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At RISD, students are expected to attend every class, arrive on time, and be prepared to participate actively and generously. Attendance and engagement are critical components of a RISD education and play a significant role in a student’s learning outcomes.

Therefore, a student’s absence or tardiness will always have an impact on their studies, regardless of whether it is due to an unavoidable reason or to an unexcused reason. 

1. Faculty Expectations and Attendance Policies

  • Each faculty member must define a pedagogically-appropriate attendance expectation and clearly communicate it in the course syllabus.

  • The expectation must specify:

    • the number of absences (as a percentage of the course’s sessions) that may result in grade alterations and, potentially, removal from the course;

    • how partial absences (late arrivals or early departures, for example) will impact the attendance grade; 

    • what percentage of the final grade is determined by attendance.

2. Faculty Authority and Student Responsibility

  • Faculty have the discretion to determine if and how an absence (whether unavoidable or unexcused) affects a student’s ability to meet the essential learning outcomes of the course. They also have the authority to decide what, if any, opportunities can reasonably be provided to make up for work missed during an unavoidable absence.

  • Unavoidable absences may include, but are not limited to:

    • Serious illness or medical emergency

    • Bereavement

    • Religious observance

    • Disability-related accommodations (see Section 3)

  • Students must notify instructors in advance about an absence whenever possible.

  • Students are responsible for requesting and discussing alternative arrangements for missed work.

  • Students are responsible for all content, participation, and assignments in a course, regardless of the absence being unavoidable. Should a student not be able to demonstrate their understanding of the course’s material, they may fail or be dropped from the course, regardless of the kind of absence they had. 

  • An unavoidable absence does not guarantee that class activities (critiques or group work, for example) can be replicated; therefore, the nature of a missed session may impact learning or evaluation, regardless of the reason for the absence.

3. Disability-Related Attendance Flexibility

  • Students with chronic or episodic health conditions may be approved by the Disability Support Services (DSS) office to seek reasonable accommodations from the faculty.

  • Upon assessment, DSS may issue an accommodation letter verifying the need for reasonable accommodations to be determined, including modified attendance expectations.

  • While DSS may notify the faculty member of an unavoidable absence for a student, such absences will not exempt the student from their responsibility in meeting a course’s learning expectations. 

  • Faculty are expected to assess each case with care to determine whether reasonable accommodations, such as specified flexible attendance, would still allow the student to meet the course objectives. If the requested accommodation fundamentally alters the course and its learning goals, such accommodations may not be extended and approved by the faculty.  

  • Faculty are not expected to apply accommodations retroactively; accommodation conversations can only begin once the official DSS letter is received.

  • Any agreement regarding modified attendance expectations should be documented in writing (e.g., email) between the instructor and the student, with optional inclusion of DSS. 

4. Unexpected or Emergency Notifications via Student Life

  • In case of emergency or unexpected situations, Student Life colleagues who are apprised of a student’s situation (hospitalization, for example) will notify the Divisional Dean of the date(s) of absences of the student and of the return of the student to campus when it occurs (if known). The Dean will communicate the information to relevant divisional entities, such as Department Heads and/or affected Instructors of courses in which the student is enrolled. 

5. Disputes Over Absences

  • If a student believes that an instructor’s handling of an absence is inconsistent with the course syllabus or a reasonable accommodation request, the student must raise the concern to the instructor within two business days.

  • Should the instructor not respond reasonably, the student should contact the Department Head. If the instructor is the Department Head, the matter should be referred to the Division Dean.

  • The Department Head will review the situation and may consult with the instructor and Dean to make a final determination.

6. Attendance-Related Withdrawal or Removal

A student who does not attend the first class meeting, or any two or more class meetings may be removed from the course if the instructor so requests via the Faculty Request to Remove Student form. Due to the nature of one-credit course schedules, an instructor may request that a student be removed from a one-credit course for any absence.

  • If an instructor requests removal for non-attendance:

    • During Add/Drop: The student will be dropped with no grade.

    • During the Withdrawal Period: A grade of W will be recorded.

    • After the Withdrawal Deadline: A grade of F will be issued.

7. Extended Absence and Leave Options

Students anticipating an extended absence due to medical, personal, or family reasons should consult the Leaves of Absence policy and may be eligible for a temporary or medical leave.

8. International Students

International students on F-1 visas must maintain full-time enrollment and attendance to comply with immigration regulations. Any need for a reduced course load should be discussed with the Office of International Student & Scholar Affairs (ISSA) in advance.