Faculty Handbook

departmental budgets and must be requested and approved by the Department Chair prior to the term the course is taught. Attendance in Courses and Clinic All lecture courses are delivered in-person except for select remote access or hybrid courses with permission from the Office of Academic Affairs. All lectures are recorded and available to registered students for asynchronous viewing through the college’s course management system. All laboratories and small group seminars are delivered in-person unless permission is granted from the Office of Academic Affairs. Policies regarding attendance in courses are determined by the IOR. A clear statement of the policy and its use in grading will be articulated to the students in the course syllabus and at the beginning of class. Unless explicitly stated, attendance in classes, seminars, or laboratories, is at the discretion of the student, who is responsible for all requirements, including those requiring participation, all materials and assignments covered in the course. Students missing any class, seminar, lab, or clinic may not expect special accommodations without prior specific requests to, and approval by, the IOR, who has full discretion on such matters. Attendance in clinic assignments is always mandatory. Procedures for dealing with anticipated absence or disciplinary action for failure to follow these procedures are established and communicated to the students by the Department of Clinical Education. Student Leave from Courses and Clinic The College supports and encourages volunteerism, community engagement and participation in professional opportunities including but not limited to medical service trips, scientific conferences, organized optometric advocacy trips, optometry meetings, residency interviews, and other professional activities. Students requesting leave from scheduled classes and/or clinics must request an excused absence for the activities they will miss. Sick leave and personal leave will be accommodated whenever possible, except for long periods of time when a leave of absence may be recommended. Excused absences for personal, sick, or professional reasons may require make-ups and is at the discretion of the IOR, respective service chief, and/or the Director of Externships and external primary clinic supervisor. While it is recognized that there are many legitimate reasons for requesting leave and every effort will be made to accommodate requests, student’s successful completion of the professional degree program is the highest priority. As such, students are also expected to prioritize completion of the professional degree program requirements. Accordingly, students should consider their priorities and anticipate and plan all activities involving leave well in advance or by the beginning of each academic year. The Department Chairs and instructors are available for guidance, and to answer any questions.

Approval of leave requests will be based on several factors including: • The reason for leave, • The number of leave requests the student has requested, • The student’s academic standing in the professional degree program,

• The number of students requesting leave for a particular activity. If a significant number of students request leave, attendance may be capped, and preference will be given to those presenting at the conference.

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