Excused Absences

POLICY: The Student Health Service nursing staff will not provide written excuses for missed classes, exams or extra curricular activities.

PURPOSE: The intent of this policy is to place responsibility for class attendance and achievement upon the student.

RATIONALE: Course requirements and class attendance are administrative matters between the student and faculty member(s). Student Health Service staff do not have the power to excuse students from classes, only instructors can do so.
Many times it is very difficult to objectively determine whether or not a student is physically able to attend class. It is impossible to assess the seriousness of a past condition when there are no longer signs or symptoms. Providing medical excuses may encourage some students to, consciously or unconsciously, exaggerate a minor illness and exploit that illness as an excuse for failure to achieve.
The practice of issuing medical excuses places Student Health Service staff in a parental role and deprives the student of the opportunity to act as a responsible adult. It is the responsibility of the student to communicate with the instructor when he/she is unable to attend class, compete an assignment or fulfill another obligation because of illness or injury.

PROCEDURE: Contents of student health records are strictly confidential. If a student wishes to provide confirmation of illness/injury, an authorization for release of information must be signed and placed in the student's Health Service record listing for persons to whom such information may be released. The person authorized may then call the Student Health Service to request confirmation of illness/injury. All such communications will serve only to verify an illness or injury and should not be interpreted as excusing an absence.
If an illness/injury requires hospitalization or absence from classes for 3 or more days, Student Health Service personnel will notify the Office of Student Life Office Administrative Assistant who will send formal notification to the necessary faculty. The message will state that the student is absent due to either illness or injury and will give the estimated date of return.
If a student believes he/she must have a medical excuse, an appointment may be scheduled with the college physician for evaluation. The physician may or may not choose to provide the excuse at his/her discretion.