Attendance Policy

Attendance Policy

• Didactic Course Attendance

Attending class is vital to academic success. Accordingly, Manhattanville College expects attendance and punctuality in all classes. Students are expected to accept personal responsibility for any absences, and will be held responsible for all course content, requirements, and assignments, whether or not they are present in class. The responsibility for explaining and/or documenting individual absences rests with the student, who must understand that instructors are not obligated to grant requests for make-up or supplementary work.

• Clinical/Laboratory Course Attendance

Attending every clinical and laboratory session is mandatory and must be completed in order to meet the course objectives. Students who miss a laboratory experience must make them up prior to the completion of the course in order to receive a grade and progress to the following semester. More than two unexcused absences from clinical experiences during a semester may result in a failing grade in that course.

• Be on time

  It is in your interest to be engaged in all lecture, clinical, and laboratory activities. If you arrive late the material missed will not be reiterated.

• Students are expected to answer questions and offer discussion when appropriate.

A. Excused Absence

• Religious Observances: Students who would like to request religious observance considerations must do so in writing with an original clergy signature. Students must deliver the signed document to the Dean’s office two weeks prior to the start of the semester. At that time, reasonable accommodations will be made to accommodate the student’s needs. The student will be informed as to when the time will be made up.

  For clinical placements or clinical and laboratory hours, students must deliver the signed document to the Clinical Placement Coordinator’s office before the due dates set by SNHS. Although it is not guaranteed, SNHS will make a good-faith effort to provide reasonable accommodations for the student’s needs for clinical placements and laboratory hours.

• Illness or death in the family, and student illness or injury, require appropriate documentation from the student, such as a note from a healthcare provider for illness, or evidence of death of the family member. It is the responsibility of the student to promptly inform their instructor in the event of an absence or illness. If a student cannot reach their faculty member by phone, the student should email the faculty member and the course chair. The email should include the student’s name and the nature of the absence. With the exception of an extenuating circumstance, students are expected to notify their faculty member 24 hours prior to the course start time. Failing to notify the instructor within this time-frame could result in an unexcused absence.
• Athletic or other Mville sponsored trips: Travel dates and times accompanied by a signed memo from the group’s advisor/coach must be presented to the instructor prior to travel dates. 

• More than two excused absences from clinical experiences during a semester may result in a failing grade in that course. The student, if eligible, will be required to repeat the course. Any exceptions to this policy are at the discretion of the SNHS Dean.

B. Unexcused absence

Students who do not provide notification within an appropriate time-frame, will obtain an unexcused absence. Two unexcused clinical absences during a semester will result in failure of the course.

In cases of emergency, please reach out to the clinical or course instructor.

C. Leave of Absence

A leave of absence is intended to provide a student with time away from their studies due to temporary circumstances or situations (academic, financial, or personal). Any student wishing to request a leave of absence should contact their Academic Advisor for additional information and guidance regarding the next steps. Students must submit a written request for leave to their Academic Advisor, including the following information: the specific reason or purpose for the leave, how the student plans to spend their time while away, and confirmation of the intended semester of return. The Leave of Absence deadline is the same as the course withdrawal deadline. Any LOA request after this date will be decided by the dean based on extenuating circumstances.

There are three types of leave that a student can request:

• Approved Leave of Absence
  • An Approved Leave of Absence is a leave initiated by the student with the assistance of the SNHS academic advisor and approved by the SNHS Associate Dean. The student's planned leave from their studies at Manhattanville University cannot exceed 180 days in length.
  • Any federal loans taken prior to entering an Approved Leave will qualify to remain in an in-school status.If the student in this status does not return to Manhattanville within 180 days, their status will be changed to "Institutional Leave of Absence" and the student may be subject to Return of Title IV calculations based on their original leave date.Please contact the Office of Financial Aid if you have questions or concerns.
  • Students on a leave of absence are responsible for staying in contact with their advisor and scheduling an advisement meeting prior to registering for the intended return semester.

• Institutional Leave of Absence
  • An Institutional Leave of Absence is a leave initiated by the student with the assistance of the SNHS academic advisor and approved by the SNHS Associate Dean.This leave can last no more than two academic semesters, excluding winter and summer session.This leave may be extended for one additional semester under extreme circumstances and only by approval ofSNHS Dean
  • Institutional Leaves of Absences do not qualify under federal regulations to have federal loans remain in an in-school status.

• Medical Leaves of Absence (voluntary or involuntary): please see Manhattanville Catalog for more information. MLOA must be processed through SHAC.

  Voluntary Medical Leave of Absence

  • Students who are experiencing medical or psychological conditions that are interfering with their academic functioning and that necessitate an extended absence may request a medical leave of absence.The student must provide supporting documentation of the medical condition from his or her treating medical provider to the associate dean of student health and counseling or designee, who will review the documentation with the appropriate University staff and make a determination.
  • A medical leave of absence may be granted for up to two semesters.Upon conclusion of the medical leave, in order to return, the student must provide the completed Provider Evaluation Form to the associate dean of student health and counseling or designee confirming the student’s necessary readiness to return. Once the form has been received, the student will be able to schedule a clearance review. During this review, students may be advised of reasonable accommodations as well as any continued behavioral plans needed to support and ensure their success and wellness.
  • Information for medical leave of absence can be found on the Student Health and Counseling webpage or at the Student Health and Counseling offices.
  • Requests for medical leave must be processed five days before the final exam date of the term in which the withdrawal is requested; after this time, the student will receive the earned grades.
  • When a medical leave of absence is granted, the course grade in all courses for which the student is registered will become a W (withdraw). Students taking a medical leave of absence or withdrawal who are recipients of federal Title IV financial aid should refer to "Refund Policy" to determine how taking a medical leave might impact your financial aid.Questions should be directed to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship.

  Involuntary Medical Leave of Absence

  • The College may place a student on an involuntary medical leave of absence when, after conducting an individualized assessment, it has been determined that there is a significant risk that the student will harm him/herself or another, and this risk cannot be eliminated or reduced to an acceptable level through reasonable accommodations.
  • If a student is considered to potentially be a risk to him/herself or others, the student will be required to undergo an evaluation with the student health and counseling psychiatrist or designee. The student must release all relevant medical information to the student health and counseling psychiatrist or designee prior to the evaluation. The results of the evaluation will be reviewed by the associate dean of student health and counseling and a decision will be made as to whether or not the student may return to the University.An individualized assessment to determine reasonable accommodations will be made on a case by case basis, in order to assist the student in continuing coursework while seeking to seek treatment.
  • A student who has been placed on involuntary medical leave of absence is subject to the same policies as a student granted a voluntary leave of absence with regard to financial aid and financial obligations as stated in the University’s refund policy.Students placed on medical leave of absence from the University, will not be permitted on campus for the duration of the leave.Once a clearance evaluation is scheduled, the student will be expected to go straight to the Student Health and Counseling Office as soon as they arrive on campus.
  • In order to return from a medical leave of absence, the student must submit a completed Provider Evaluation Form not sooner than one month prior to the start of the semester in which they are requesting to return.The form must be submitted to Student Health and Counseling office, along with signed release of information forms permitting the associate dean of student health and counseling or designee to share information with the professionals who provided care to the student during the medical leave.Subsequently, a clearance evaluation will be scheduled. During the clearance evaluation, the student requesting to return from medical leave will meet with the associate dean of student health and counseling or designee to review progress made over the course of the medical leave.When a student is cleared to return, the University may establish plans or criteria regarding the student’s eligibility to return to campus.The criteria may include, but are not limited to, plans for continued participation in treatment, accommodations to support the student’s success, safety, or overall functioning at the University. In the instance that a student is not cleared to return to the University, the student will not be permitted to remain on campus and the medical leave may be extended until clearance criteria has been met, but not beyond 2 semesters.
  • Once a student has been cleared to return to the University, SNHS Academic Advising will be notified and the student will then be permitted to participate in course registration.Students who are on a medical leave will not be permitted to register for courses until they have obtained clearance.For residential students, the Director of Residence Life will be notified that the student has been cleared to return to the residence halls.Campus Safety will be notified and the student’s ID card will be re-activated.In the event there is a pending student conduct matter, it may be addressed upon the student’s return.