Statement of Purpose
The procedures in this document supplement the Class Cancellation Policy for Instructors and apply to all teaching staff.
Entities Affected by this Policy
All academic units.
Who Should Read this Policy
All instructors.
Policy
It is the responsibility of instructors to meet all scheduled classes, however, delivered, as well as their other commitments.
Under exceptional circumstances when alternate arrangements for a missed class cannot be made, it is the unit leader's responsibility to take action.
All instructors have a responsibility to notify their supervisor of any absence. If it is not feasible to find a substitute, the unit must post a note on the door of the classroom, lab, etc., informing students of the class cancellation. The unit should also attempt to contact students by mail or telephone. For online courses, some form of notification must be posted in the system.
For professional obligations that take instructors off-campus and/or out of town, or make them unavailable for their teaching obligations, the unit office should maintain contact information for the instructor.
When an instructor knows in advance that they will be absent, it should be noted in the syllabus. Some suggestions to cover a planned absence include but are not limited to:
- Schedule a test with a proctor
- Guest lecturer
- Library presentation
- Student Life presentation
- Out-of-classroom work in the library or a computer lab
- WebCampus presentation
The goal is to ensure the students do not miss any of the instruction they would normally receive.
Instructions should be left in the unit office or contained within the online course for how the class will be handled. If a class is cancelled or students are to report to an alternative site, the unit office must post a notice on the classroom door. Students should be notified in advance of the planned absence and the alternative arrangements. The instructor should also post a notice on their door or in the online course.