Any absence that does not meet the criteria for an Excused Absence.
A student who misses more than twenty percent (20%) of the total class meetings for a course, for any reason, may be forcibly withdrawn from the course.
If a student's absences exceed 20% before the withdrawal deadline as published in the academic calendar, the student is expected to officially withdraw from the course. If the student fails to do so, the instructor may remove the student from the course and assign a grade of "W."
If a student's absences exceed 20% after the withdrawal deadline, the instructor may assign a final course grade of "F" or, at their discretion, a "W." The instructor may consider whether the absences were primarily excused or unexcused when making this determination.
Notification: Students are expected to notify their instructors of any anticipated absences whenever feasible. Notification for pre-planned personal absences (e.g., trips, interviews) must be provided at least one (1) week in advance. Notification for absences due to KSU-sponsored activities must be provided at least two (2) weeks in advance.
Make-Up Work: Students are responsible for making up any work missed during an excused absence in accordance with the policies outlined in the course syllabus.
Instructor Discretion: Instructors are authorized to adopt policies for unexcused absences and tardiness that are more stringent than the 20% Rule. This may include setting a maximum number of unexcused absences or penalizing students for tardiness.
Syllabus Requirement: If an instructor intends to impose penalties for unexcused absences or tardiness (e.g., lowering a final grade or refusing to accept missed work), the specific policy must be included in the course syllabus and announced on the first day of class. The syllabus must explicitly state the number of unexcused absences that are permitted before a penalty is applied.
Failure to Include Policy: If an instructor does not include a specific policy for unexcused absences in the syllabus, they may not penalize students for such absences beyond the scope of the 20% Rule and must allow students to make up missed work.
Defining Attendance: Simply logging into a learning management system does not constitute attendance for virtual or hybrid courses. Attendance is determined by a student's active participation in required academic activities, such as completing assignments by their stated due dates.