Relief from Attendance Policy (Student Handbook 5.1.1)

Please read, in its entirety, and sign the below general requirements information. Every student is responsible for knowing and complying with all Office of Student Affairs policies and procedures.

In order for a student to request relief from the Attendance Policy set forth in Section 5.1 of the Student Handbook, student must submit the online Relief from Attendance Policy 5.1 Form. Emails, telephone calls, in-person meetings, and similar communications will not be considered. This policy ensures a fair process for all students and prevents any undue influence. Any prohibited communications will not receive a response.


Student Handbook 5.1 – Attendance

 _{“Satisfactory attendance” means attendance at a minimum of 85% of regularly scheduled classes for each course (except Turbo courses; see Section 3.4.2). The percentage of absences is intended to account for the range of minor illnesses, family obligations, interviews, and unplanned events that occur in each of our lives.}

_{Upon a showing of compelling hardship and in exceptional circumstances, the Associate Dean of Students may relieve a student of the attendance requirement. Requests for relief from the attendance requirement must be submitted in a timely manner – ordinarily within three (3) days of notification of excessive absences, in instances where notice is provided.}

For any course, a student is permitted to be absent up to the Course Absence Allowance as stated in the syllabus. Students with absences exceeding the Course Absence Allowance will be excluded from the course unless relief from the requirement is granted by the Associate of Students.

Request for Relief to Section 5.1.1. of the Student Handbook 

1. Submission:  If and only if a student has exceeded the Course Absence Allowance, student may submit the online form  with all required supporting documentation illustrating the reason for the absence.
2. Acknowledgement: The student will receive a confirmation email acknowledging receipt of their submission.
3. Decision: The student will receive a decision email from Dean Yannick Brookes indicating whether the request has been approved or denied.

Examples of Acceptable Supporting Documentation:

• Letter from the medical professional performing the procedure
• Copy of the death certificate of the deceased family member
• Email receipt from covidconfidential@udc.edu after submitting positive COVID-19 test results
• Program from a memorial or funeral service
• Police report
• Documentation verifying the extenuating circumstance preventing attendance

Important Notes on Documentation:

• Documentation cannot be from the student’s family member, partner, friend, or coworker. Acceptable sources include a direct supervisor, a clergy member officiating the service/ceremony, or another verified authority.
• As a general rule, work-related requests and jury summons are not granted.
• Documentation must clearly identify the author and their credentials and must confirm that the conflict occurs on the same date and time as the originally scheduled class or exam.

Assignments, Assessments, Early Departure, and Late Arrival:

Request for the relief to section 5.1.1 applies to attendance only. Students remain responsible for all assignments, assessments, in-class tasks, and other academic requirements. 

Students with an Attendance Accommodation from ARC 

Students with an approved “attendance consideration” accommodation are still subject to the Law School’s minimum attendance requirement of 85% of class meetings each semester. Students must first exhaust the absences permitted under this requirement; only then may they seek an Emergency Waiver to ABA Standard 308 from the Associate Dean of Students. To initiate this process, the student must submit supporting documentation directly to their ARC Counselor. If the ARC Counselor approves the documentation and the absence under the student’s accommodation, the ARC Counselor will email the approval notice to the Dean of Students, Yannick Brookes, and copy the student. The student must then submit the Emergency Waiver to ABA Standard 308 prior to the start of the affected class session, attaching only the ARC Counselor Absence Approval Notice (do not upload medical documentation to the waiver form). Any request that does not include an ARC Absence Approval Notice will be processed as a standard Emergency Waiver to ABA Standard 308 and may be denied.

Review Process for Emergency Waiver Requests
In evaluating such requests, the Associate Dean of Students will consider all relevant factors, including but not limited to:

• The nature and extent of the extenuating circumstances;
• Whether the situation was unforeseeable and could not have been reasonably planned for;
• The overall context and reason for the absence;
• Whether the absence is connected to an approved accommodation through the Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) and accompanied by an official ARC Absence Approval Notice; and
• Whether the absence is associated with a documented religious observance.

Requests that do not demonstrate a complelling hardship shall be denied. Please note that all decisions rendered by the Associate Dean of Students are final. 

Please note that if student anticipates abscences to exceed five days that they should make a meeting request with Dean Brookes.