VCOM College Catalog and Student Handbook

Mechanism to Verify Attendance – OMS 1 and OMS 2 Students VCOM will record attendance for all Mandatory Learning Activities. VCOM may utilize different forms of recording attendance including I-Clicker, lecture hall cameras, sign in sheets, check offs, and other attendance measures, especially for laboratory or early clinical experiences. OMS 1 and OMS 2 Tardiness Tardiness is defined as arriving more than 5 minutes after the scheduled time the class or other educational activity/exam begins. Tardiness or late arrival is disruptive to other students who arrived on time and who are already engaged in the academic activity. Regarding timely arrival to exams, students should be in the designated testing space 10 minutes prior to the exam start time but must be in the designated space no later than the designated start time as exams will begin promptly at the designated start time. A student who arrives more than 5 minutes after the scheduled start time will be treated as tardy and must report to the Office of Medical Education prior to entering the lecture hall or other testing space and may be denied entry into the lecture hall/testing space. The student will be required to make up the exam at a date and time of Med Ed’s choosing. Students who are not permitted to complete the exam during the designated time will be required to submit a request for an unplanned excused absence; however, submission does not guarantee approval and the absence may be documented as unexcused. Repeated tardiness will be referred to the Honor Code Council. Students must be in their assigned seat to receive credit for attendance, if they are not present in their seat at the time the picture is taken, they will be marked as absent.

Repeated tardiness in regard to mandatory learning activities and exams will be defined as: • Two or more tardy incidences in a block • Three or more tardy incidences in consecutive blocks

OMS 1 and OMS 2 Excused Absences for Mandatory Learning Activities Excused absences apply only to Mandatory Learning Activities that require 100% attendance. Excused absences are those that may be expected or unexpected and that meet the criteria for an excused absence as outlined below.

Excused absences fall into two categories: • Planned Excused Absences • Unplanned Excused Absences

Students must request approval for a planned or unplanned excused absence of a Mandatory Learning Activity that requires 100% attendance. Excused absences for Mandatory Learning Activities requested after the activity occurs, may or may not receive approval by the Associate Dean for Pre-Clinical Education and is considered on a case-by case basis. OMS 1 and OMS 2 students who are granted an excused absence will not be penalized for missing a class, laboratory, or exam but will be required to make-up all Mandatory Learning Activities on the dates required by the Associate Dean for Pre-Clinical Education. Faculty are expected to make reasonable accommodations for make-up exams, assignments, etc. where excused absences have been granted.

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