In response to the challenges brought about by COVID-19, the way we handle student absence verification has evolved significantly. Before the pandemic, our office provided verification services for students facing extenuating circumstances. During the height of COVID, the need for immediate illness reporting and the resulting faculty referrals became routine, leading to the practice of reporting all class attendance issues. Moving forward, the Office of the Dean of Students will refocus its efforts, handling only cases involving extenuating circumstances. It is crucial that faculty refer students to our office only for these serious situations. Below, you’ll find guidance on what constitutes an extenuating circumstance and what does not along with an outline of the updated process.
How the Student Absence Verification Changed Due to COVID
- Prior to COVID, our office provided absence excuse verification services to students with extenuating circumstances.
- During the peak of COVID, students quickly adapted to reporting illness immediately due to the required health protocols, and faculty were similarly accustomed to referring students when they were sick. This led to the practice of reporting any and all obstacles to attending class continuing today.
- The Office of the Dean of Students will no longer be managing all attendance issues; we will only support extenuating circumstances. Please ONLY refer students to our office when these types of circumstances arise.
What are Extenuating Circumstances?
- Prolonged Illness/Chronic Health Issues
- Hospitalization
- Family Emergencies (e.g., death of an immediate family member)
- Fire and Flood Emergencies
- Military Deployment
- Etc.
What are Not Extenuating Circumstances?
- Singular/Follow-Up Medical Appointments
- Transportation Issues (e.g., parking, traffic, car trouble, flight delays)
- Vacation
- Etc.
What Does the Process Look Like?
- The student contacts the Office of the Dean of Students, providing documentation that will be validated, covering the span of their absence from class.
- The documentation is reviewed and validated by the Office of the Dean of Students.
- If approved, an email is sent to all relevant faculty confirming the student’s documentation.
- The student is notified that the email was sent to their faculty if they are not cc’d on that email.
- The decision to provide or not provide flexibility to the student is made by the course’s faculty, not the Office of the Dean of Students.
- Please note that our office will not be involved in the process beyond this point unless the faculty needs clarifying information, would like guidance or a second opinion. It is up to the student to follow up with their professor(s) directly about course requirements.
We recognize that life happens-students get sick, struggle with transportation issues, or face family emergencies. Your Department Chair, School Director or the Office of Faculty Excellence may be helpful in developing a plan and practice to deal with these issues. Faculty are highly encouraged to review the OFE Attendance: Options and Considerations.
If you have any questions, please contact our office at deanofstudents@montclair.edu or 973-655-4118.