Absences

Students are responsible for satisfying all academic objectives as defined by the instructor. Absences count from the first class meeting.

In general, acceptable reasons for absence from or failure to participate in class include illness, serious family emergencies, special curricular requirements (e.g., judging trips, field trips, professional conferences), military obligation, severe weather conditions, religious holidays, and participation in official university activities such as music performances, athletic competition or debate. Absences from class for court-imposed legal obligations (e.g., jury duty or subpoena) must be excused. Other reasons also may be approved.

Students shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time to make up the material or activities covered in their absence.

Students cannot participate in classes unless they are registered officially or approved to audit with evidence of having paid audit fees. The Office of the University Registrar provides official class rolls to instructors.

If a student does not participate in at least one of the first two class meetings of a course or laboratory in which they are registered, and he or she has not contacted the department to indicate his or her intent, the student can be dropped from the course. Students must not assume that they will be dropped, however. The department will notify students if they have been dropped from a course or laboratory. 

The university recognizes the right of the individual professor to make attendance mandatory. After due warning, professors can prohibit further attendance and subsequently assign a failing grade for excessive absences.

Religious Holidays

At the University of Florida, students and faculty work together to allow students the opportunity to observe the holy days of his or her faith. A student should inform the faculty member of the religious observances of his or her faith that will conflict with class attendance, with tests or examinations, or with other class activities prior to the class or occurrence of that test or activity. The faculty member is then obligated to accommodate that particular student’s religious observances. Because students represent a myriad of cultures and many faiths, the University of Florida is not able to assure that scheduled academic activities do not conflict with the holy days of all religious groups. Accordingly, individual students should make their need for an excused absence known in advance of the scheduled activities.

The Florida Board of Education and state law govern university policy regarding observance of religious holidays.

The following guidelines apply:

• Students, upon prior notification to their instructors, shall be excused from class or other scheduled academic activity to observe a religious holy day of their faith.
• Students shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time to make up the material or activities covered in their absence.
• Students shall not be penalized due to absence from class or other scheduled academic activity because of religious observances.

If a faculty member is informed of or is aware that a significant number of students are likely to be absent from class because of a religious observance, the faculty member should not schedule a major exam or other academic event at that time.

A student who is to be excused from class for a religious observance is not required to provide a second party certification of the reason for the absence. Furthermore, a student who believes that he or she has been unreasonably denied an education benefit due to religious beliefs or practices may seek redress through the student grievance procedure.

Illness Policy

If a student is absent from classes or examinations because of illness, she or he should contact their instructors. Students should contact their college by the deadline to drop a course for medical reasons. Students can petition the Dean of Students Office to drop a course for medical reasons. The university’s policy regarding medical excuse from classes is maintained by the Student Health Care Center.

Students shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time to make up the material or activities covered in their absence.

Twelve-Day Rule

Students who participate in athletic or extracurricular activities are permitted to be absent 12 scholastic days per semester without penalty. (A scholastic day is any day on which regular class work is scheduled.) Instructors must be flexible when scheduling exams or other class assignments.

The 12-day rule applies to individual students participating on athletic or scholastic teams. Consequently, a group’s schedule that requires absence of more than 12 days should be adjusted so that no student is absent from campus more than 12 scholastic days.

If a student previously has been warned about absences or unsatisfactory work, he or she should not incur additional absences, even if he or she has not been absent 12 scholastic days. It is the student's responsibility to maintain satisfactory academic performance and attendance.