Policy reminders

We wanted to share a few policy reminders as we near the start of the term.

Mandatory attendance

The Mandatory Attendance policy requires students to attend the first class meetings for all classes in which they are enrolled unless they have prior absence approval from their instructor. The policy FAQ can be consulted for more details on how this policy applies to online classes or when students register after the first day of classes. 

Excused absences and makeup work

Reasonable accommodations must be made for students who miss class due to excused circumstances, including:

• Illness, especially for in-person or blended classes
• Religious holiday observance
• Pre-approved first-day absence
• Late registration

Refer to the Excused Absences and Makeup Work policy and the Makeup Work FAQ for more information.

Scheduled class times

Instructors are expected to observe scheduled class times as stated in the Teaching and Learning policy. 

Student conduct

We recommend reviewing the Student Conduct Code. The University has established expectations for students that seek to protect the learning environment and build student success.

Policy reminders

As we near the start of the term, we wanted to share a few policy reminders. The Mandatory Attendance policy requires students to attend the first class meetings for all enrolled classes unless they have prior approval from their instructor to be absent. Please consult the policy FAQ for more details on how this policy applies to online classes or when students register after the first day of classes. 

Please also consult the Excused Absences and Makeup Work policy and the Makeup Work FAQ. Reasonable accommodations must be made for students who miss class due to excused circumstances, including:

• Illness, especially for in-person or blended classes
• Religious holiday observance
• Pre-approved first-day absence
• Late registration

Instructors are expected to observe scheduled class times as stated in the Teaching and Learning policy. 

We also recommend reviewing the Student Conduct Code.

Board of Regents Policy: Student Records Changes

Board of Regents Policy: Student Education Records was adopted in 1991 and last amended in June 2021. This policy sets forth the University’s implementation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), including what student information can be released to the public as “directory information” and what student information can be more narrowly shared as “limited directory information.” The limited directory information category includes “student’s physical addresses, University email address, telephone numbers, and University ID photos.” Directory information can be shared only with student groups and University officials without a student’s written consent.

In the most recent legislative session, the Minnesota State Legislature passed a bill including provisions to facilitate student voter registration. It requires that colleges and universities share student address information with county auditors prior to elections, to the extent permitted by FERPA. The statute includes deadlines for the sharing of this information based on election day.

The University of Minnesota supports the effort to facilitate voter registration. However, in order to provide the information to county auditors the requested student address information, the Student Education Records policy needs a minor edit to include limited directory information being available to county auditors for the purposes of voter registration. 

Several groups have reviewed this policy edit, including campus vice chancellors, the registrar’s offices from each campus, and student affairs offices on each campus. Campuses have committed to consulting with their student government leaders, and this consultation will be concluded prior to the October meeting.

Policy reminders

As we near the start of the term, we wanted to share a few policy reminders. The Mandatory Attendance policy requires students to attend the first class meetings for all classes in which they are enrolled unless they have prior approval from their instructor to be absent. Please consult the policy FAQ for more details on how this policy applies to online classes or when students register after the first day of classes.

Please also consult the Makeup Work for Legitimate Absences policy and the Makeup Work FAQ. Reasonable accommodations must be made for students who have legitimate absences, including:

• Illness, especially for in-person or blended classes
• Religious holiday observance
• Pre-approved first-day absence
• Late registration

We recommend reviewing the Student Conduct Code, particularly its definition of scholastic dishonesty, which includes unauthorized use of learning support platforms. This information should be included in a course’s syllabus so students are able to understand the standards, expectations, and reference techniques appropriate to the subject area and class requirements, including internet use and group work.