The following policy is intended to provide clarity about required measures related to instructor absences and changes in mode of instruction. Informing units of absences and plans for coverage or makeup of missed instructional duties is a professional responsibility and an expectation of the college. The College of Arts and Sciences requires that units provide instructors with a web-based form for easy submission, approval, and archiving of requests for absence and that instructors, including faculty members and graduate students, complete Memorandum of Absence forms when they are unable to be present in their classes due to approved planned absences. Unplanned absences related to illness or emergencies are discussed separately below.
Planning ahead for absences:
- As described in the campus Instructional Continuity Guidelines, “ all instructors should include a statement on their syllabus that explains the mode of communication they will use (e.g., @huskers.unl.edu email or Canvas) if in-person classes are canceled and the campus follows instructional continuity plans.” Instructors are also encouraged to use this section to discuss the mode of communication to be followed in the event of unplanned absences related to illness or personal events.
- Academic units must establish and communicate procedures for submission, review, and authorization of requests for scheduled absences. In addition, academic units need to have a Memorandum of Absence or equivalent electronic form which instructors can submit online when they will be away from campus due to personal or professional obligations or on approved travel during academic working days. The submitted information must make clear whether any classes will be missed and, if any classes are missed, how the material will be covered and student learning will proceed.
- Unit leaders need to respond to these requests with approval, denial, or a request for additional information.
Planned absences for university business, nonroutine medical appointments and procedures, and religious observances requiring absence from the workplace.
- Instructors must provide advance notice, using the Memoranda of Absence described above, for a planned absence of an academic working day or more, or any absence which will result in missing a scheduled teaching assignment. Memoranda must be filed in each department associated with any class that will be missed.
- All planned absences during academic working days must be approved in advance by the unit director.
- Arrange ahead of time for coverage of your courses. Notify students via announcements and syllabus/calendar postings within the learning management system.
- Some possibilities when you cannot teach in person:
- Ask a colleague, or if appropriate and with due consideration for student workload and teaching experience, an advanced graduate student, to cover your course. Faculty and unit leaders need to ensure that equitable workloads are being maintained for all graduate students.
- Provide digital versions of course material (video/audio lecture or materials or other course content or feedback on work).
- Invite a career coach or other student support unit to deliver a workshop appropriate to the course and students enrolled.
- Meetings for graduate classes can be rescheduled if all participants are willing and available. Class meetings for undergraduate courses should not be rescheduled. It is unlikely that the entire class could accommodate the change, and students should not be asked to miss one class to attend another.
- Offer the class at the scheduled time via web conferencing. It is the expectation that courses approved for in-person delivery mode will not employ more than one week’s worth of web conferencing (e.g., three times for a class that meets MWF, two times for TR classes, once for classes that meet once a week) during the Fall or Spring 15-week semesters.
- Final exams should be offered at the time designated by the Registrar; see the Registrar’s Final Exam page for current policies regarding final exams.
Unplanned absences for emergencies. The goal is to ensure students remain on track in terms of meeting learning outcomes.
- As soon as possible, notify students via a communication through the learning management system; reach out to your unit(s) for assistance if needed.
- Notify the unit(s) by e-mail or phone message as soon as possible; file the Memorandum of Absence form as soon as feasible.
- Faculty are expected to make up the missed contact hour(s) or provide the missed course material. Some possibilities are:
- Provide digital versions of course material (video/audio lecture or materials or other course content or feedback on work).
- Offering an optional make-up class (for graduate classes) or office hour opportunities.
- Provide specific plans for each course as soon as possible via the Memorandum of Absence form.
Other absences: Vacation and other travel not related to university business, medical needs, or religious observances are not valid reasons to miss class meetings or exams.