Attendance Policy

University Attendance Policy
Students are expected to attend class as regularly scheduled and are responsible for consulting instructors’ syllabi regarding attendance requirements. Instructors with specific attendance requirements can hold students accountable for absences from class. Consequences for violating attendance requirements will vary from instructor to instructor and may include failure of the course. Students who anticipate missing class must seek relief from attendance requirements at least one week prior to the date of absence. Students missing class are expected to consult with their instructor(s) to request permission to make up missed coursework.
University Student Representatives (approved by the President) who must attend university-sponsored events will be given relief from an instructor's attendance requirements if they notify the instructor(s) at least one week prior to the event. University Student Representatives must meet the attendance requirements stated in the previous paragraph for all other absences.
Students may request attendance accommodations for documented disabilities by contacting The Office of Student Disability Services prior to the beginning of classes.
Students in laboratory sections offered by the College of Science and Mathematics or clinical sections offered by the School of Nursing must attend the first class meeting to remain on the roster.
Students who have never attended class during the first two weeks of the semester may be dropped from the course at the discretion of the instructor. The instructor will notify the Registrar and the student will be dropped from the course. However, students should not assume that they have been dropped from the course because they have not attended class. It is the responsibility of the student to drop a course that they are not planning to attend by the deadline published on the Academic Calendar. Failure to do so may result in a failing grade for the course.

Official Drop/Withdrawal
From a Course – Students should refer to the appropriate academic calendar to determine the dates that they may drop a course completely or withdraw from a course without academic penalty (earn a grade of “W”). Any petition to drop or withdraw from individual classes after the posted withdraw date will be considered only if the petition presents circumstances which are compelling, non academic and beyond the control of the student (e.g., extended illness or related distress) and which would directly impact the student’s ability to fulfill the course requirements. Individual course drops or withdrawals do not automatically guarantee a refund of tuition.
From the University - Students who find it necessary to withdraw from all classes must process an Official Withdrawal and/or Temporary Leave form with the Registrar’s Office. Complete withdrawal after the drop deadline will result in grades of “W” for all registered coursework. Students may not completely withdraw following the last day of classes. MyLander will not allow students to withdraw themselves from all courses; instead, this process begins in the Student Success Center.

Temporary Leave
Students who intend to reenroll at Lander after an attendance break of one or two regular semesters may request an official temporary leave. Such a leave may be granted for either one or two regular semesters if the applicant was in good standing at the end of the last term completed at Lander. The Official Withdrawal and/or Temporary Leave form process begins in the Student Success Center. Completion of the application and approval of the request constitutes a contract between Lander and the student involved. This contract obligates Lander to furnish access to certain services during the non-enrollment period and binds the student to reenroll by no later than the mutually agreed upon date. Lander approvals include signatures of the Assistant Vice President for Student Success, a financial aid counselor, a student accounts official, a housing official (if applicable), and a registrar’s office official.

Students approved for a temporary leave are eligible for:
1. Registration for classes without the necessity of applying for readmission (as long as the application for a Temporary Leave is processed no later than two weeks prior to the registration in question).
2. Participation in residence hall room requests at the same time as students currently in residence (as long as the application for a Temporary Leave is processed at least two weeks prior to the appropriate housing deadlines).
3. Certain university scholarships; and
4. Use of the Jackson Library with a temporary ID.

Students not eligible for temporary leave:
1. Foreign students, because of Federal laws governing them, may not have a break in their studies except during the summer.
2. Special and Non-Degree students, whether undergraduate or graduate, are admitted for one semester only.

Expulsion
A student found guilty of an infraction of the Academic Honor Code may be expelled from the university and not be allowed to reapply for admission.