It is your responsibility to consult with your instructor if you should need to miss a class for any reason, and the authority to excuse you rests entirely with the instructor. In case of illness, it is helpful to be able to support your request with verification from Health Services (Dick's House). In emergency situations, your dean may be able to contact the faculty on your behalf, but information about illnesses can only be relayed if you have first signed a release form at Dick's House.
Although academic schedules may sometimes conflict with College-sponsored or extra-curricular events, there are no excused absences for participants in such activities. You should not expect to be excused from class for team meetings, orientation sessions, practice sessions, special meals or other such activities. In the case of intercollegiate games or meets, debates, concerts and so on, professors may be accommodating if approached well in advance, but are still under no obligation to excuse your absence.
If you have missed a class without first consulting with the professor, do not leave the matter unaddressed. Always, speak with your professor and explain why you were not there.
The importance of regular class attendance cannot be over-emphasized. Most professors present material in their lectures that expand on what you are expected to learn from the assigned texts. Do not skip class on the premise that you can rely on the readings. You may also believe that you can simply review someone else's class notes. However, another's interpretation of a lecture may be different than yours and leave you without important information. Additionally, many of your professors will count your class participation in their calculations of your final grade. This is true particularly in small classes, attendance may be strictly required and attendance taken daily.
