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Alternative attendance

Separate and apart from attendance-related accommodations granted by the disability services and Title IX offices, SCAD provides students with a streamlined process to request alternative attendance, which permits course learning outcomes to be met via make-up exams, alternative assessment, an additional paper or project of equivalent intellectual effort, or as otherwise determined by faculty.

Students are eligible to apply for alternative attendance if they have missed or anticipate they will miss more than 20% of a course (e.g., five absences for a 10-week course that meets twice per week), and experience one of the following specific circumstances during their final absence:

  1. Participation in the following university-sponsored activities: intercollegiate athletics, authorized by athletic director (Atlanta, Savannah); university vocal ensemble, authorized by artistic director; award ceremonies or design competitions, authorized by the senior director of institutional recognition.
  2. Other circumstances based on applicable laws (e.g., military service, court-imposed legal obligations, religious observances) may be authorized by the Dean of Students office.
  3. Critical incidents (e.g., direct exposure to traumatic event, hospitalization, death of immediate family member) may be authorized by the Dean of Students office.

To apply for alternative attendance, students should contact the relevant office (as outlined above), complete the required documentation and submit it to the designated office. Once the request is reviewed, it will be forwarded to the registrar's office. The final decision will be communicated to the student and professor within 7 days. For university-sponsored activities and legal or religious obligations, students must submit their request for alternative attendance at least two weeks prior to the event or as soon as they become aware of their participation. All other requests should be submitted as soon as practicable. Failure to submit alternative attendance requests on a timely basis may result in the denial of the request.