From Faculty Handbook, 2005 Edition
“At the heart of Gettysburg College,” insists the College’s Statement of Purpose “is the academic program.” Commitments to the academic program take priority over other College activities. But, the College also offers students the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities because it believes that these activities can make important contributions to their education as whole persons. The following statement describes the appropriate relationship between academic and extracurricular activities.
Gettysburg College’s Policy on Class Attendance and Absence
The College recognizes that regular attendance at all classes is an essential part of its academic purpose and clearly is the responsibility of the individual student. Each student is accountable for all work missed because of absences from class, and instructors are under no obligation to make special arrangements for students who are absent from classes. Instructors must explain their individual or departmental attendance policy during the first class meeting and/or in their course syllabus.
Class absences will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis by the instructor of the course. There is no such thing as an “officially excused” absence from a class at Gettysburg College. If a student will miss class for any reason (for example, religious observances, college trips, family emergencies, or illness), students should discuss this absence with their instructor in advance whenever possible. The student will be ultimately responsible for making up any missed work; however, in some cases, it may not be possible to make up missed work. When students are seen in the Health Center, they are provided documentation of each appointment, and they can share this documentation with faculty if needed.
If a student must miss class, students should notify their professors ahead of time as soon as possible with information about the date of the anticipated absence, the reasons, and the plan for making up any missed work. Students should ask the professor to let them know if they have any questions about the absence or any instructions to give about making up the missed work. Students should include in any written or e-mail message their campus box number, telephone number, and e-mail address.
On occasion, even if absences are due to documented medical or emergency situations, students may miss so much class that they are not able to meet the goals of the course. In these cases, students may be advised to withdraw from the course.
A student who receives an alert about Excessive Absences through the online Navigate system is being formally notified that an instructor has warned the student about excessive absence in the course and that further absence may result in recommending the student withdraw from the course.
The Center for Student Success may notify faculty of certain student absences, by request, if the student is unable to notify faculty directly. Health Services does not write notes for students but will contact the Center for Student Success about student visits or certain diagnoses at a student’s request. These notifications are not to be construed as “official excuses” sanctioned by the Center for Student Success . The Center for Student Success does not notify faculty of sports or college related absences.
Practice and Activities Times
The period from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Monday through Friday has traditionally been set aside for athletic practices and other co-curricular activities. It is intended that activities such as band, choir, theatre productions, community service activities, and athletic practices will ordinarily take place during this time without conflict with scheduled classes or with other academic obligations, including make-up tests.
It is a violation of NCAA regulations for a coach to require an athlete to attend a practice that conflicts with a class. Therefore, no student will be expected to miss a class or leave class early in order to be at practice.
Sometimes, especially early in the second semester, indoor athletic practices must be scheduled. Because the College lacks sufficient space for all teams to practice indoors between 4:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., practices will occasionally meet at other times. No practice scheduled at a time other than 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. can be made mandatory for athletes. If such a practice conflicts with an assigned academic activity, the academic activity must take precedence. Apart from the condition just specified, no formal or informal team practices, training sessions, etc. should be scheduled at times other than 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
It is especially important that faculty let students know if testing; review sessions, extra classes, etc. will be scheduled in the 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. period. Faculty members should make every effort to avoid the situation where the only opportunity for a student to make up a test or complete some other required activity occurs between 4:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
An administrator from the College Life Division shall act as a liaison between students, faculty, coaches, and advisors of co-curricular organizations should complaints or misunderstandings arise concerning the implementation of this policy. It will be the responsibility of coaches and advisors of co-curricular activities to be sure that all students involved in athletics and these activities are aware of this person and his or her function.
Absences Due to Athletic Contests or Other Co-curricular Activities
As noted in the College’s Policy on Class Attendance, it is the student’s responsibility to request permission from faculty members to miss class because of a scheduled event and to make arrangements with the faculty members to make up any work missed because of an athletic contest or other co-curricular activity. If the level of anticipated absences is so high that the student may have problems in reasonably meeting the requirements of the course for class attendance and other matters, the student has the responsibility of determining whether or not it is possible for him or her to continue to participate in that co-curricular activity. If it is not possible to continue to participate in the co-curricular activity and still meet the requirements of the class, the student must decide whether to withdraw from the activity or, in certain circumstances, to postpone the class to a later semester.
If, for any reason, (including injury or disciplinary sanction by a coach), a student will not be playing in an away game and this is known before the team leaves for the game, a student should be so informed and not be required to travel with the team. Coaches will encourage students who will not be playing in a contest (where the trip to the contest requires them to miss a class) to attend class rather than miss the class.