any course for the following reasons:
- Failure to adhere to a faculty member’s attendance criteria and/or policies as described in their course syllabus or in programmatic attendance criteria and/or policies as described in, but not limited to, Health Science Handbooks may result in administrative withdrawal before the published date for the last day to withdraw.
- Failure to comply with “Standards of Practice” as established by the Alabama Board of Nursing, American Registry of Radiologic Technologists, National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, or other regulatory or licensing agencies for programs of study in the Health Sciences Division.
- Students enrolled in a program within the Technical Education and Workforce Development Division of the College may be administratively withdrawn from any course for failure to attend class when the student has missed more than 20% of the total hours that the class meets.
Administrative withdrawal from class may affect eligibility for federal financial aid. Students should contact the Financial Aid Office for information. Students who are administratively withdrawn from a class will also be withdrawn from all co-requisite classes, if any.
Administrative Withdrawal Appeal
Initiation of the Administrative Withdrawal Appeal Process: Within five (5) days of the College’s scheduled faculty duty days after the Administrative “W” has been posted in the student’s mySUSCC portal, the student must submit the following to begin the administrative withdrawal appeal process:
- An Administrative Withdrawal Appeal Form - Level 1: The form may be obtained from the Assistant to the Dean of Academics, Health Sciences, or Technical Services, as appropriate.
- A signed statement indicating rationale for the appeal: The statement signed by the student should include a detailed explanation of the reasons for why the administrative withdrawal should be overturned.
- Any supporting documentation: Documentation may include, but is not limited to, medical records, obituaries, birth records, police reports, legal records, and documented military service.
The completed Administrative Withdrawal Appeal Form - Level 1, signed statement, and supporting documentation must be returned via email to the Dean’s Assistant. The Dean’s Assistant will log the appeal into the database and will email a copy of the student’s appeal form, statement, and documentation to the course instructor.
Students who appeal their administrative withdrawal are encouraged to remain in class while the appeal is under review.
Instructor Response: The instructor will prepare a formal written response within five (5) scheduled faculty duty days of the receipt of the appeal and submit the response to the appropriate Dean’s Assistant. The Dean’s Assistant will forward the instructor’s response to the student’s SUSCC email address.\
If the appeal is granted and the student is to be reinstated in the class, the faculty member must submit a request to the Student Records Office for the student to be re-enrolled within five (5) scheduled faculty duty days.
If the student’s appeal is denied, the student may submit an Administrative Withdrawal Appeal Form - Level 2 to the Assistant to the Dean of Academics, Health Sciences, or Technical Services, as appropriate. The Dean’s Assistant will deliver copies of all documents to the department chair/program director who will analyze the appeal and provide a written response to the assistant within five (5) scheduled faculty duty days. The assistant will email the response from the department chair/program director to the student’s SUSCC email address.
Dean’s/Administrative Withdrawal Appeal Committee Decision: If the student’s second appeal was denied, the student has five (5) scheduled faculty duty days from notification of the chair/director’s response to submit an Administrative Withdrawal Appeal Form - Final Level requesting a review by the instructional dean or by the Administrative Withdrawal Appeal Committee. The preference of the student should be indicated on the Administrative Withdrawal Appeal Form - Final Level. If a choice is not indicated, the decision of whether to use a committee will be made by the instructional dean. The dean’s assistant will give a copy of all materials that had been submitted by the student, instructor, and chair/director by the appropriate deadline to either the appropriate dean or to the Administrative Withdrawal Appeal Committee. If chosen, the committee will review documents and make a recommendation to the dean. The dean’s assistant will send the response from the dean or the Administrative Withdrawal Appeal Committee to the student’s SUSCC email account. The instructional dean or Administrative Withdrawal Appeal Committee’s written decision cannot be appealed under the Administrative Withdrawal Appeal Policy.
1 The student may investigate the College Grievance process outlined in the College Catalog for additional options or the Appeal Process of the Alabama Community College System.