2024-2025 Capital Seminary & Graduate School Handbook

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend and participate in all aspects of the online or hybrid course to maximize student learning. Specific attendance policies for online or hybrid courses are listed below.

 

Attendance in an online or hybrid course

Within the beginning and ending dates of a given course, attendance is measured by two student actions: 1.) submission of a required assignment such as discussion post, quiz, exam, paper, etc. or 2.) communication with a faculty member regarding course content such as asking a question about an assignment, requesting help on a project, asking about content in the course, etc.

Once students have submitted any course assignment or had any communication with the professor regarding course content, students are marked as present for the course. Students who have not interacted or completed any assignment within the first week of class will be assumed to be “not attending,” receive notice of such, and be dropped from the course on the second business day of week two.

Attendance in residency meetings for hybrid courses

Residency meetings in hybrid courses are an important learning component so attendance during these meetings is critical to learning and success in the course. According to the LBC attendance policy, students must attend at least 80% of the in-person residency portions of a course. Missing more than 20% of the in-class residency potion of a course will result in a failing grade for the course. In the case of extenuating circumstances, students may request an exception from the professor, but exceptions are not to be assumed.

Some academic programs may choose to require more than the minimum of 80% of in-class attendance. This information will be communicated in the course syllabus and program handbooks.


Continued attendance in a course

Students are expected to continue submitting assignments and communicating with their professor to show their attendance in the course.

Failure for Non-Attendance

Students who initially attend their courses, but then stop attending for a period of 14 consecutive days will be failed for non-attendance. Such students will be assigned a grade of FN, effective from the last date of their active participation. Non-attendance is determined by two concurrent student actions: 1.) No submission of assignments for a period of 14 consecutive days and 2.) No communication with their professor regarding the course for a period of 14 consecutive days.

On the 14th day, a grade of FN (Failure for Non-Attendances) will be posted if students have not requested a withdrawal from the course, have not evidenced course engagement by submitting any assignment, and have not communicated with their professor.

Appeals

Failing Grade for Residency Attendance 

If students fail a course due to not meeting the minimum requirements for residency attendance, an appeal may be submitted through the Registrar’s Office. See the Grade Appeal Policy in the student handbook for further details.

Failure for Non-Attendance during course

When certain validated, extenuating circumstances exist, students who receive a grade of FN may appeal to their professor to have the grade removed in order to resume work in the course. As per federal regulations, students must file their appeal to their professor in writing.

Examples of extenuating circumstances include, but are not limited to:

• A military student deployed in another country that has no phone and internet access.
• A student that is hospitalized and unconscious
• A student who is placed in jail in solitary confinement.
• A student who loses all internet and phone access due to a natural disaster during the non‐attendance period.