Students are expected to attend all regularly scheduled classes at the University for which they are registered. In cases of illness, students are to explain their absences directly to their instructors. The grades of students who have met the requirements of the instructor in making up their work shall not be reduced for absence because of illness. Students are not to be penalized for official off-campus trips. 

During the Add/Drop period, faculty members are allowed to drop students who are absent from the first two class meetings and have failed to make special arrangements with the instructor. However, students should be aware that non-attendance is not a means of automatically dropping a course. Students who intend to drop a course should do so during the Add/Drop period. Students who do not drop or withdraw from a course through normal procedures may receive a grade of F for the course. 

However, students cannot be penalized for activity missed before their official enrollment begins in the class (i.e., an instructor cannot take off attendance points for missed classes or deduct graded points for missed/late assignments prior to the student's official enrollment in the class). Instructors must provide the student an opportunity to start the class on their first official day of enrollment with 100% graded work, attendance, participation points available and provide reasonable accommodations for the student to make up missed assignments without penalty that were due prior to the student's official enrollment day in the class. 

Thereafter, although an instructor may not unilaterally drop a student from a course for poor attendance, an instructor teaching a course where grading criteria are spelled out may lower a grade or even fail a student for poor attendance (see Course Management Guidelines For Instructors). Faculty may, however, drop from the roster a student who is disruptive in the classroom (see Section V. Registration in Courses and Withdrawal, paragraph E. Removal from Roster by Instructor Due to Non-Attendance, etc.). 

Students absent due to extenuating circumstances-including jury duty, military obligations, scheduled activities for other classes, the death of a family member, or verifiable health-related incapacity-remain responsible for meeting all class requirements and contacting the faculty member in a timely fashion about making up missed work. Faculty shall offer such students reasonable assistance in making up missed classes (i.e., making arrangements for attendance at labs or discussion sections which meet at other times; providing makeup exams or labs where feasible or offer mutually agreeable alternatives to make up work). 

When scheduled events, such as athletic events, conflict with more than 20 percent of the scheduled meeting times of a course, the student is required to drop one or the other. When the overlap is less than 20 percent, the student may engage in both activities, but remains responsible for meeting all requirements of the course. 

In considering whether to grant an excuse for an absence caused by illness or other extenuating nonacademic reasons, faculty have the right to require formal, written documentation, within the limits of the health care provider's policy (see Excuses of Absence for Health Reasons).

Source: Academic Regulations