PWR Attendance Policy

Because PWR courses make use of writing activities, in-class workshops, peer review, and small group discussion, your consistent attendance and participation are crucial to your academic growth and to the success of the classroom community. 

If you know in advance that you must miss a class for religious holidays, medical reasons, valid University-related activities, or any other reason, you must let your instructor know as far in advance as possible of the absence and request information about the work you must do to keep up in class. Athletes should provide the instructor with a list in writing of their travel dates for away-games at the beginning of the quarter. 

If you must miss class due to unexpected issues (sudden illness, unexpected family obligations or emergency, or other unavoidable problems), please let your instructor know as soon as possible (ideally on the same day as the missed class meeting).  If you do not communicate with your instructor about an absence, your instructor may contact you to discuss your continued enrollment in the course.   In most cases, for both excused and unexcused absences, you will be required to complete make-up work or participate in an out-of-class activity to help you achieve the learning goals of the class and keep up with the current assignment.

Please note that a continued pattern of absences without consistent communication from you to the instructor explaining how you’re keeping up with the work of the course may jeopardize your enrollment in the class.  After three absences with no communication or a pattern of missed assignment due dates, you may need to meet with the Associate Director of PWR to discuss your continued enrollment in the PWR course. The best policy, therefore, is to be in class, on time, for every class meeting, and to always communicate with your instructor when issues arise that complicate your required participation in the course, particularly in relation to keeping up with the development of longer research-based assignments.