Attendance Policy

Attendance Policy for the School of Dentistry

  1. Purpose
    Creighton University School of Dentistry’s primary obligation is the comprehensive and holistic education of the students and assurance of defined curricular length. Implicit in the achievement of this obligation will be the student’s required attendance of classes, laboratories, and clinic session.
    At the start of every course, each course director publishes the course syllabus which includes the instructor’s expectation for student participation and attendance. It is the student’s responsibility to note the expectations and fulfill them.
  2. Scope
    This policy applies to the student body.
  3. Administrative Responsibility
    The Office of Student Affairs determines authorized absences from didactic, laboratory and clinical courses in accordance with the Attendance Policy.
  4. Definitions
    1. Good Standing - as defined by Student Performance Committee metrics; having a GPA of 2.0 or above, not currently on probation and without an “F” in the current grading period.
    2. Officer - an elected position with the School of Dentistry student body or an elected position at a regional or national level in a recognized student organization.
    3. Candidate - an individual put forth in nomination to an official position within a recognized student organization.
    4. School sanctioned - an event vetted by an appropriate School of Dentistry or University body and/or by a designated administrator of the School.
    5. Personal Event - a non-school related event for which a student is requesting an excused absence (eg: wedding, funeral, family reunion, etc.)
  5. Policy
    To provide an appropriate review and adjudication of student absences while protecting the delivery of curricular content fairly, equitable and in totality for the student body.
  6. Procedures
    1. Personal Events and Illness
      In recognition of the need to address personal events and illness:
      1. Students are permitted to receive five (5) excused absences annually (August-May for D1 students, May-May for D2-D4 students) upon request and with appropriate documentation.
      2. Absences are recorded in half day and full day increments only.
      3. Absences resulting in a missed final or practical exam must be of an emergency nature and will require a physician's note.
      4. Absences which extend beyond the cumulative, allotted five (5) days will result in one or several of the following consequences:
        1. an unexcused absence,
        2. meeting with the Assistant/Associate Dean for Student Affairs,
        3. and/or referral to the Student Performance Committee.
    2. Exemption
      Exemptions to the five (5) day limit may be considered with documentation and include;
      1. job or residency interviews,
      2. externships, (not to exceed five (5) additional days),
      3. documented jury or military duty,
      4. representation of the School of Dentistry at
        1. professional meetings (ie: ASDA, ADEA, SNDA, and ADA), as an officer or candidate for office and while in good standing
        2. school sanctioned events (For example, Project Homeless Connect, Special Olympics, IPE Passport), as a student in-good standing
      5. death of an immediate family member
    3. Non-School Sponsored Events
      A limited number of students will be considered for non-school sponsored continuing education courses which may interfere with didactic courses and/or their delivery of patient care during normal clinical operations. These cases will be considered individually and in collaboration with the Chief Dental Officer and the Assistant/Associate Dean for Student Affairs, the relative department chair and course director when necessary. To be eligible, students must:
      1. be of good standing,
      2. be on-pace for meeting formative clinical experiences for their academic year,
      3. not have exceeded the number of absences allotted annually for personal events, illnesses and exemptions,
      4. not have experienced or have no upcoming approved "planned" absence for which a Plan of Study and Patient care has been developed.
    4. Planned Absences
      Planned absences extending beyond the allocated limit (5 Personal Events/Illnesses, 5 Exemptions) require a Plan of Study and Patient Care to be completed and approved at least two weeks in advance of the requested excused absence dates by Assistant/Associate Dean for Student Affairs.  Development of a Plan of Study and/or Patient Care will be in collaboration of the Assistant/Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and the Assistant/Associate Dean of Clinics in conjunction with appropriate course directors. 
    5. Withdrawal
      If absences occur for two consecutive weeks without prior approval, the student will be considered as having withdrawn from the University. This is not to be considered, however, as revoking the regulation that requires the student to notify the Dean in person or in writing of his or her withdrawal. Refunds are made to the student on the basis of the date the student has formally notified the Dean in person or in writing of withdrawal.
  7. Student Protocols for Excused Absences
    1. Excused Illness
      1. To receive an excused absence for an illness, students must contact the Office of Student Affairs at least one hour prior to the schedule start of the day unless they are experiencing a medical or personal emergency. Excused absences will not be granted if requests are made after the date of the illness.
      2. Students should make arrangements for missed work with individual course instructors per the course syllabi.
      3. Absences resulting in a missed final or practical exam must be of an emergency nature and will require a physician's note. Students who are involved in patient care are also required to notify their Patient Care Coordinator (PCC).
    2. Excused University-Sponsored Event:
      1. Excused absences for University or School sponsored events must be cleared with the Office of Student Affairs (the Absence) by the responsible faculty moderator.  Examples of excused planned absences for university sponsored events include service-learning trips, internships, and externships. 
      2. Applications for internships/externships are managed through the Director of Extramural Programs.  Applications will be signed by the deans for Academic Affairs, Clinical Services, and Student Affairs.
      3. If a student is assigned to a block rotation during the requested absence, it is the student’s responsibility to arrange a substitute and to make-up that assignment.  Students must contact the department for approval of another student substitute covering their block assignment.
      4. The student is responsible for contacting the involved faculty to address missed assignments, quizzes, and exams in compliance with the instructor’s make-up policy as described in the faculty member’s syllabus.
      5. School sponsored events will not count against the maximum allowable excused absences.
    3. Excused Personal Event:
      1. An excused absence for a planned personal event must be requested 2 WEEKS in advance to the Office of Student Affairs.  
      2. An excused absence for a personal event is limited to 3 days, requires documentation, and approval by the Office of Student Affairs.  Documentation includes a: wedding invitation; obituary; etc. Exceptions are provided at the discretion of the Assistant/Associate Dean for Student Affairs.
      3. If a student is assigned to a block rotation during the requested absence, it is the student’s responsibility to arrange a substitute and to make-up that assignment. Students must contact the department for approval of another student substitute covering their block assignment.
      4. The student is responsible for contacting the involved faculty to address missed assignments, quizzes, and exams in compliance with the instructor’s make-up policy as described in the faculty member’s syllabus.
      5. If an extended leave exceeding 5 consecutive days is requested, a Plan of Study and Patient Care must be completed and approved by the deans for Academic Affairs, Clinical Affairs, and Student Affairs. Examples include: chronic illness, maternity leave, extreme family hardship.
      6. Excused absences will not be granted on dates immediately preceding or following holiday weekends or designated break periods on the school calendar.  Exceptions to this provision will be granted only in extraordinary circumstances and must be cleared in advance by the Office for Student Affairs.
  8. Student Protocols for Unexcused Absences
    1. Didactic and Lab Courses:
      Unexcused absences will be addressed by the course director in collaboration with the Office of Student Affairs.
    2. Clinical Courses and Experience: 
      For each unexcused clinic session absence, 15 RVUs will be subtracted from the total earned and a make-up clinic session will be required after 2 such absences.  Make-up sessions may be applied at the end of the semester, or during the semester to provide emergency coverage when school is not in session. For each missed session, a make-up session will be required. The assignment to these sessions will be determined by the Assistant/Associate Dean for Clinical Services.
  9. Failure to Comply
    1. Failure to adhere to the attendance policy may require the attendance at additional clinic sessions during the following summer and may result in a delayed graduation.  For course work, students will be subject to attendance requirements and performance expectations as outlined in their course syllabi which may include potential grade reductions, additional work plans and ramification of their course performance as reviewed by the Student Performance Committee.
    2. After two (2) unexcused clinic session absences, the student will be referred to the Student Performance Committee for failure to follow clinic policy. The Associate Dean for Clinical Services may impose other measures as deemed appropriate.
    3. A student who has been unavoidably absent and who cannot make up the work of a course will be permitted to withdraw without penalty. The student will receive a grade of W and no credit.  A student who is dropped from a course for unexcused absences will receive a grade of AF (absence failure). Once a grade of AF has been assigned, the student is not eligible to receive a W.
  10. Amendment Statement
    The University/School has the right to amend and individual units of the University have the right to use the policy as a foundational document in the development of specific policy for that unit in order to meet its specific operating conditions or accreditation requirements with prior approval to do so.
  11. Additional Information, Resources and Attachments
    None.

Approved by the School of Dentistry: 01/06/2020