Attendance

Stanbridge University’s attendance policy is as follows:

• Consistent attendance is a requirement for graduation. A student failing to abide by university and program attendance policies will be dismissed.
• Absences are recorded and become part of the student’s permanent record regardless of the reason for the absences.
• To graduate, students must complete all units and all courses of a program.
• Students dismissed from the university due to attendance violations will receive a refund as described in the Financial Aid policy section of this catalog.
• Students not returning after 14 consecutive days of absence (starting from the last date of attendance) will be dismissed.

Attendance Requirement for all Online Courses

Students participating in the university’s blended and online courses are expected to be in attendance in accordance with the syllabus as participation is essential to student learning and the assessment of the achievement of required outcomes. All blended and online courses require a set number of online academically related activities (ARAs) for each instructional week. ARAs designated as attendance ARAs are declared in the course outline.

A student’s failure to participate in the designated attendance ARA, such as contributing substantively to a discussion forum post, will result in an absence. Students not participating for 14 consecutive days of absence (starting from the last date of attendance) will be dismissed.

Extenuating Circumstances

Extenuating circumstances are unforeseen events or situations that are beyond a student’s control and may prevent the student from attending one, or more, scheduled class meetings.

If a student has missed a didactic, lab, or clinical course due to extenuating circumstances, they may elect to submit an extenuating circumstances petition and request for a make-up exemption. Petitions should be emailed, with any supportive documentation, within three (3) business days after the absence(s) to exempt@stanbridge.edu. Petitions submitted after the third business day will not be accepted.

An Extenuating Circumstances Committee will evaluate the petition and provide a decision to the student, within ten (10) business days of receipt of the petition. Decisions may take the following actions:

• Deny the petition and continue with attendance dismissal
• Grant the petition and schedule make-up hours
• Grant the petition, schedule make-up hours, and include new sanctions

Any Stanbridge University student who believes that they have been subjected to an improper decision by the Extenuating Circumstances Committee is entitled to file an appeal and obtain an independent review of the decision.

To submit an appeal, students are required to email the Office of Instruction at appeal.instruction@stanbridge.edu. Any official documentation that supports the appeal should be included.

Appeal requests must be received by the end of the fifth (5) business day following the rendering of the decision and/or charges against the student. Appeals submitted after the fifth business day will not be accepted.

An Appeal Committee will evaluate the appeal petition and provide an appeal decision to the student, in accordance with the university’s appeals process, within fifteen (15) business days of receipt of the petition. Appeal decisions may take the following actions:

• Deny the appeal
• Grant the appeal
• Grant with appeal with new and/or modification to any sanctions

If a student is dissatisfied with the appeal decision, they may request the Office of the President review the full record and appeal documents by emailing appeal.president@stanbridge.edu within five (5) business days following the rendering of the decision by the Appeal Committee.

Only one (1) Extenuating Circumstances petition may be filed within a term. Students are not guaranteed make-up opportunities as availability may not exist or specific limitations pertaining to progression may exist that prevent completion.