M - Attendance, Field Trips, and Official Student Travel

M-1. Attendance

Instructors will make clear at the beginning of each course the extent to which grades are dependent on attendance and in-class participation. Students are responsible for class attendance. Students are accountable for communicating with the instructor and making up missed work in the event of any absence. Instructors shall provide reasonable opportunity for students to make up work when the student’s absence from class resulted from any of the following:

  1. participation in official university activities and programs,
  2. personal illness,
  3. family illness and care, or
  4. other compelling circumstances.

M-2. Field Trips and Official Student Travel

"Field trip" is defined as any required, course-related student travel that exceeds 25 air miles from the campus or conflicts with other classes that the students involved are taking. (A trip taken within 25 air miles during the class scheduled for the particular class or at a time that does not conflict with other classes the students involved are taking is a "local trip," not a "field trip.")

M-2-a. Missed Class Work

Students participating in field trips, as defined above, or other official UI activities are responsible for conferring in advance with the instructors of any classes that will be missed in order to be eligible for making up missed class work (see M-1).

M-2-b. Approval of Course-Related Field Trips

Administrative approval for course-related field trips will be obtained by the person in charge of the trip as follows:

  1. Each field trip as identified in the catalog course description requires prior approval by the department in accordance with divisional procedures (application for approval should be made at least one week before the expected departure).
  2. Each field trip NOT identified in the catalog course description requires prior approval by the departmental administrator and the dean of the college (application for approval should be made at least two weeks before the expected departure).

M-2-c. Approval of Other Official Student Travel

Administrative approval for official student travel that is NOT course related is obtained from the vice president for student affairs (application for approval should be made at least two weeks before the expected departure).

M-2-d. Costs

When a college can cover all or part of the cost of a course-related field trip from allocated funds, the college should do so. If the college cannot cover the cost, or a portion thereof, the cost (or remaining portion) must be borne in proportionate share by the students in the course. Students missing required field trips identified in the catalog course description must pay their proportionate shares.

M-2-e. Field-Trip Completion Deadline

All field trips and other U of I-approved student travel must be completed before 7:30 a.m. on the fifth day of classes before the start of final examinations.

M-2-f. Vehicle Information

Information concerning privately owned vehicles (registration, insurance, driver's license, etc.) to be used for field trips or other official student travel must be filed in the Risk Management Office (Rm. 209, Admin. Bldg.). Administrators of departments and divisions are responsible for ensuring that the required information is filed before the initial use of each privately owned vehicle in a given academic year.

M-3. Accommodation of Religious Observances in the Administration of Examinations

When tests or examinations fall on days objectionable to a student because of religious beliefs, the student should contact the instructor as soon as possible. The instructor may require the student to submit a concise, written statement of the reasons for the request. If the request appears to be made in good faith, the instructor should make alternative arrangements for the administration of the examination or test. If the instructor believes the request not to be in good faith, or if the instructor and the student are unable to agree on arrangements, the student or the instructor should seek the assistance of the departmental administrator, dean, or provost, in that order.

M-4. Drop for Non-attendance

Students are responsible for notifying their instructors through the Office of the Registrar when extenuating circumstances not covered as an official absence as defined in M-1 prevent their attendance during the first week of the semester. Instructors may notify the registrar to drop students who have not attended class or laboratory meetings nor notified the instructor through the Office of the Registrar by the end of the sixth business day following the start of the class. Valid reasons for missing classes do not relieve the student of making up the work missed.