Unexcused Absences

In traditional lecture-based, in-person courses, students are allowed to miss 5% of the total class meeting time, regardless of the reason.

• In general, this "5% rule" means that students won't be penalized for missing two sessions of a 50-minute MWF course or one session of a 75-minute TR course.

Online, lab, clinical, practicum and  certain other courses may allow fewer absences.

Example Reasons for Unexcused Absences

• Illness without a doctor's note
• Routine doctor's appointments 
• Friend or family events such as weddings and vacations
• Car trouble
• Work obligations

 

Excused Absences

 In certain cases, students who miss class will be given excused absences. Students won't be penalized for these absences, and they'll be offered the opportunity to make up missed work or complete an alternate assignment. Instructors may require make-up work to be completed within one week of returning to class.

Example Reasons for Excused Absences

• Military duty or jury duty
• Observance of a religious practice, holiday or holy day
• Illness or injury too severe or contagious to attend class, with appropriate documentation       
• Death or severe illness of immediate family member, with appropriate documentation

 

Request an Excused Absence

Follow these steps to help us process your request as quickly as possible.

• Check whether your absence may be excused.
  Review the appropriate attendance policy — undergraduate or graduate — and the guidelines below to determine whether your absence may be excused and what type of documentation is required.
  
  
• Submit your complete request as soon as reasonably possible. Submit your complete request — including appropriate documentation — as soon as possible, but no later than 30 days following the absence, or by the last day of class for the semester, whichever is sooner.
  • For absences that are known at the beginning of the semester (such as religious holidays or authorized university activities, students should submit their requests no later than the second week of class.
  • Requests for excused absences that occur during final exams should be submitted within 72 hours of the scheduled exam time. 
• Be aware of possible exceptions.
  Instructors may refuse to give an excused absence or make-up work that would result in a fundamental alteration of the essential academic requirements of the course. In some of these cases, you may want to consider dropping a course. Undergraduate students can review information on the hardship withdrawal webpage. Graduate students should review their academic bulletin.

 

 

Excused Absence Guidelines

For the purpose of an excused absence, immediate family is defined as a parent, spouse, child, sibling, spouse of sibling,  grandparent, grandchild or legal guardian.

Reason for absence	Report to	Documentation	Keywords (hidden column)
Military duty or obligation	Student Advocacy	Military orders with the student's name and date(s) they need to be absent	deployment
Participation in an authorized university activity where the student plays a formal, required role	Student Advocacy	Letter from a university official confirming the student's required role in the event and date(s) the student needs to be absent
Legal obligation to appear at or participate in a judicial or administrative proceeding	Student Advocacy	Court summons or correspondence from a legal authority stating the student's name and the dates they are required to participate in a judicial or administrative proceeding	jury duty, court
Required visa or immigration appointment with a government authority	Student Advocacy	Letter from a government authority stating the student's name, type of appointment, and the date and location of the appointment	international
Medical condition or illness	Student Advocacy	Letter from a health care provider stating the student's condition is severe or too contagious to attend class and citing the dates recommended the student be absent for recovery. Documentation cannot be from a healthcare provider who is related to the student	sick, doctor's appointment, doctor
Medical care of an immediate family member	Student Advocacy	Letter from a health care provider stating the immediate family member’s condition is severe (specifics about their condition are not needed) and the date(s) it is recommended the student be absent from class to care for them
Religious practice, holiday or holy day	Instructor	Written notification stating the religious practice, holiday or holy day they will be observing and the date(s) they will be absent from class no later than the end of the second week of regularly scheduled classes in a full semester term and within twice the length of the add/drop period of any other term
Medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth	Office of Civil Rights and Title IX	Contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX at 803-777-3854 or civilrights@mailbox.sc.edu to speak with an intake coordinator
Death of an immediate family member	Student Advocacy	Obituary or death certificate
Student fulfilling a formal role as a varsity athlete	Instructor	Letter from the associate athletic director for academics stating the student is an athlete, the event and date(s) the student must be absent to play a formal, required role in an athletic event
University closure for weather-related and other activities	Instructor	USC will post an announcement on sc.edu and send a Carolina Alert
Absence related to a permanent disability	Student Disability Resource Center	Registered students should contact their assigned disability coordinator. To identify that coordinator, contact the Student Disability Resource Center at 803-777-6142 or sadrc@mailbox.sc.edu.
Death of a friend	Student Advocacy	May be excused at instructor's discretion. Obituary or death certificate
Non-closure weather-related emergencies that impact a student’s ability to get to campus or require a student’s presence off campus	Instructor	May be excused at instructor's discretion. Instructor may request travel receipts/confirmations stating the student's location to verify weather conditions
Club sport	Instructor	May be excused at instructor's discretion. Letter from club's sponsor/coach stating the student is a team member, the event and date(s) the student will be absent
Mandatory interviews related to employment, professional school or graduate school	Student Advocacy	May be excused at instructor's discretion. Correspondence from the employer or school on letterhead with their contact information stating the date(s) and reason the student will be absent from class in advance
Death of a non-immediate family member	Student Advocacy	May be excused at instructor's discretion. Obituary or death certificate
Internship, career fair, conference, voluntary organization event, banquet, award ceremony, etc.	Instructor	May be excused at instructor's discretion. Instructor may request correspondence from the sponsoring employer, office, or organization confirming the date(s) of student's participation