Federal regulations (34 CFR 668.22) require that when a recipient of Title IV grant or loan assistance withdraws during a payment period or period of enrollment in which the recipient began attendance, Clarkson College must determine the amount of Title IV grant or loan assistance that the student earned as of the student’s withdrawal date.

Procedure:

The school must demonstrate that the student has remained in academic attendance through a specified point in time. Clarkson College is classified as an institution that requires attendance to be taken throughout the semester. The last date of attendance is used as the withdrawal date. The Financial Aid Office must be notified within fourteen (14) business days of the date of last attendance, and federal funds must be returned within forty-five (45) days after the last date of attendance.

Students must attend all classes (on-campus/online) in which they are enrolled and follow the attendance policies of individual programs as specified in the course syllabus. Each program determines specific attendance policies to ensure regular and substantive interaction between faculty and students. Students in skills laboratory courses, clinical courses, practicums, and internships are required to attend. Classes may be made up within the same semester at the discretion of the faculty. In those cases where a crisis (as identified by the course faculty) has occurred, all appropriate College parties should be notified.

Per 34 CFR 668.22, the determination of the student’s last day of attendance must be based on an academically related activity, as documented by the school. The school must verify that the activity is academically related and that the student attended the activity.

Academic attendance and attendance at an academically related activity include, but are not limited to:

• Physically attending a class where there is an opportunity for direct interaction between the instructor and students.
• Submitting an academic assignment
• Taking an exam, an interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction
• Attending a study group that the institution assigns
• Participating in an online discussion about academic matters
• Initiating contact with the course faculty to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course.

Activities, where a student may be present but not academically engaged, include:

• Living in institutional housing
• Participating in the institution’s meal plan
• Logging into an online class without active participation
• Participating in academic counseling or advisement

STUDENT NON-ATTENDANCE REPORTING PROCEDURES

• Faculty are expected to inform students in writing of Clarkson College attendance policies in all their course syllabi.
• Each faculty member must take daily/weekly attendance in all theory, lab, clinical, and online class sessions.
• Faculty are expected to report, within two (2) working days of the last class missed, the names of students who have failed to complete academically related activities that have two (2) or more consecutive absences in a semester to the Registrar’s Office, using the forms designated for reporting non-attendance.
• Faculty submits non-attendance forms with the names of students with absences, as listed above, throughout the semester to the Registrar’s Office and Financial Aid Office.
• The Registrar’s Office sends a non-attendance letter to the student indicating awareness of the specific classes missed and communicating the potential consequences. The student will be advised to contact the faculty member immediately to regain continuity of class requirements. Failure to do so may result in course failure and possible administrative withdrawal/dismissal from the program.
• Copies of the non-attendance letter and the non-attendance form are routed to the Instructor, Program Director, Academic Advisor, Success Center, and Financial Aid Office.
• The Program Director or Academic Advisor will attempt to email or call the student after the non-attendance letter from the Registrar has been received. If no communication is returned, a follow-up phone call to the student’s emergency contact may be completed for the well-being of the student. No academic information will be shared with the contact outside of FERPA guidelines.