Accommodation for additional absences?

[u/Local_Indication9669]

"Reasonably modify attendance policy to offer additional absences and the ability to

reschedule exams/quizzes within a week for disability-related reasons if it does not

fundamentally alter the essential requirements of the course."

Has anyone managed an accommodation like this before? I think I'll schedule a meeting with our disabilities office; but, was wondering if anyone has managed something like this before?

[u/Adultarescence]

FWIW, I've had students with the accommodation before, but it's never been used. The disability has always been a monitored, treatable health condition that may have unexpected flare-ups.

[u/goldengrove1 → u/Adultarescence]

Yeah, I had a student with this accommodation for epilepsy. I agree that they should not need to take an exam in the midst of or immediately following a seizure.

I think it's reasonable to ask the disability office how to proceed. In my case they + the student agreed that a policy of "if you send me a doctor's note I'll waive the attendance penalty/move the exam" was reasonable, and then they never ended up needing anything moved.

[u/coursejunkie → u/goldengrove1]

Your students are so lucky, I had a seizure literally right before an exam which left me post-ical and they made me take it even though I missed the first 15 minutes!

[u/Southern-Cloud-9616 → u/coursejunkie]

Oh geez. That's awful. I have had seizures two times while teaching. Having epilepsy has made me incredibly empathetic toward students with disabilities: I know how much it sucks.

[u/FrogBrain97]

Yes--there are a number of threads here that you can search. Talk with Disabilities; they've encountered this before and can help you navigate it.

[u/Hazelstone37]

I don’t do make-up quizzes or exams, but I move the weight of the quiz to the final exam if the absence is excused. I do this for everyone, though. I’ve never had an accommodation that asks for make-ups within a week. I don’t want to create and proctor make-up exams.

[u/Loose_Wolverine3192]

I've heard of it. My classes all include group work, which essentially can't be rescheduled, meaning that such an accommodation would fundamentally alter the nature of the class.

If you don't have that, you may be stuck having to do this.

[u/Working_Film_5871]

It's just like if you have a limit of 4 before a grade reduction, how about giving the student 5. Something like that. Talk to the person who wrote the memo. They will tell you it's not meant to be a get out of class free card.

[u/ulilshiiit]

I had an accommodation for attendance in undergrad, because I have a chronic illness that can have unexpected flare ups. I often didn’t need to miss extra classes, but when I did, I reeeaaallly needed it.

[u/Rippin_Chaz]

This is brutal for exams. Two sections of a course means two exams, two solution manuals, and two grading rubrics. Solutions get posted right after the exam because the idea is sort of supposed to be the students can learn from them. An accommodated make up exam means another exam, solution, and rubric need to be written, or wait to post solutions (delay the majority of the students’ learning) and hope students aren’t discussing exam material.

It’s not “oh just offer a makeup,” it’s “turn this into a nine-document exercise, take an hour off schedule, and open an additional thought stream.” My back needs an accommodation to not have to do this nonsense.

ETA: I already drop the lowest exam score for all students as a catch all to justify no makeup exams. Not good enough for the disability office.

[u/auntanniesalligator → u/Rippin_Chaz]

I get what you’re saying about posting solutions quickly, but writing a whole other version of the test instead of holding back the solutions for a few days seems like a poor trade-off.

I don’t post solutions until the tests are all graded. Then I let them see their score and the solutions at the same time.

[u/Rippin_Chaz → u/auntanniesalligator]

And just trust nobody is talking about the exam? There is no reasonable solution for makeups.

[u/auntanniesalligator → u/Rippin_Chaz]

Yeah I also don’t offer general makeups, partly for that reason. But for a few students with accommodations, no, I’m not writing more versions.

[u/Rippin_Chaz → u/auntanniesalligator]

Sounds like a hell of an accommodation.

[u/journoprof]

Yes. I notified the student and the disabilities office of my existing absence policy and the modification I could offer while maintaining standards. (The student exceeded those and failed.)

[u/yourlurkingprof]

I get something similar pretty regularly. At my institution they call it a “flexible attendance accommodation.” For us, it also comes with a required procedure. The student and I need to come up with a “flexible plan” for attendance. It sets up expectations like: you must contact me before or within X days to activate an excused absence, you can/cannot be excused from X, Y, Z days/events, etc. etc. If your institution doesn’t mandate a flex plan, I’d suggest developing on in writing with the student. It gives you both a clear contract/paper trail.

[u/threeblackcatz]

I’ve had this and it was awful. I teach a lab-based class that you can’t make up, due to set up and availability limitations as well as reagents. Unfortunately, the student abused the accommodation and almost never attended class. The student ended up having to withdraw because despite her accommodation, she wasn’t present enough to master the content or show equivalent mastery for missed labs. I’m talking missing 70% of the classes and coming halfway through the classes attended.

[u/Alternative-Pear9096]

 if it does not fundamentally alter the essential requirements of the course.

That's your key. Your class requires attendance, additional absences fundamentally alter the requirements. If you don;t allow make-up exams, that is a policy decision made and changing fundamentally alters the requirements for the class.

[u/Life-Education-8030]

I tell the accommodations office that this is already taken care of through my emergencies policy and that is it. If ANY student had an emergency, I would work with them. No emergency? Then I am under no obligation to do anything different.