Excused Absences
An excused absence is granted by relevant departmental heads (Course Director, Director of Curriculum, or Director of Curriculum). Types include:
- Voluntary Absences: Generally not permitted (e.g., personal appointments).
- Involuntary Absences: These include an emergency, serious illness, injury, or jury duty. Students summoned for jury duty must inform their advisors and provide proof of attendance.
Didactic Phase:
Didactic Phase: Students may request excused absences for up to 5 business days per semester. Requests should be submitted in advance and absences will be documented. For absences longer than 3 days, a meeting with the Director of Curriculum and the student’s advisor is required. Consecutive or intermittent excused absences of one week (5 days) or more are not permitted. Unexcused absences may affect the Professional Development Assessment Tool (PDAT) component of the course grade
Clinical Phase:
Students must promptly notify the Clinical Team of any absences. Unexpected preceptor absences do not require makeup days if reported within 24 hours. Repeated absences may lead to a remediation plan. Students are allowed 3 absences during the clinical year, encompassing SCPE or Clinical Seminar requirements. These days can be used for social events, personal needs, travel, interviews, etc. However, to ensure valuable learning experiences, absences should not all be taken during the same 4-week rotation. Absence requests must be submitted and approved at least 10 days in advance through the clinical tracking system (Exxat). If unique circumstances necessitate an additional voluntary excused absence, students must present a written request to the Director of Clinical Education (DOCE) at least 10 days before the desired day(s) off. The DOCE will either approve the request or inform the student that the absence is unexcused. Multiple requests for voluntary absences will not be permitted.
Unexcused Absence
An absence without approval from the Course Director, Director of Curriculum, or Director of Clinical Education is considered unexcused and may negatively impact evaluations.
Additional Didactic Considerations
- Inclement Weather:
- Students should attend class unless otherwise notified by the Program or institution.
- Students are strongly encouraged to sign up for the Emergency Alert System utilized by the University to receive text and email messages regarding weather that may impact curriculum delivery.
- Students should attend class unless otherwise notified by the Program or institution.
- Emergency or Illness:
- If a student is ill or unable to attend class due to an emergent situation, they must contact their faculty advisor as soon as they are able. The advisor will notify course directors on the student’s absence.
- Other Absences:
- Requests for non-emergency-related absences require prior approval from the Director of Curriculum. All requests should be submitted at least 10 business days prior to the anticipated absence. (need to identify a process here)
- Jury Duty:
Students called for jury duty must notify their advisor or the Director of Curriculum. Proof of attendance may be required. Students not required to appear must still attend class. If an exam coincides with jury duty, the Program will assist in coordinating a make-up date with the appropriate institutional departments.
Additional Clinical Considerations
- Mandatory Testing:
- Students must attend competency assessments, and preceptors will be notified in advance.
- Inclement Weather:
- Students should attend clinic unless the rotation site is closed; notify the Director of Clinical Education as needed.
- Emergency or Illness:
- If a student cannot see patients due to illness or an emergency, they must contact their preceptor and subsequently email the Director of Clinical Education to discuss potential make-up options.
- Other Absences:
- Requests for non-emergency absences require prior approval from the Director of Clinical Education, prior to discussion the matter with the preceptor. All requests should be submitted at least ten (10) business days prior to the anticipated absence via the Exxat clinical tracking system.
- An unexpected preceptor absence resulting from unforeseen changes in the preceptor’s schedule, or their illness requires students to be notified within 24 hours. Students will not be responsible for making up a single day of absence in these cases. However, if a preceptor's absence lasts multiple days, students are required to make up the necessary hours to meet clinical rotation standards. The Clinical Team will assign additional clinical experiences if necessary to fulfill program requirements.
- Jury Duty:
- Students called for jury duty must notify their advisor or the Director of Clinical Education. Proof of attendance may be required. Students not required to appear must still attend clinic. If an exam coincides with jury duty, the Program will assist in coordinating a make-up date with the appropriate institutional departments.
- University Breaks and Holidays:
- Students are required to attend clinic during Rocky Vista University’s PA Program winter break, spring break, and designated holidays.
- On-Call & Night Shifts:
- On-call responsibilities may be required during specific rotations; students should discuss the details with their preceptor(s) at the beginning of each rotation.
- Job Interviews:
- Job interviews must be scheduled outside of active clinical experiences and are not permitted during those times.
Remediation Plans
If patterns of absences—whether excused or unexcused—are observed throughout the semester or year, the SAPC may implement a remediation plan to address attendance issues. Additionally, students may be required to provide documentation from a healthcare provider that they have been seen for illness-related absences.
Accountability
Students are accountable for obtaining materials and information from any classes or assignments missed due to absences. This includes clinical absences. They must also meet all requirements set during any missed sessions.