I need to miss a class / I missed a class. What should I do?

There will be times in every student’s education where they may need to miss an occasional class. Like having to miss a day of work, teachers must be notified and missed school work arranged to be made up. It is the student’s responsibility to contact a teacher before or immediately following an absence.

Planned Absence:

A planned absence is one in which a student is aware of dates they will need to miss in advance. “Advance” can be from a few days before the class, to a month or more before the class. Examples of planned absences would be a doctor or dentist appointment, or a scheduled medical procedure.

For a planned absence a student should:

1. Check their timetable – which classes are on the days to be missed?
2. Check the Teaching and Learning Plan (TLP) for the class/classes which will be missed, and for teacher email. Are there any important assignments/evaluation/tests on the days which will be missed?
3. Write a formal and polite email to the teacher regarding the request – see email sample below.
4. Fill out and attach the “Student Absence Request” form to the email: Student-Absence-Request-Form.pdf and any documentation supporting the absence.

Sample email for planned absence:

Dear Professor [name],

My name is [name] and I am registered in [class e.g. COMM1133] with you on every [days/times e.g. Wednesday 9-11am].

[Reason for absence e.g. I am writing to you today as I have blood tests scheduled] on [Friday November 1 at 9:30 am] and will need to miss class on this day.

Please find attached my Student Absence Request form with more information, as well as [include any proof documentation necessary]

I appreciate your attention to this matter.

Regards, [name]

Unplanned absence:

An unplanned absence is one in which a student does not plan to miss class, but must be absent, the day of a class. Examples of unplanned absences are waking up sick, missing a bus, car issues and oversleeping. These should not be regular occurrences but do happen to most people from time to time.

For an unplanned absence a student should:

1. Contact the teacher(s) of missed class(es) as soon as possible. This might mean right before the class starts, or right after the class finishes. In most cases, it should be within two (2) days of the missed class.
2. Check the Teaching and Learning Plan (TLP) to see what was missed. Are there any important assignments/evaluation/tests on the days which were missed that day?
3. Write a formal and polite email to the teacher regarding the absence – see email sample below.
4. Fill out and attach the “Student Absence Request” form to the email: Student-Absence-Request-Form.pdf and enough detail to support the absence.

Sample email for unplanned absence:

Dear Professor [name],

My name is [student name], and I am registered in [class e.g. COMM1133] with you on every [days/times e.g. Wednesday 9-11am].

[Reason for absence e.g. I am writing to you today as I woke up this morning with a sore throat and fever, so cannot attend class today].

Please find attached my Student Absence Request form with more information. I would appreciate it if you could let me know any important information regarding information I might miss today.

I appreciate your attention to this matter.

Regards, [student name]

Absences longer than 2 weeks:

If for some reason a student needs to be absent for longer than a two-week consecutive period, the student should contact their International Student Advisor for further guidance. In many instances, these types of leaves are not considered authorized, and can negatively impact a student’s future immigration status.

As an international student your academic success is tied to your immigration status, it is very important to ensure you are academically successful during your time at Niagara College.

Should you fail a course or believe you are going to fail a course, here is some advice to guide you.

1. Act early: Talk to your professor as soon as possible if you are currently enrolled and start falling behind with your work, missing deadlines, or feeling you need some academic support/help. The sooner you address the issue, the better.
2. Communicate: If you don’t talk to anyone, then they will not know you need support. Email your professors, message on Blackboard, contact your ISA and don’t be afraid to acknowledge you need some guidance and support.
3. It’s okay to need help: Throughout our lives we all have times when we need support and guidance – it’s okay. Your professor can guide you academically. Your ISA can help with academic planning and immigration, and if you need mental health supports you can read more about that on our website.
4. Academic planning: Sometimes a failed course will not have a large impact on your program and can be easily recovered. Sometimes a failed course may be critical and result in problems graduating on time or completing the program. Speak to your ISA about how failing a course may impact your studies at Niagara College.