Thanksgiving / March Break Attendance Policy

Getting together with family and friends at these special times is very important. It is also sometimes convenient to schedule medical appointments on a return to home and your family physician. 

However, your desire to spend personal time and to take care of personal business must be meshed with the guidelines of the university. Each year, members of the university, including faculty and students, meet to decide on the academic calendar. The calendar is often decided several years in advance. Discussion focuses on the start and end dates for the semester, the start and end dates of any holiday vacations that may occur within a semester, and the need to ensure that the semester includes the appropriate number of class meeting days.

Since the university calendar is agreed upon by the university community, your class will meet when scheduled before and after the vacations. Exams may be scheduled for these days, including the Wednesday and Monday around Thanksgiving and the Friday and Monday around March Break; if so, these will be listed on the class outline explained to you on the first day of class. Even if an exam is not scheduled, it is highly probable that a quiz and/or homework will be assigned on these days.

As a student, you have total responsibility for attending or not attending any class, including this one. However, you are responsible for material covered, tests/quizzes taken, and /homework assigned on any lecture day, including days prior to or after university holidays. Deciding whether vacation and personal business plans take precedence over class attendance is up to you; however your grade may suffer for your decision.