University policy requires that students be permitted to make up examinations missed because of illness, religious holy days, military service obligations, including service-related medical appointments, or unavoidable circumstances.

• The absence policy should provide options for making up exams missed because of one of the above absences. This policy does not include quizzes, assignments, or attendance, or any other points missed. Approaches will vary, depending on the course size and other issues.

CLAS defines an unavoidable circumstance as an event beyond the student's control. It often involves a serious and unexpected hospitalization, a family tragedy, or a related incident. Such circumstances do not include attendance at a wedding, a family obligations, obligations related to work or other such matters. Students should contact their instructors as soon as possible to notify them of the event.

Students with short-term illness or short-term absences due to mental health or other type of concerns are encouraged to seek care as needed.

• It is not appropriate or required for student to provide instructors with medical documentation for short-term illness.
• Communicate with instructors when you need to miss class, preferably before the class meets.
• Some instructors may specifically as for Absence Form for Students to use as part of their attendance policy. Look at each classes attendance/absence policy on the syllabus. This form can be found in ICON under the Student Tools tab.
  • Please note the Absence Form for Students is not documentation of absences and instructors decide if absences are excused or unexcused, if appropriate, based on their policy.
• Student Care and Assistance provides assistance to University of Iowa students who are experiencing a variety of crisis and emergency situations, including but not limited to mental health, medical issues, family emergencies, unexpected challenges, and sourcing basic needs such as food and shelter. More information on the resources related to basic needs can be found at https://basicneeds.uiowa.edu/. Students are encouraged to contact Student Care and Assistance in the Office of the Dean of Students (Room 135 IMU, [email protected], or 319-335-1162) for support and assistance with resources.
• CLAS Undergraduate Programs, 120 Schaeffer Hall, can also be contacted for help. Please email [email protected] or call (319) 335-2633 as additional assistance.
• If short-term absences develop into longer time period or a pattern of missed class where a larger amount of work missed, it may be necessary students to drop courses or withdraw from the entire semester.

Absence Explanation Form

• A student with a long-term absence should notify the instructor as soon as possible or ask a family member to do so.
• A student with a long-term illness may be asked to provide documentation.
• For long-term absences, or multiple short-term absences over the course of the semester, where a large amount of work has been missed, it may be necessary students to drop courses or withdraw from the entire semester.
• A student who is absent for more than five days because of a serious emergency or a severe illness may request that the UI Service Center, 2700 UCC, 319-384-4300, [email protected], notify each instructor about the absence. See https://registrar.uiowa.edu/absence-class for more information.
• Student Care and Assistance provides assistance to University of Iowa students who are experiencing a variety of crisis and emergency situations, including but not limited to mental health, medical issues, family emergencies, unexpected challenges, and sourcing basic needs such as food and shelter. More information on the resources related to basic needs can be found at https://basicneeds.uiowa.edu/. Students are encouraged to contact Student Care and Assistance in the Office of the Dean of Students (Room 135 IMU, [email protected], or 319-335-1162) for support and assistance with resources.
• CLAS Undergraduate Programs, 120 Schaeffer Hall, can also be contacted for help. Please email [email protected] or call (319) 335-2633 as additional assistance.
• An Incomplete may be given by an instructor only when the amount of work not completed is small and the student is in good standing in the course.
• Students who need ongoing academic accommodations for chronic conditions should meet with Student Disability Services to see if they may be eligible for accommodations.

• The instructor of a student participating in a university-sponsored activity is usually provided with a letter from the sponsoring department before the absence occurs that includes the specific date(s) and time(s) that the student will miss class.
• Examples of UI-sponsored activities include participation in intercollegiate athletic teams, the marching band and pep band, participation in field trips for UI courses and student shared governance travel of behalf of the institution. Any questions regarding the absence request should be directed to the sponsoring department.
• Activities related to employment, internships, club and intramural sports, fraternities and sororities, or volunteer activities are not considered University-sponsored activities.

Please review the full policy concerning makeup work and religious holy days in the University Policy Manual. Students are required to notify instructors no later than the third week of the semester if they need to be excused from scheduled academic activity and when those absences will occur. In these instances, Instructors work with students on a reasonable plan for the absences.

The University Policy Manual states that the University shall make reasonable accommodations for students who are absent from class due to U.S. veteran or U.S. service obligations.

• Students absent from class or class-related requirements due to U.S. veteran or U.S. military service obligations (including military service–related medical appointments, military orders, and National Guard Service obligations) are excused without any grading adjustment or other penalty.
• Instructors work with students on reasonable accommodations to allow students to make up, without penalty, exams and assignments that they missed because of veteran or military service obligations. Reasonable accommodations may include completing work in advance; making up missed work following the service obligation; completing an equivalent assignment; or waiver of the assignment without penalty.
• In all instances, students bear the responsibility to communicate with their instructors about veteran or military service obligations.

Students who are called for jury duty should also work with instructors and follow these same procedures.

Some courses schedule midterm examinations outside of the regular class period and at times these conflict with a student's other classes or exams. The University has established policies to govern these situations as noted on the Office of the Registrar's website under Midterm Exam Policies.

A week for final examinations is set aside at the end of each semester, during which time no classes are held. With the exception of off-cycle courses and changes authorized by the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education, all CLAS final exams or assessments must be given during this week and according to the schedule announced by the Registrar. Additional information may be found on the Office of the Registrar's website under Final Exam Policies.