Student Attendance
For students to successfully complete their college work, regular class attendance is necessary, and students are expected to attend all sessions of the class in which they are enrolled. The policies below address student attendance management.
Excessive absences are defined as 6% of the total hours of class time (view Los Rios Regulation R-2222).
Instructors shall state in each course syllabus what constitutes excessive absence for that course.
Each class has been assigned a maximum number of students. During the first week of the semester, students may enroll into full-term classes that have not reached maximum class size without the faculty member’s permission. Beginning the second week, a class permission number is required to add the course. A student may not add a semester length course after the first ten days of the semester. Students may add classes after the last specified date of enrollment only due to extenuating circumstances. Proper forms can be obtained from Records and Admissions.
Students may add a closed class only with the instructor’s permission and a permission number issued by the instructor. Faculty with closed classes may add students at their discretion based on room capacity and instructional considerations. Students shall be enrolled in permission number order. A student is not officially enrolled in class until the faculty has processed the add, using the permission number, and the student has registered for the course. It is important to add no more students than is instructionally appropriate or the room can safely accommodate
Faculty are responsible for checking their class rosters for accuracy. Class Rosters are available on the Intranet. You will be able to create an intranet account to access your class rosters as soon as you have been assigned a Los Rios email account.
For instructions on how to access class rosters and the grading system, view the ARC Instructional Technology Center website. No student should be permitted to remain in class whose name does not appear on the on-line class roster or who does not have documentation from the Admissions and Records Office indicating proper enrollment. Students whose names are not listed should be sent to the Admissions and Records Office for proper enrollment processing. Auditing is not permitted.
If your class is under-enrolled, your instructional dean will be checking with you prior to the beginning of instruction and during the first two weeks of instruction to monitor enrollment progress. Instructions on how to access class rosters. Decisions regarding continuation of classes and the canceling of sections with inadequate enrollment will be made as soon as possible, typically prior to the beginning of instruction. Contact your department chair or your instructional dean for additional information.
No student should be permitted to remain in class whose name does not appear on the on-line class roster or who does not have documentation from the Admissions & Records Office indicating proper enrollment. Students whose names are not listed should be sent to the Admissions & Records Office for proper enrollment processing. Auditing is not permitted.
Students who do not attend either one of the first two class meetings for full-term courses or the first class meeting for short-term courses may be dropped by the faculty as a “no-show.” To drop a “no-show” student use the Intranet roster and click on the drop button next to the student’s name on the on-line drop roster. The Intranet roster of active students and dropped students will reflect students still actively enrolled and those that have been dropped. It is the responsibility of the student to drop the class to ensure that they are officially dropped and will not receive a grade penalty for the course.
Students should have certain skill levels before they can enroll in some classes or programs; for example, “C” or better in MATH 120 before taking STAT 300. The college identifies these courses as prerequisites, corequisites, or advisories. It is important to know the prerequisites or corequisites for each of your courses. Course prerequisites, corequisites, and advisories are listed in the college catalog and on the course outline. Students are not blocked from registering for classes if they have not met prerequisite or corequisite requirements. It is the responsibility of the faculty to check prerequisite and corequisite documentation in class. Advisories are only recommendations and do not need to be checked.
Students may add a closed class only with the instructor’s permission and a permission number issued by the instructor. Faculty with closed classes may add students at their discretion based on room capacity and instructional considerations. Students shall be enrolled in permission number order. A student is not officially enrolled in class until the faculty has processed the add, using the permission number, and the student has registered for the course. It is important to add no more students than is instructionally appropriate or the room can safely accommodate
Record keeping is an important faculty responsibility. It is required that accurate and complete student attendance and grade records are kept for a period of three years. Attendance records are only required for positive attendance classes. In these classes, attendance records should also be kept for three years. While keeping attendance is optional for all other classes, attendance records are important if it becomes necessary to drop a student for non-attendance. In the event of an audit, faculty members must be able to provide the attendance records for each student dropped because of poor attendance. Faculty members must also indicate the “last date of attendance” when issuing an unsatisfactory grade to students. This requirement is linked to financial aid.
The enrollment accounting period is the fourth week of instruction for a full-term course. All students who have not appeared for class should be withdrawn before this date. A student may also be dropped from a class for excessive absences. The Los Rios Regulation R-2222 defines excessive absences as 6% of the total hours of class time. Additionally, the state monitors whether students who receive financial aid are attending classes. To drop a student, use the process that is provided on the Intranet class roster. Use discretion in excusing student absences. In any case, any instructor drops should be consistent with the policy outlined in the course Student Information Sheet.
Faculty Attendance, Substitutes, and Guest Speakers
Faculty members are expected to meet with their assigned classes on each scheduled day of the academic semester. If an instructor cannot meet the assigned class due to illness, an emergency, or other circumstances, the instructor should call the Faculty Absence Reporting Line at (916) 608-6850 as soon as possible. An administrative assistant will make sure that the absence is recorded and classroom notice is posted. Faculty are also strongly encouraged to notify their students when they are going to be late to class or canceling class. They can do this via email, through the class rosters on the Online Grading System, or via Canvas if they use it.
Faculty must obtain approval from the appropriate area dean for requests of substitutes per district guidelines. Substitutes are required to meet the minimum qualifications to teach in a particular subject at the community college level and must be cleared through the district before working at Folsom Lake College so they can be hired and paid. It is not allowed for one to meet or proxy a class without prior approval from the area dean.
FLC values having qualified experts volunteer as guest speakers as part of the learning process. If a faculty member invites a guest speaker to their class, the faculty must be in the classroom when the speaker is present. Guest speakers cannot assume responsibility as substitutes. Faculty should notify the area dean/area office in advance, so the guest speaker can obtain, complete, and sign a Volunteer Release Form and be provided the Volunteer Informational Handout for the Mandated Reporter: Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Law (Penal Code, § 11166.5) as mandated by district guidelines.