Office of Global Initiatives : Attendance and Absence Policies

To make progress in English, it is important for all ALI students to attend every class and lab.

Attendance is especially important to students who are:

• on probation
• in the Transition Program
• trying to get into UT on the Advanced Level Polices

Absences

Students who are not in class are counted absent. There are no exceptions to this at the ALI.

Absences for Illness

Different ALI teachers have different policies about sickness. If you miss a test or quiz because of illness, a teacher may require an official excuse before letting you make up the test or quiz.

If you are seriously ill, you should visit the health center. You will need to call the center (419-530-3451) to make an appointment. Take your student ID card with you. It is helpful if you call the ALI office or your teachers so that we know why you are absent. In the case of serious illness, the ALI teachers will do everything they can to help you when you return to class.

Absences for Personal Emergencies

Sometimes ALI students need to miss classes in the case of a personal emergency, for example, the death of an immediate family member or a grandparent. If you have a serious personal emergency, please discuss it with the ALI director.

Absences for Other Personal Reasons

ALI teachers have different policies about absences for personal reasons. If you miss a test or quiz for a personal reason, a teacher may require an official excuse before letting you make up the test or quiz. If you know you are going to be absent on a certain date, it is a good idea to tell your teachers in advance. That way, you can keep up with your classwork.

Absences for the Internet-based TOEFL

Students sometimes need to miss classes to take the Internet-based TOEFL. As soon as you know the date of the TOEFL, you should tell your teachers so that they can make plans. When you return from the TOEFL, it is your responsibility to find out from other students or from the teachers about homework and classwork that you missed.

Absences for Religious or Cultural Celebrations and Observances

Students sometimes miss classes because of cultural or religious holidays or other religious practices. For example, some Christian students may want to take a holiday on Good Friday (the Friday before Easter). Some Muslim students may want to take time off on Friday afternoons for prayer. Some Asian students may want to take time off for the Asian New Year.

Of course, ALI classes continue during many of these times. ALI has students from many different cultures and religions, and it is not possible to give time off for everyone’s cultural or religious practices.

When you know that you are going to be absent on a certain day for a cultural or religious practice, you should tell your ALI teachers. Then the teachers will follow the policy for this kind of absence. The policy is:

• You will be marked absent. (There are no "excused" absences at the ALI for any reason.)
• Teachers do not schedule major graded assignments or tests for that time.
• You are responsible for all the work that you miss. You should find out from other students or from the teachers about homework and classwork that the students did during your absence.

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