Regular, diligent, and punctual class attendance is expected and is essential to optimum academic achievement. 

Attendance requirements are established by each Instructor of Record in alignment with the guidelines below:

ADMINISTRATIVE DROPS FOR START-OF-TERM NON-ATTENDANCE

All students (both undergraduate and graduate) are required to attend class at least once in the first two weeks of a 16-week course and the first week of an 8-week or 5-week course. Attendance is measured by either 1) attending a synchronous class session (on campus or online) or 2) completing an anchor assignment requiring academic engagement designated by the professor.

Faculty members are required to report non-attenders during these periods (first two weeks of a 16-week course and the first week of an 8-week or 5-week course) to the Office of the Registrar and non-attenders will be administratively dropped and issued a refund according to stated refund policies. This administrative drop may also result in a return of Title IV funding (federal aid) by the Office of Financial Aid so students should be careful to attend all classes for which they are registered during this start-of-term period. 

ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT

Both on-campus and online courses require ongoing academic engagement throughout the semester. Academic engagement includes, but is not limited to:

• Attending a synchronous class, lecture, recitation, or field or laboratory activity, physically or online, where there is an opportunity for interaction between the instructor and students;
• Submitting an academic assignment;
• Taking an assessment or an exam;
• Participating in an interactive tutorial, webinar, or other interactive computer-assisted instruction;
• Participating in a study group, group project, or an online discussion that is assigned by the institution; or
• Interacting with an instructor about academic matters

After the start-of-term period, faculty members continue to monitor students’ academic engagement throughout the semester and share concerns with the Student Support Team so that students can receive support and services to help them be successful.

ABSENCES RELATED TO QUALIFYING UNIVERSITY EVENTS

Absences occasioned by participation in a qualifying event authorized by the Provost, such as a university-approved learning activity, performance activity, or athletic contest are governed by the following:

• Students notify their professors of planned absences twice—at the start of the semester (with a list of all planned absences) and one week prior to each specific absence (with a conversation or email that confirms any make-up work that the student will complete).
• At the discretion of the professor, students are given the opportunity to make up the missed class activities without points penalty OR excused from the class session without points penalty.
• When the professor determines that make-up work is not feasible and that missing a class session would significantly impact the student’s progress toward established learning goals, the student should miss the qualifying university event and attend class as scheduled. In this circumstance, students shall not be penalized by the coach or director or receive pressure to miss class.
• Students who participate in athletics, theater, or music programs that require frequent absences should work together with their Student Success Coordinator prior to class registration to proactively review potential schedule conflicts and discuss them with coaches and professors prior to class registration.  
• NCAA rules generally prohibit coaches from directly contacting professors regarding student-athletes. Academic monitoring and follow-up regarding concerns is handled by an authorized staff member, the Faculty Athletic Representative.

Examples of qualifying events include (but are not limited to):

• Scheduled VU athletic competitions
• Scheduled VU theatre performances
• Approved course field trips
• Scheduled VU Music Department performances
• Examples of non-qualifying events include (but are not limited to):
  • Residence life events (i.e., Res Rally, Harvest Party, etc.)
  • Student Life/OSE Events 
  • Spiritual Formation Events
  • VU Athletics practices/training sessions
  • Performance rehearsals 

ABSENCES FOR MEDICAL, BEREAVEMENT, TRAVEL, AND FAMILY EVENTS

While students often have legitimate reasons to miss class, none of these are automatically considered “excused.”  Rather, students should discuss their circumstances with their professors and inquire about class policies.

ABSENCES GREATER THAN 20%

Students are given an F for any lower division course in which they have been absent more than one-fifth of the scheduled class meetings for in-person courses, or have not submitted more than one-fifth of the total number of designated anchor assignments in online courses. Absences occasioned by participation in a qualifying event authorized by the Provost, such as a university-approved learning activity, performance activity, or athletic contest count toward the 20% total, so athletes and music/ theater students should be especially careful about accruing additional absences. Professors may waive the 20% rule at their discretion when students’ attendance has been impacted by extenuating circumstances.  

BAR-FROM-ATTENDANCE

A student may be barred from attending classes for failure to: present official transcripts certifying previous institutional work, comply with admission requirements, respond to official notices, or settle unresolved financial obligations when due.

DROP POLICY

Students may drop their course in Self-Service during the add/drop period. After the add/drop period ends, students must notify the Registrar's Office if they desire to drop a course, using their official Vanguard University student email only and the appropriate add/drop form. Unless written notification is received, the student will remain registered in the course/courses listed on their registration form and will be financially and academically responsible. Only those courses specified in the drop request will be dropped. Students who have registered for more than one session or mod will not be automatically dropped from the remaining sessions or mods unless written notice has been provided. If a student chooses to switch a course from one session to another, this is treated in the same way as dropping a class, and the drop/refund policies will apply in this situation. The drop will be processed using the date the student’s written notification is received by the Registrar's Office.

NOTE: Dropping courses will have academic and financial aid implications. Students are strongly urged to discuss their decisions with their Student Success Coordinator and their Financial Aid Counselor. Students using VA Benefits must also consult with the university’s School Certifying Official before dropping a course.

GRADUATE COURSES 

Regular and punctual class attendance is expected. Failure to attend may result in a lower or failing course grade. See the program sections and course syllabi for more information.