University Approved Absence Office

The University Approved Absence Office (UAAO) was created in 2018 to implement and provide clarity on the Class Attendance Policy and assist students, faculty, and staff with communication about University Approved Absences. The UAAO is a functional unit within the Dean of Students (DOS) Office and works closely with the Educational Policy Committee (EPC), Campus Health (CH), Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Gender Violence Services Coordinators (GVSCs), and the Equal Opportunity and Compliance Office (EOC).

The UAAO does not issue absences during final exams (see Attendance, Grading, and Examinations page for details about absence requests during final exams).

Class Attendance Policy

(Maintained by the Education Policy Committee. Resolution 2024-6, passed in April 2024.)

This policy applies to university approved class absences (listed below) during the regular term.

Regular class attendance is a student obligation. Students are responsible for all their work, including assessments, tests, written work, and all class meetings. If a course instructor chooses to take attendance and sees that a student misses three or more consecutive class meetings or misses more classes than the course instructor thinks advisable, the instructor may report the facts to the student’s advisor and/or academic dean.

No right or privilege exists that permits a student to be absent from any class meetings, except for these University Approved Absences:

Authorized University activities;

Disability/religious observance/pregnancy, or short-term military service as required by law and approved by the Equal Opportunity and Compliance Office, or in the case of short-term military service, the Dean of Students;

Significant health condition and/or personal/family emergency as approved by the Dean of Students Office, Campus Health, Counseling and Psychological Services, Gender Violence Services Coordinators, and/or the Equal Opportunity and Compliance Office.

Instructors may work with students to meet attendance needs that do not fall within University Approved Absences. For situations when an absence is not University approved (e.g., a job interview or club activity), instructors determine their own approach to missed classes and make-up assessments and assignments.

The University’s policy regarding UAAs, as well as the instructor’s course-level policies, are communicated to students via the instructor’s course syllabus on the first day of class.

Students are encouraged to communicate with their instructors early about potential absences and are reminded that they are bound by the Honor Code when making a request for a University Approved Absence.

Make-up Coursework and Assessment

All students with University Approved Absences will be treated fairly and equitably, regardless of the reason for the absence. The rationale for the University Approved Absence will not be communicated in the notification to instructors.

Instructors will provide reasonable adjustments that permit course objectives and learning outcomes to be met. These adjustments must allow students to demonstrate what they have learned and not penalize the students’ final grade in the course. Faculty will clearly define these adjustments in the syllabus. It is a University expectation that instructors be prudent, fair, and equitable when a student misses an assessment due to a University Approved Absence. The total number of allowable University Approved Absences per course will be based on individual course learning methodologies and outcomes as determined by the student, their course instructor(s) and the designated university office/department (e.g., EOC, department chair).

The Undergraduate Testing Center provides a secure, proctored environment for the administration of makeup assessments, tests, and exams for undergraduate and graduate courses throughout each term. There are regularly scheduled session times each week in addition to the Center’s traditional use during final exam time. Please see the center’s website for more information and instructions as well as teaching and learning resources provided by the Center for Faculty Excellence. Note: Students registered with EOC Accommodations should utilize that office’s testing center.

Contact Us

If you need to contact the University Approved Absence Office, you can do so by emailing uaao@unc.edu.

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (when the University is open)

Submit a UAA request

If you need to submit a UAA request, you can do so via the UAAO Hub. Please note that requests submitted via email will not be reviewed. You can find more information on the Submit a Request page.

Communication Tips