Loyola University Maryland

Disability Support Services

Information for Faculty

  1. Faculty: Working Together with Students
  2. Alternative Testing Procedures
  3. Flexible Class Attendance
    Guidelines
  4. Forms
  5. DSS Home

 

Flexible Class Attendance

Loyola College in Maryland expects its students to accept their responsibility to attend class regularly. The attendance requirements and the grading system for each course are explained by the teacher of the course at the start of each term.

However, the College recognizes the need for flexibility for students with disabilities and, at times, will provide the accommodation of flexible class attendance. It is important for students and faculty members to realize that this accommodation may not be appropriate for every class. To determine whether attendance is essential to a particular course, the following factors from a 1996 Office of Civil Rights case should be considered:

Factors to consider when determining if attendance is essential to the course

  1. Is there classroom interaction between the instructor and the students and among  the students?
  2. Do student contributions constitute a significant component of the learning process? 
  3. Does the functional nature of the course rely on student participation as an essential method for learning? 
  4. To what degree does a student's failure to attend constitute a significant loss to the educational experience of the others students in the course?
  5. What do the course description and syllabus say? 
  6. What are the classroom practices and policies regarding attendance?


If a student or instructor has questions or concerns, they should contact Marcia Wiedefeld, Director of Disability Support Services, at (410) 617-2062 or mwiedefeld@loyola.edu to discuss the matter.