The student will be terminated from the training program if the student is absent more than the allowable days.
Daily Attendance
Attendance is required and expected every scheduled class day. Class time missed during any course, whether it is due to being absent, late, or leaving early, will be reflected on the student's overall grade. Attendance can account for a minimum of 10% of the final grade. Excessive absences may result in a failing grade. A student should check with his or her instructors regarding attendance requirements for each class.
A student may be required to retake a course if poor attendance has affected his/her progress.
To insure the safety of students, some courses require 100% attendance during certain phases such as emergency procedures training. In practical courses, should the instructor determine that it is unsafe for the student to participate due to absenteeism, the instructor may assign the student to other duties.
Cumulative Standard
The Registrar's Office reviews student attendance each term. If a student's cumulative attendance to date falls below the program specific requirements, the student will receive an attendance warning.
Attendance Warning
A student receiving an attendance warning must bring the attendance percentage above the minimum standard by the end of the current term, otherwise, the student will be placed on probation.
Consecutive Standard
Students absent five (5) consecutive days of class, who are not on an official leave of absence (LOA) will be automatically dropped from the College. For students who are dropped under this standard, the last date the student attended class will be reported to the lender as the "last date of attendance."
Tardiness
Punctuality is also required and expected. Excessive and /or habitual tardiness will result in a reduction of the student's overall grade. In some cases, attendance is recognized in two-hour blocks. Accordingly, if a student is missing from class for 15-30 minutes at any time during the day, s/he may be marked as being absent for 2 hours. (See the attendance requirements for the specific program.)
Leave of Absence
A leave of absence (LOA) is an approved period of time during which the student is not required to attend class. A student may take multiple leaves within a twelve-month period not exceed 180 days. LOAs typically are granted in increments of five weeks. At his/her discretion, the designated College official may approve a written request for an extension of a leave of absence.
Any medical leaves require a statement from a physician at the time the leave is granted. A release from a physician is required prior to the student returning to normal school activities. The College reserves the right to make the final determination for the student's ability to resume normal school activities.If the student is a Title IV loan program recipient, prior to granting the leave of absence, the College will explain to the student in writing the effects that the student's failure to return from a leave of absence may have on the student's loan repayment terms, including the exhaustion of some or all of the student's grace period.
1. Initiating a Leave. A student must request an LOA in writing from the Registrar's Office, which must also include the reason for the request. The Registrar will assist the student in completing the LOA request form and direct the student through the routing process for administrative approvals. The request must be made prior to the time the leave is taken and be approved by the designated official. Failure to do so will result in a drop. Approvals will not be granted if the College determines that there is not a reasonable expectation that the student will return to the College. (If unforeseen circumstances prevent a student from providing a prior written request, the College may grant the student's request for a leave of absence if the student provides the College with a written LOA at a later date. The College will document its decision to grant such a LOA.)
Request of LOA made before the third class session of any course and the grade reported will be a "W". Requests made after attending the third class session will result in a Drop and a grade will be recorded (in most cases, the grade will be an "F"). Exceptions will be considered for extreme cases only.
2. Returning from Leave. Prior to the return date, the student should contact the Registrar's Office to confirm that all requirements to return from the leave of absence have been met. The student may be required to resubmit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid to determine Pell Grant and loan eligibility. Re-applying for student loan funds refunded to the lender increases the total amount of loan fees. A student may be required to repeat and /or audit one or more courses upon return.
3. Failure to Return. If a student on leave informs the College that he/she will not return on the date scheduled, the College will consider that student withdrawn (dropped) from the date the College was informed. If the student on leave neither informs the College nor shows for class on the date of return, the College will consider the student withdrawn on the date scheduled for returning to class. The student's last day of attendance (LDA) prior to the start of the LOA will be used as the withdrawal date reported to the lenders.
Notifications to Lenders Regarding Leave of Absence. The College will provide written notification to the lender(s) and /or necessary agencies in a timely manner on any change in student's status since the student projected graduation date is extended as a result of an approved LOA.
