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Phase 1 Attendance and Late Arrival Policy

Approved by CCIA on 7/31/2019, 8/4/2021, 8/2/2022, 8/2/2023

Attendance is an Element of Professional Engagement Heading link

Physicians in practice are expected to engage fully in their professional responsibilities to maintain the trust of the public they serve. Attendance and punctuality are particularly important reflections of this professional engagement. The MD Program at the University of Illinois College of Medicine maintains firm attendance policies for several reasons:

  • Punctuality during medical school instills the habits that learners will need as clinicians in practice.
  • Anticipating and communicating the need to be absent from mandatory curricular sessions is a demonstration of learners’ good judgment; framing this need in the form of a request (e.g., asking permission) is a demonstration of learners’ respect for one’s colleagues and recognition of how absences impact the workplace.
  • The majority of in-person learner curricular time is in active learning formats. Learner participation is an essential element for both individual learning and learning of peers as collaborative teams.
  • In many learning sessions, specific resources (e.g., cadavers) or services (e.g., standardized patients) have been provided and scheduled for learners based on the anticipated number of learners in the class.

The faculty consider learners’ presence at mandatory learning sessions to be a fundamental part of the academic expectations of the MD program. As in professional practice, a pattern of tardiness or absences, whether excused or unexcused is not acceptable. If a pattern is observed, a meeting with curricular administration may occur.

College-wide Policy and Procedures Heading link

The Illinois Medicine Curriculum Phase 1 Attendance Policy is consistent for all campuses and is approved by the College Committee on Instruction and Appraisal. Students are expected to be in their seat prepared to engage in the session at the scheduled start time of the session. The process for documenting attendance requires each student verifying attendance for the session by completing a “sign in” within the first 10 minutes of class. Each campus procedure in applying the Phase 1 Attendance Policy is approved by the cross-campus curricular deans.

Learning activities with required attendance Heading link

Students are encouraged to attend all learning sessions offered in the Phase 1 courses. All learning sessions with required attendance are designated as mandatory in the course syllabi.

Learning sessions not listed as mandatory in the syllabi do not require attendance but students remain responsible for all material covered during these sessions.

Excused absences Heading link

Each campus has a procedure by which students must request excused absences. Students should work with their local campus administrator to ensure they are following the correct procedure for requesting an excused absence. Each process has the following in common:

  • All attendance-related communication from and to individual students must be in writing.
  • Communication about absences for mandatory sessions are expected, regardless if they will be excused or unexcused.
  • The curriculum administration on a specific campus, applying College-wide procedures, determines if students’ absences are to be excused or unexcused, in accordance with the attendance policy.
  • Communication of those decisions to students indicates that the decision was made by curriculum administration on a specific campus, applying College-wide procedures.
  • Requests for excused absences may prompt further discussion with curriculum administration to provide support and determine whether the absence qualifies as excused.
  • Refer to campus procedures for communication processes.

Examples of absence requests that are often approved by the curriculum administration include:

  1. Illness of student (mental and physical illness), significant other or family member*
  2. Funeral of a significant other or family member
  3. Healthcare provider appointment for student
  4. Religious holidays* (See UIC Senate Policy on Religious Holidays)
  5. Own wedding (maximum 3 days)
  6. Jury duty
  7. Court date
  8. Inability to obtain emergency childcare (maximum 3 days across the term)

*Documentation is required if the illness exceeds three days

Examples of absence requests that may be approved by the curriculum administration include:

  1. Illness of extended family member or friend
  2. Student participation on a College of Medicine Committee
  3. Funeral of a friend
  4. Major life event of a significant person in the student’s life (e.g. another’s wedding, graduation, match day etc) (maximum of three days based on location and date of event)
  5. Presenting or playing a key role at a medical conference or other professional organization meeting
  6. Pet medical emergencies
  7. Other circumstances of an extreme, unanticipated, and compelling nature

If an absence is anticipated, permission must be requested prior to the date of the learning session in order to be counted as an excused absence. When permission can not be requested prior to the session (extenuating circumstances), the request must be submitted within 48 hours of the learning session. If this is not done the absence will be considered unexcused.

Unexcused absences Heading link

Reasons for absence that are considered unexcused

  1. Employment conflict
  2. Missed ride
  3. Missed flight/bus/train
  4. Overslept/forgot to set alarm
  5. Out of town without prior excusal
  6. Listed wrong date on personal calendar
  7. Travel booked before schedule is finalized
  8. Administrative appointments (Passport, DMV, etc)

Phase 1 Courses: Implication of unexcused absences

Block Courses 1-7:

Professional engagement points are part of the grade composition for each Block. One Professional Engagement point will be lost for each unexcused day of absence within the Block course.

Exceeding the specified number of unexcused absences listed below results in a failing course grade regardless of performance on other course grade elements.

Blocks 1 – 7 unexcused absences allowed before course failure:

  • three unexcused absences within a single Block

DoCS 1 and 2

Within the longitudinal DoCS course, the grade is compiled on a term schedule; exceeding the specified number of unexcused absences per term listed below results in a failing course grade regardless of performance on other course grade elements.

DoCS 1 unexcused absences allowed before course failure:

  • three unexcused absences in the Fall term
  • two unexcused absences in the Spring term
  • one unexcused absence in the Summer term

DoCS 2 unexcused absences allowed before course failure:

  • three unexcused absences in the Fall term
  • one unexcused absence in the Spring term

Synthesis

The course syllabus documents the mandatory sessions within a term that a student must attend to meet the minimum pass level for the term. Failure to attend the minimum amount of sessions for the term may result in an unmet requirement in the Synthesis course. A minimum pass level (MPL) is set for the term.

Medical Colloquia

If a student has signed up for but does not attend the Medical Colloquia session for an unexcused reason, it will count as an unexcused absence.

Number of unexcused absences allowed before course failure:

  • One unexcused absence in any term.
  • Students must meet other course requirements outlined in the syllabi to pass the course.

Phase 1 Courses: Implications of failure to sign in

 “Failure to sign in” is an instance in which students are in attendance for an in-person session, but fail to log their attendance within the first 10 minutes of the session by the usual sign in procedure. The student will need to contact the administrator to request use of the “failure to sign in” within 24 hours of the learning session if the reason for their missed sign in fits the criteria listed above for an excused absence. If this is not completed, it will count as an unexcused absence. Refer to the unexcused absence section for implications for each course.

Each course has designated the maximum failure to sign-in designations before additional absences are subsequently counted as unexcused:

  • Blocks 1-8: Two failures to sign into a session without penalty for an unexcused absence.
  • DoCS (fall and spring terms): Two failures to sign into a session without penalty for an unexcused absence
  • DoCS (summer term): One failure to sign into a session without penalty for an unexcused absence.
  • Synthesis weeks term with 1 week: One failure to sign into a session without penalty for an unexcused absence.
  • Synthesis weeks (term with 2 weeks): Two failures to sign into a session without penalty for an unexcused absence.

Late Arrival to an Exam or OSCE in any course in Phase 1 Heading link

Students are expected to arrive before the scheduled start time of an exam. Late arrival to exams is disruptive to faculty, staff, and classmates, and will be noted.

Students who arrive late but within 20 minutes of the scheduled start of an assessment (i.e. exam or OSCE) are still eligible to sit for the exam.

Students who arrive more than 20 minutes late will be directed to the appropriate exam administrator. Students without an excused absence will receive a score of zero for the exam. Students with an excused absence will be rescheduled to take the exam at a later date and/or time. Students should refer to the Academic Policies and Professional Standards document regarding how failure of an exam may affect their academic progress.

Campus Specific Information Heading link