Students are expected to attend all classes including selectives, laboratories, simulations, and surgeries, as they are specifically set up for a particular educational purpose which cannot easily be replicated. The LMU-OPCVM requires students to attend all laboratories, small group sessions, and clinical activities as scheduled. Attendance policies, including tardy policy, are outlined in the course syllabi. Lecture attendance for Semesters 3-6 is at the discretion of the Course Director. All learning events (lectures, laboratories, etc.) are mandatory in Semesters 1 and 2.
If a student must miss a mandatory session, students must notify the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs by submitting the Absence Request Form available in the Student Services Canvas Organization. If the request is approved, the student will contact course directors and exam services to discuss missed events and exam make-up. Missed learning events may not be able to be made up, but the student is still responsible for the material. Requests for excused absences must be submitted at least 5 working days prior to an absence, but if emergency or unforeseeable issues arise, students may inform the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs as soon as possible by email or through the Absence Request Form. Each absence request will count as a full day, whether it includes one session or multiple.
Reasons for absences that may be excused include: medical concerns (own or of dependents), bereavement, military service, presentation at a conference, official governance position at a conference (note: conference attendance without formal responsibilities is not an excused absence), or religious holiday/special observance. Students must provide documentation for requests to be considered.
In case of absences that do not meet the above reasons, students may be granted up to 3 “personal discretion” absences per semester. These are for events such as weddings, dependents’ special occasions, conference attendance, etc. that are not usually considered excused absences, not to take extra time to prepare for exams. Students should strive to avoid taking personal discretion absences during exams or active learning sessions (labs, group work, case-based learning, etc). Additionally, in courses under 3 credit hours, there may be no more than 2 events missed due to personal discretion absence.
For personal discretion absences, the Absence Request Form must be approved at least 5 working days in advance. Personal discretion days may not be used on the day prior to or the day after a university holiday or on LMU-OPCVM sponsored special events except with special permission from the ADSA. Failure to submit an absence request in a timely manner can be grounds for denial of such request even if the absence itself is for a justified reason.
Any non-emergency absence taken without prior notification or permission may be considered an unexcused absence and will be treated as an act of unprofessional behavior.
An unexcused absence will result in a grade of zero (0) on any graded activity (e.g., the IRAT and GRAT in a Team Learning session).
A student who misses any small-group (e.g., TBL group) activity for any reason is responsible for notifying their small-group members before the absence.
The Assistant Dean for Student Affairs will review the student absence reports, and if a student exhibits a pattern of excessive absences, the student will be required to meet with the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs to explain the reasons and discuss a plan for an attendance recovery plan.
Attendance Sign-In Sheet/Form: Signing in or submitting an attendance sheet/form for another student is unethical and considered an Honor Code Policy violation. Students may ONLY sign in/submit attendance sheets/forms for themselves and no other students.
Please refer to clinical year section for details on the absence policy during clinical year.