University Attendance Policies

Class Attendance

Students are expected to attend all their scheduled classes and laboratories and not to be absent without adequate reason. Deficiency in any required work resulting from absence from class must be made up to the satisfaction of the instructor.

A student who is absent from a course without adequate reason may be assigned a failing grade. Students who are registered as Auditors are subject to the same attendance regulations as those registered for credit. Those Auditors who are reported for their excessive absence from class will receive a grade of LW in the course.

By action of the University faculty, the responsibility for defining attendance expectations is left to the individual faculty member, subject to the guidelines given below. Thus, it is of great importance that early in each course the instructor makes clear to the students what attendance expectations are, and how absences due to “relatively minor” illnesses, as described below, should be communicated. To be compliant with Federal financial aid regulations, the University requests that the instructor of record for each course identify, to the registrar’s office, individual students who have never attended class or participated in any class activities by the last day to register or add courses each term or who fail to attend class after registering on the last day of the drop/add period.

NOTE: Students are not to be penalized if absent from an examination, lecture, laboratory, or other activity because of an excused absence. However, students are fully responsible for all material presented during their absence, and faculty are encouraged to provide opportunities, when feasible, for students to make up examinations and other work missed because of an excused absence.

Authority for excusing all class absences rests with the instructor, subject to the aforementioned guidelines.

Inclement Weather:

• In inclement weather, when classes are not cancelled, students who are unable to attend class should notify their instructors promptly, as described in the policies on Holding Classes and Inclement Weather.

Religious Holidays:

• It is the policy of the University of Delaware not to cancel classes on religious holidays. However, students and faculty are encouraged to exercise their own judgment pertaining to their attendance on religious holidays. 
• In addition, faculty are encouraged not to schedule examinations or require the submission of special assignments on the following days: the evening before as well as the first two days of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Diwali, Good Friday, the first two days of Passover, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and the evenings prior to these holidays.
• Absence on religious holidays listed in University calendars is recognized as an excused absence. Nevertheless, students are urged to remind the instructor of their intention to be absent on a particular upcoming holiday.
• Absences on religious holidays not listed in University calendars, shall be recognized as excused absences when the student informs the instructor in writing during the first two weeks of the semester of these planned absences for the semester

Athletic participation or other extracurricular activities:

• Absences due to athletic participation or other extracurricular activities in which students are official representatives of the University shall be recognized as excused absences when the student informs the instructor in writing during the first two weeks of the semester of these planned absences for the semester.
• Absences due to similar events that could not have been anticipated earlier in the semester will be recognized as excused absences upon advance notification of the instructor by an appropriate faculty advisor or athletic coach.

Family Emergencies or Death within a Student’s Family:

• Absences due to death within a student’s family or serious family emergency are recognized as excused absences. To validate such absences, the student should present evidence to the Assistant Dean’s Office of their college. The Assistant Dean’s Office will then provide a letter of verification to all of the student’s instructors for the term.

Student Illness:

• For relatively minor, short-term impacts on the health and wellness of students (e.g., colds and flu, where attendance in class is undesirable, or where a mental health challenge impedes attendance to class) or their immediate family, the University system depends upon reasonable communication between students and faculty. If possible, students should 1) report anticipated absences before the affected class or 2) provide supportive evidence from Student Health Services (SHS) or the Center for Counseling and Student Development (CCSD) or other health care provider if treatment is received, following the directions of the instructor provided at the start of the term. SHS and CCSD staff members actively work with students on health concerns and provide excuses when appropriate. Students should not be referred for excuses if they were not treated by SHS or CCSD for the illness. Faculty are encouraged to be understanding of these one day/minor illnesses.
• Absences due to serious illness of the student (e.g., hospitalization, surgery, mental illness, or protracted medical illness or convalescence) shall be recognized as excused absences. To validate such absences, the student should present evidence of the illness to the Assistant Dean’s Office of their college. Supportive evidence will be provided on the student’s request by Student Health Services, Center for Counseling and Student Development, or other health care provider directly to the respective Assistant Dean.
• Students who experience long-term absences of a week or more should consult with their Assistant Dean; in such cases, it may be possible to negotiate with faculty for the opportunity to take an incomplete grade, or a withdrawal may be more prudent. The student’s Assistant Dean will give guidance in these matters.

Military duty:

• Absence due to short-term military duty in the National Guard or active reserve is recognized as an excused absence. To validate such an absence, the student should present evidence to the Assistant Dean’s Office of their college. The Assistant Dean’s Office will then provide a letter of verification to all of the student’s instructors for the term.

• A student ordered to active duty due to national crisis, under circumstances that preclude completion of a semester or session, will be allowed to take a leave of absence from the University for two consecutive semesters. The student should send a copy of their military orders to Veteran Services Coordinator or come to University Visitors Center, to complete a withdrawal/leave notification form.

• Special provisions  of the University of Delaware Readmission Policy apply to students seeking readmission after performing military service. Enrolled military spouses who must move due to redeployment or relocation should consult with their Assistant Dean before leaving the University.

Seat Claim Policy

It is not always possible to accommodate all requests for assigned seats. To address this problem, the University has established a seat claim policy. Seat assignment in classes is based on such factors as earned credit hours, major, course status, and intended audience. Students are expected to occupy their confirmed, assigned seats within a reasonable period of time. By action of the Faculty Senate, the following policy applies to all classes:

Unless excused by the faculty member, students holding a confirmed assigned seat in a class will have relinquished their seat if they have not personally appeared in class to claim the seat by the second meeting for a class scheduled to meet once a week, by the second meeting for a class scheduled twice a week, by the third meeting for a class scheduled three times a week, by the third meeting for a class scheduled to meet five times a week. If the student does not claim the seat within the time limit specified above, and does not drop the course, the instructor has the option of assigning the student a grade of “F” at the end of the term. It is the responsibility of the student to drop each course that they do not plan to attend, even when the student’s registration is canceled for non-payment of fees. Failure to drop a course will result in a grade of “F.”

Leaves of Absence

Sometimes a student may need to take time off from their studies at the University of Delaware for a variety of reasons. For absences that are expected to last longer than 2 weeks during a semester, students may apply for a leave of absence to extend through the end of the semester. Leaves of absence can be related to mental health, physical health, active military status, educational opportunities, and/or personal reasons. Students who take a leave of absence are planning to return to the University the following semester. Most leaves of absence can only be taken for up to two consecutive semesters and require students to meet with a specific University office as determined by the reason(s) for their leave prior to beginning their leave of absence. More information about leaves of absence for undergraduate students can be found on the Student Advocacy & Support website.

Students who are on a leave of absence from the University are not eligible for financial aid, including grants and loans, and are prohibited from using University facilities normally available to registered students. Under federal law and for purposes of federal financial aid, a leave of absence is defined as a period of non-enrollment. The University is obligated to report any period of non-enrollment by a student receiving federal financial aid to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Federal Student Aid. This reporting requirement may have consequences regarding the repayment of a student’s federal student loans, including possibly ending a period of deferment and entering a period of repayment. Students with federal student loans should contact their loan servicer(s) to determine how a leave of absence may impact their loans; in some instances, students may be able to request a forbearance if a leave of absence results in their loans entering a period of repayment and they are not able to make payments at that time. Students may also contact the University’s Office of Student Financial Services (SFS) to understand the implications of taking a leave of absence on their federal financial aid.

Academic Leave of Absence

Undergraduates who have not completed degree requirements and may wish to interrupt their studies for a fall or spring semester to engage in activities related to their educational objectives or for personal reasons need to request a leave of absence through the Assistant Dean of their respective College.The official leave date is the date the student’s leave request is submitted to their respective Assistant Dean, via the Student Leave of Absence Web Form, which is considered the date of notification to the University of the student’s request to take a leave of absence.

Students may take two consecutive leaves of absence but must apply for each leave separately.Taking a leave of absence may impact a student’s ability to graduate in four years.To the extent possible, students are encouraged to limit their time away from the University to complete degree requirements in a timely manner. Failure to do so will result in a discontinuation of the student’s degree program(s) and an application for readmission will be required to re-enroll as a degree-seeking student. Students accepted for readmission will be held to the degree requirements in place at the time of readmission.

Medical Emergencies and Medical Leaves of Absence

If a student has a physical or mental health condition that is impacting their success at the University, they may request a medical leave of absence. For undergraduate students, this process is facilitated by Student Advocacy & Support (SAS). SAS works with each undergraduate student to explain the process and discuss academic implications of taking a leave of absence and connects students to other University offices to discuss the potential financial implications of taking a leave of absence. All requests for a medical leave of absence must be filed with, and approved by, SAS. No other University office is authorized to accept or process a medical leave of absence for undergraduate students.

In order to request a medical leave of absence, an undergraduate student must submit the University’s Leave of Absence Web Form, which is available on the SAS website. The student must also submit a letter from their treating healthcare provider supporting the student’s request for a medical leave of absence, which at a minimum, must indicate the student’s medical diagnosis/diagnoses and state the healthcare provider’s support for a medical leave of absence. 

Undergraduate students may be eligible for a partial, pro-rated tuition rebate for the semester in which they request a medical leave of absence, if their official leave date is before the final business day of the 9th week of a 15-week semester. Classes meeting on an accelerated calendar have a shorter, pro-rated timeline, which is available on the University Registrar’s website. The official leave date is the date the University’s Leave of Absence Web Form is submitted to SAS, which is considered the date of notification to the University of the student’s need to take a medical leave of absence. Tuition rebate eligibility is coordinated between SAS and Student Financial Services (SFS). Final decisions regarding any tuition refund to be provided to a student and the distribution of any such tuition refund are made by SFS and will be prorated based on the official date of the leave of absence.

Academic Withdrawal from the University

Undergraduates who wish to interrupt their studies for a fall or spring semester and remain in their degree programs must request a leave of absence. Failure to do so by the last day to add or drop courses (as noted in the academic calendar) will result in a discontinuation of the student’s degree program(s). If a student’s program is discontinued, an application for readmission will be required to re-enroll as a degree-seeking student. Students accepted for readmission will be held to the degree requirements in place at the time of readmission. Additionally, if the student was enrolled in courses that were not dropped by the last day to add or drop courses, the student is liable for all tuition and fees associated with their enrollment.

Students who withdraw from the University before the fall or spring semester begins or before the eleventh week of class should submit the Student Withdrawal Notification Form, which is available here, through the Assistant Dean of the student’s respective College. The Student Withdrawal Notification should be completed by any student who is transferring to another institution or does not intend to return to the University.

After the eleventh week of class, withdrawals require permission from the Assistant Dean of the student’s College. To initiate this process, students should contact their College’s Assistant Dean. The Assistant Dean’s approval is granted only when non-academic extenuating circumstances exist, such as a serious illness or severe emotional crisis. Documentation by a physician or a counseling professional must be presented when requesting approval from the Assistant Dean. Approval will not be given because of failing grades, circumstances resulting from a change in major or a student error in registration.

To learn more about withdrawal procedures, students should contact the Assistant Dean of their respective College.