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

TRADITIONAL UNDERGRADUATE COURSES 

Students in lower division classes are given an “F” for any course in which they have been absent more than one-fifth of the scheduled class meetings for in-person courses, or more than one-fifth of the total number of student engagement assignments (as defined in related course syllabi) in Flex-VU and online courses.

Attendance requirements in upper division classes are established by each Instructor of Record.

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:

• Missed classes for authorized events will count toward the one-fifth absence allowance. Student athletes and others who miss classes for authorized events should be particularly careful not to miss other class sessions for unauthorized reasons.
• Students shall not be penalized for missing class for authorized college activities by loss of attendance points. On the rare occasion it would be impossible to make up a missed class or lab, the student should miss the activity and not be penalized by the coach or director.  Students are responsible for initiating the process of makeup work. Work must be submitted when due whether or not the student is present.
• Students should clear their class schedules with coaches or directors before registering for classes to minimize potential conflicts.
• For qualifying and non-qualifying event examples, see below:
  • Examples of qualifying events include (but are not limited to):
    • Scheduled VU athletic competitions
    • Scheduled VU theatre performances
    • Approved course field trips
    • Schedule 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 

PROFESSIONAL STUDIES COURSES  

Due to the accelerated nature of Professional Studies courses, our emphasis upon participatory learning, and in order to comply with federal regulations, students must academically attend their courses every week.  Attendance consists of any assigned activity required to complete a course successfully, including but not limited to attending a class, completing a quiz, making a discussion post, or fulfilling hours for a practicum, etc. Professional Studies’ rules governing attendance depend on whether the course has a required synchronous attendance requirement. Course syllabi will specify attendance requirements.

• For on-campus and online synchronous courses, students who miss more than one class meeting in any given course will receive a failing grade and will need to retake the course. If an instructor deems that a student’s additional absences were under unavoidable or unusual circumstances, the instructor may reinstate the student to the course, provided that the missing attendance can reasonably be made up by the student. If the instructor determines that the work cannot be made up, the instructor may petition the Chair. If this academic petition is approved, the student will be given a “W” (Withdrawal) in place of the failing grade. The student will be required to retake the course or a substitute equivalent.
• For online asynchronous courses or courses without a meeting requirement, students must complete assignments on the required schedule. All work they complete for these courses will count as academic attendance. Students who fail to complete more than one week of course work in any given course will receive a failing grade and will need to retake the course. If an instructor deems that a student’s incomplete work was under unavoidable or unusual circumstances, the instructor may reinstate the student to the course, provided that the student can reasonably complete the missing work. If the instructor determines that the work cannot be completed but that there was an extenuating circumstance, the instructor may petition the Chair. If the academic petition is approved, the student will be given a “W” (withdrawal) in place of the failing grade. The student will still be required to retake the course.
• For hybrid courses, specific attendance requirements are set by the instructor and included in the syllabus.

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, settle unresolved financial obligations when due, or comply with the community participation standards listed earlier.

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 SPS 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 SPS Office.

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

Administrative Drops for Non-Attendance

The specific non-attendance drop policy depends on the modality of the course, i.e. how the course is offered.

• For on-campus and online synchronous courses, students determined to be absent from both week 1 and week 2 of the course will be administratively dropped from the course in question and receive a full refund. 
• For online asynchronous courses, students who have not academically attended by the end of the first week of the course will be administratively dropped from the course in question and receive a full refund.

In both of the cases above, students are strongly advised to communicate their desire to drop a course by sending a written request to drop to the SPS Office via their official Vanguard University student email address and using the required add/drop form as soon as they have made their determination. In ambiguous situations, the date of this communication to drop the course becomes definitive for determining the student’s academic and financial responsibility

Students absent from both week 1 and week 2 of class will be automatically dropped from the course with a full refund given. 

Note: All students attending at least one week of class will not be dropped automatically from class; therefore, the standard refund policy will be upheld. 

(Refer to the SPS Refund Schedule section for financial implications).

Students receiving a failing grade for a course must repeat the course again at their earliest convenience. The Student Success Coordinator will assist with the registration process for the repeated course. Prevailing tuition charges for the repeated course will be effective.

Non-Attendance Drop Policy (Online Courses)

Students who do not login to their online course by 11:59 P.M. (PST) of the second day of class, will be automatically dropped from the course with a full refund given. To remain in good academic standing, a written request to drop must be provided to the SPS Office before the third week of class.

Note: All students who have academically attended at least one week of a course will not be administratively dropped from that course, and the standard drop and refund policies will apply. 

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.