PHYS 101 :: Physics Illinois :: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Attendance Policy

**Official documents for an excused absence must be turned in to the department within 12 business days!!**

(For missing a lecture, please show your document directly to the instructor within 5 days)

Section Attendance

Students are expected to attend the laboratory and discussion section in which they are registered.  Section swapping is not allowed.

Tardiness

• If you show up to any discussion section  10 or more minutes late, you will lose all of the points associated with that discussion session.
• If you show up to any lab section 10 or more minutes late, you will not be allowed to participate in that lab session.
• If you show up to an exam 10 or more minutes late, you will not be given any extra time to complete the exam.

Please be on time for all sections/exams.

Credit for Participation in Lectures

Participation in lectures is 10% of your course grade. You get a participation credit in each lecture by answering all iClicker questions. You do not need to get the correct answers, you simply need to answer them.

To get a 100% participation credit for the semester, you need to participate in all but 4 lectures (current plan: 22 out of 26 lectures, subject to change). 

If you are too sick to see a doctor or if you participate in an event related to UIUC (such as a sport event), you get EX, provided that you show an official document to your instructor within 5 days. Otherwise, you must use one of your 4 'free drops' if you are to miss a lecture. You do not need to notify your instructor if you are using your free drop when missing a lecture.

Credit for Participation in Lab and Discussion

Student active participation is required to receive credit for your group assignments in lab and discussion.  

Active participation includes:

• joining the conversation and providing ideas
• completing pre-class activities before arriving 

 and completing required written work on each group assignment (i.e., you should have directly contributed to creating or editing any document with your name on it).

It must be clear to discussion or lab instructor that you have been an active participant in each group activity.

Absences

Types of Absence

Two types of absence can be recorded in the gradebook:

• Excused absences--issued a grade of EX
• Unexcused absences--issued a grade of ABS
  • Equates to a grade of zero (0) for the missed course component.

The only course components eligible to be issued a grade of EX:

• Discussions
• Labs
• Exams

The consequences of absences, excused or otherwise, are discussed in the course grading policy.

Excused Absences

Excused absences will be granted and documented in accordance with University policy as described in Article 1, Part 5 Class Attendance, of the Student Code.

Excused absences fall into the following categories as defined by the code:

• illness
• emergency beyond the student's control (e.g. an auto accident or death in the family)
• required attendance at a University event (e.g. varsity athletics)
• religious observance or practice
  • Requires request for accommodation for religious observances form.
  • Form must be uploaded to the Excused Absences application no later than two weeks after the first day of class.
  • More information available from the Office of the Dean of Students.
• serving as an volunteer emergency worker

You do not get EX for any reasons that you can prevent by being proactive. Examples of events that do NOT give you EX include wedding, personal trips, end of a lease.

If your case does not fit the above descriptions but you feel that it may be reasonable for youto get EX, please talk to your instructor within 5 days (and official document within12 business days). The decision will be made case by case. However, the final decision is to be made by the instructor, and once it's made, the final decision is not negotiable.

Procedures

The Excused Absences application will guide students through the procedure for documenting missed classes, including the effects of the absence on students' grades.

Final Exams

Failing to show-up for a final exam will result in an AB grade resulting in failure (F) for the course.

In accordance with University policy as described in Article 3, Part 1 Grades and Grading Systems of the Student Code, only an authorized member of the Dean's Office of the student's college can change an AB final exam grade to an EX.

University policy will apply for EX grades so granted, as described in Article 3, Part 2 Examinations of the Student Code.

Course Completion and Irregular Attendance

In compliance with the Student Code, the instructor of this course determines the amount of coursework which must be completed to pass. Attendance is required to meet the requirements.

A student is allowed a maximum of five (5) excused absences each in discussion and lab.

To see how EXs will be calculated at the end of the semester, be sure to review the course grading page.

If a student receives more than four absences in discussion or labs, their conduct will be considered irregular attendance and the Dean of their college will be notified in compliance with Article 1, Part 5, Section 501, item (g) and (h) and Article 3, Part 3, Section 3-312 of the Student Code.