Student Life

Absences

Students are expected to attend all classes in which they are enrolled. Each faculty member determines his or her own policy dealing with class attendance. Therefore, if a student misses a class or classes, the student is expected to discuss the matter with the instructor, and it is up to the discretion of the instructor whether to allow a student to make up any missed assignments, exams, or projects.

If a student knows he or she is going to miss a class, the student is advised and is expected to discuss the situation with the appropriate faculty member in advance and in accordance with that faculty member's guidelines for class attendance. If documentation of the reason or reasons for an absence is desired by the faculty member, the student should inquire of the faculty member what would suffice for that purpose (e.g., medical documentation, proof of court appearance, etc.).

If a student makes a decision not to attend a class because of a non-emergency illness or injury (e.g., sore throat, cold, sprained ankle, etc.), it is the responsibility of the student to discuss the absence with the faculty member should the student desire to make up any academic work missed because of the absence. Depending upon such factors as the faculty member's class attendance policy, the reasons for the absence, and the student's prior record of class attendance, the faculty member may or may not grant the request to make up work that has been missed. It is emphasized that it is the individual faculty member's decision whether or not to grant the request.

The SDSC will serve as a liaison with faculty in extreme emergency situations when students are unable to make direct contact with their instructors and offer guidance and direction to students. For further absence information, call the Student Development and Success Center at 309-298-1884 or email at sdsc@wiu.edu.

The University's Student Absence Policy can be found here.

Online Absence Reporting System

The Online Absence Reporting System (OARS) is the University's official absence documentation system. To complete the form, students will check all classes that they will be missing and provide a brief explanation for the absence(s). 

If students will miss one or two class periods of the same class, the student should use OARS. If students will be missing more than two classes in a row, please connect with SDSC at 309-298-1884 or sdsc@wiu.edu.