Guidelines, Requirements, & Process
An Extended Absence Notification (EAN) can be requested by students who miss at least one consecutive week of courses (i.e. Monday, Wednesday, Friday; Tuesday and Thursday) due to extenuating circumstances. The notification will serve as verification of your circumstance. It will be up to the discretion of each instructor whether to grant any extensions, permit make-up work, or excuse any absences.
Extenuating circumstances may include:
- Physical or mental health circumstances of a student or immediate family member (defined as parent, sibling, grandparent, spouse, or child)
- Death of an immediate family member
- Involuntary changes in employment schedule or military orders
DOS will not provide an absence notification for brief, self-limiting illnesses. It is understood that brief self-limiting illnesses will be common during the normal course of the school year and may be cared for by the student him/herself. It is the student's responsibility to notify instructors of illnesses and make arrangements regarding missed assignments.
Students have five business days to request an absence notification. Requests will not be accepted after the last day of classes for the semester.
You can submit your request and documentation through this .
The type of documentation needed to support your request will depend on the basis of your request. The following list provides examples of documentation that may be required. Please feel free to contact DOS if you have questions about your specific circumstances.
- For absences based on medical circumstances, this can be a letter from your healthcare provider, or a note provided by the doctor鈥檚 office/urgent care/hospital that indicates dates of absence/date of return to classes (based on time needed for recovery, etc.). Please do not include medical records.
- For requests based on the medical circumstances of an immediate family member, documentation must include a letter of support from the family member鈥檚 healthcare provider. It must be signed, dated, and on letterhead. It must include verification of the medical circumstances of that family member from the healthcare provider and your role as a care provider/support for that person
- Death of an Immediate Family Member: obituary, copy of a funeral program listing the student as a family member, or death certificate.
- Involuntary Changes in Employment or Military Requirements: an official letter from the student's employer or commanding officer outlining the specific changes in employment (change in schedule, relocation, increased workload) and potential impact on coursework. Letters should be typed, dated, on letter head, and signed by the employer/commanding officer.
DOS will review the request and documentation and determine approval. If a request is approved, DOS will notify all professors that a request for an absence notification is being processed on the student's behalf. The student will be included on the notification and should then follow up with each instructor on specifics for each course.
If a student's request or documentation is incomplete or insufficient to approve, DOS will contact the student for additional information, or in cases where a notification cannot be sent, to discuss other options available to the student.
Disclaimer: When Student Outreach & Support agrees to issue absence notices, these notices do not 鈥渆xcuse鈥 the absence, nor do they guarantee that the student will be permitted to make up tests or other missed assignments. The absence notice simply documents that the student鈥檚 illness or other circumstances indicate that the student is/was unable to participate in class for the designated period of time. Excused absences and academic accommodations are made at the discretion of the instructor.
An extended absence is defined as missing at least one consecutive week of courses (e.g., Monday/Wednesday/Friday or Tuesday/Thursday classes) due to extenuating circumstances.
No. An Extended Absence Notification does not excuse the absence and does not guarantee extensions, make-up work, or academic accommodations. It serves only as documentation that the student was unable to participate in class. Decisions regarding excused absences and academic accommodations are made at the discretion of each instructor.
Qualifying extenuating circumstances may include:
- Physical or mental health circumstances of the student or an immediate family member (parent, sibling, grandparent, spouse, or child)
- Death of an immediate family member
- Involuntary changes in employment schedule or military orders
Brief, self-limiting illnesses do not qualify.
If your request or documentation is incomplete or insufficient, DOS will contact you for additional information or discuss other available options if a notification cannot be issued.
DOS will review your request and supporting documentation to determine approval. If approved, DOS will notify all professors that an absence notification is being processed on your behalf. You will be included on the notification.
After the notification is sent, you should follow up with each instructor to discuss specifics for each course, including assignments, attendance, and any potential extensions.
Extenuating circumstances may include:
- Physical or mental health circumstances of a student or immediate family member (defined as parent, sibling, grandparent, spouse, or child)
- Death of an immediate family member
- Involuntary changes in employment schedule or military orders
DOS will not provide an absence notification for brief, self-limiting illnesses. It is understood that brief self-limiting illnesses will be common during the normal course of the school year and may be cared for by the student him/herself. It is the student's responsibility to notify instructors of illnesses and make arrangements regarding missed assignments.
Students have five business days to request an absence notification. Requests will not be accepted after the last day of classes for the semester.
You can submit your request and documentation through this .
The type of documentation needed to support your request will depend on the basis of your request. The following list provides examples of documentation that may be required. Please feel free to contact DOS if you have questions about your specific circumstances.
- For absences based on medical circumstances, this can be a letter from your healthcare provider, or a note provided by the doctor鈥檚 office/urgent care/hospital that indicates dates of absence/date of return to classes (based on time needed for recovery, etc.). Please do not include medical records.
- For requests based on the medical circumstances of an immediate family member, documentation must include a letter of support from the family member鈥檚 healthcare provider. It must be signed, dated, and on letterhead. It must include verification of the medical circumstances of that family member from the healthcare provider and your role as a care provider/support for that person
- Death of an Immediate Family Member: obituary, copy of a funeral program listing the student as a family member, or death certificate.
- Involuntary Changes in Employment or Military Requirements: an official letter from the student's employer or commanding officer outlining the specific changes in employment (change in schedule, relocation, increased workload) and potential impact on coursework. Letters should be typed, dated, on letter head, and signed by the employer/commanding officer.
DOS will review the request and documentation and determine approval. If a request is approved, DOS will notify all professors that a request for an absence notification is being processed on the student's behalf. The student will be included on the notification and should then follow up with each instructor on specifics for each course.
If a student's request or documentation is incomplete or insufficient to approve, DOS will contact the student for additional information, or in cases where a notification cannot be sent, to discuss other options available to the student.
Disclaimer: When Student Outreach & Support agrees to issue absence notices, these notices do not 鈥渆xcuse鈥 the absence, nor do they guarantee that the student will be permitted to make up tests or other missed assignments. The absence notice simply documents that the student鈥檚 illness or other circumstances indicate that the student is/was unable to participate in class for the designated period of time. Excused absences and academic accommodations are made at the discretion of the instructor.
An extended absence is defined as missing at least one consecutive week of courses (e.g., Monday/Wednesday/Friday or Tuesday/Thursday classes) due to extenuating circumstances.
No. An Extended Absence Notification does not excuse the absence and does not guarantee extensions, make-up work, or academic accommodations. It serves only as documentation that the student was unable to participate in class. Decisions regarding excused absences and academic accommodations are made at the discretion of each instructor.
Qualifying extenuating circumstances may include:
- Physical or mental health circumstances of the student or an immediate family member (parent, sibling, grandparent, spouse, or child)
- Death of an immediate family member
- Involuntary changes in employment schedule or military orders
Brief, self-limiting illnesses do not qualify.
If your request or documentation is incomplete or insufficient, DOS will contact you for additional information or discuss other available options if a notification cannot be issued.
DOS will review your request and supporting documentation to determine approval. If approved, DOS will notify all professors that an absence notification is being processed on your behalf. You will be included on the notification.
After the notification is sent, you should follow up with each instructor to discuss specifics for each course, including assignments, attendance, and any potential extensions.