3.55.1 Class Attendance and Participation Procedure

Procedure Information

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Number: 3.55.1

Name: Class Attendance and Participation Procedure

Author: Policy Committee

Effective Date: May 28, 2024

Next Review Date: AY2028–2029

Regulatory Authority: 

• Minnesota State Board Procedure 5.12.1 – Military Service and Disabled Veterans
• Code of Federal Regulations 688.22 – Treatment of Title IV Funds When a Student Withdraws
• Minnesota Statute 192.502 – Armed Forces Personnel

PSEO students and students enrolled at other colleges must follow the North Hennepin official academic calendar as it relates to their attendance and registration at North Hennepin. Term breaks, holidays, and non-class days at other institutions and vacations do not supersede the North Hennepin requirements or academic calendar.

Part 2. Excused Student Absences.

Students are expected to attend and participate in all sessions of each class in which they are enrolled. However, North Hennepin recognizes that there are situations when attendance and participation may not be possible. In these situations, students are advised to notify their faculty member(s)—in advance whenever possible—of any absence.

Subpart A. Jury Duty.

The College encourages a student to accept their civic responsibility if they are called for jury duty. The student who seeks an excused absence for jury duty or court appearance has the responsibility to provide verification of the absence in advance by submitting a copy of the subpoena or official notification of jury duty to their faculty member(s). Under these circumstances, the faculty member is required to provide an accommodation for the student(s) who miss assignments, presentations, examinations, or other academic work during the excused absence.

Even though the student is excused, it is still the student’s responsibility to complete the academic work provided in the accommodation. If the absence becomes excessive to the point of an inability to complete the requirements of the class(es), the student is expected to consult with the faculty member to determine other options (i.e. drop, withdrawal, incomplete, etc.).

Subpart B. Military Active Duty and Veterans with a Service-Connected Disability.

Students who are members of any branch of the U.S. military and who are unable to complete a semester due to having been called to active duty and veterans with a service connected disability as described in Part 2 of Minnesota State Board Procedure 5.12.1, shall to the extent possible be provided one of the options outlined in Minnesota State Board Procedure 5.12.1. Students should immediately contact their faculty member(s) to discuss the option most appropriate for their situation.

Subpart C. Life Event.

Students who experience a “life event” that conflicts with class attendance and/or participation expectations as stated in the syllabus, must contact their faculty member(s) to discuss available options. If no options are available, it is the student’s responsibility to meet with an advisor to determine the next steps they should take. Accommodations for life events are at the discretion of the faculty member. The College should strive to accommodate life events regarding pregnancy and parenting in accordance with Title IX, 

Part 3. Unexcused Student Absences.

Students are expected to attend and participate in all sessions of each class in which they are enrolled. The College reserves the right to drop a student for non-attendance who does not attend the first class session if it is in the best interest of the College. This action may negatively impact financial aid, veteran's benefits, and international student status.

The College will default to syllabus statements when conflicts related to attendance/participation occur between the faculty member and the student.

Part 4. Last Date of Attendance (LDA).

A student’s Last Date of Attendance (LDA) is the last day they were academically engaged as defined in the class syllabus. Faculty members are required to report non-academically engaged students as non-attending. The purpose of recording an LDA is to appropriately assess the financial liability for students, ensure good stewardship of financial aid funds, limit the financial liability for the college, and limit academic consequences for the student.

Subpart A. Frequency of Reporting Last Date of Attendance (LDA).

LDA reporting begins the second week of the semester, prior to disbursement.  Faculty may also choose to update a student’s LDA at any point during the semester.  Faculty members are only responsible for recording LDA for courses they are teaching at the administratively required reporting dates. Faculty members may choose to report a student’s LDA more frequently.

Subpart B. Academic Impact of a Reported Last Date of Attendance (LDA).

Students who are reported as not attending a class will receive either an FN or an NN grade on their transcript. An FN is recorded for classes numbered 1000 or higher and counts as an F in the GPA. An NN grade is recorded for all classes numbered below 1000 and does not count in the GPA. Both an FN and an NN count towards the cumulative completion rate, which may affect the student’s academic progress. Refer to Policy 2.9 and Procedure 2.9.1, Satisfactory Academic Progress, at www.nhcc.edu/policies for more details. Prior to the course withdrawal deadline, students may visit the Records and Registration Office to change an FN or NN grade to a W (withdrawal). The LDA that was reported by the faculty will remain unchanged, so the impact on the student’s financial aid award for that semester will remain unchanged.

Subpart C. Financial Aid Impact of a Reported Last Date of Attendance (LDA).

A student who stops attending a class(es) must immediately withdraw from the class(es), and is responsible for understanding the impact of such action on their student account. If it is determined that a student received financial aid for a class(es) the student did not attend, or if a student stops attending classes prior to the 60% point of their enrollment period, the student’s financial aid will be recalculated based on Federal and State financial aid regulations. The recalculated financial aid may result in the student owing the college money for unearned financial aid.

Subpart D. Readmission to Class.

A student who has been removed from class through the LDA process and received an FN/NN may request reentry into the class by contacting the faculty member. Readmission to the class is not guaranteed and is at the faculty member’s discretion.  A student who is readmitted and does not meet the attendance requirements of the course may be reported through the Student Code of Conduct process. See the Code of Conduct policy and procedure.

Part 5. Campus Review

History

• III.03.19 Adopted 3-25-09 under Ann Wynia
• Revised spring 2013
• Reviewed Fall 2018
• Reviewed Spring 2024, updated hyperlinks