UPDATE: Wright State University is in the process of revising websites and program materials to accurately reflect compliance with Ohio Senate Bill 1. While this work occurs, language referencing protected class status or other activities prohibited by the law may still appear in some places. As of June 27, 2025, all programs and activities will be administered in compliance with the law.

Foundations Absence Policy

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to inform students how to navigate absences during their Foundation years. Faculty aim to ensure high-quality learning experiences with the least amount of disruption while supporting students in their personal and professional development. Attendance of all learning events is expected; however, we realize that some absences are unavoidable.   

Absence requests will be handled by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions (ADSAA), the Associate Dean for Medical Education (ADME), and their staff, in consultation with the appropriate module director(s) as outlined below. Students must report absences using the Absence dashboard in Elentra as detailed below. All absences, anticipated or unanticipated, count towards the maximum allowed for the module.

Allowed Absences

Absences from an examination or in-class quiz should follow the Examination Absence Policy (procedure outlined below).

Attendance to all class sessions is highly recommended. Attendance is mandatory for sessions requiring small group work, engagement with patient volunteers, or any session determined to be necessary by the module director. Required sessions will be indicated on Elentra. Required sessions across the Foundations Phase will generally include:

  • WrightQ
  • Scholarship in Medicine
  • Anatomy lab
  • Interprofessional Engagement
  • Patient presentations or panels
  • Interview skills sessions
  • Physical exam skills

For required sessions, students must report all absences in the Elentra absence portal and submit any required documentation within 7 days of returning to class. For optional sessions, students are strongly encouraged to report absences in the Elentra absence portal as soon as possible.

Modules may indicate specific dates as "blackout dates" in which attendance is required and material cannot be made up. This includes, but is not limited to, class sessions in which an individual or group class activity satisfies a specific objective required to earn a passing grade in the module. These blackout dates will be clearly indicated in the learning event on Elentra. Students who have an unexpected absence on a "blackout date" should meet with the ADSAA and ADME within 7 calendar days. The ADSAA and ADME will work with the module director(s) and/or content facilitators to determine if an exception or alternative assessment is warranted.

All modules will indicate the maximum number of absences that will be nulled on the module page in Elentra and will follow the ascribed allowable absences as noted below:

  • 0.3 days times the number of weeks of a module (e.g., 1 day for a module that is 4 weeks in length [0.3 x 4]; 4 days for a module that is 12 weeks in length [0.3 x 12]).
    • For modules with a WrightQ component, if a WrightQ graded quiz occurs on the day of an absence (within the allotted absences), the grade for the quiz will be nulled (i.e. it will not be counted in the final grade).
  • 1 absence for Scholarship in Medicine
  • Clinical Medicine, as a longitudinal module, has its absence policy detailed below:
    • Students are permitted to miss a maximum of four (4) Clinical Medicine days for CM year 1 (July-May) and 2 absences for CM year 2 (August-January). There are often multiple Clinical Medicine teaching and learning activities on a particular day. Missing one activity will be counted as an absence for that day.  Students must also notify the module director regarding any absences from non-graded, mandatory activities by emailing som-satc@wright.edu.
  • Grading: Final points total will be adjusted to exclude allowed absences from the denominator (this will be termed “null”). For any absences beyond those allowed for the module, students will receive a score of 0 for that activity, which will be included in the calculation of the final grade. Extenuating circumstances (e.g., medical, professional, approved by the ADSAA, in consultation with the ADME) will be given a null. Repeated absences beyond those allowed for the module will be noted as a professionalism violation (see Excessive Absence section).

Anticipated Absences

Anticipated absences for events, including but not limited to life events, off-site professional activities, and other known events, should be requested a minimum of 30 days prior to the date of the anticipated absence using the absence reporting tool in the classroom management system (Elentra). Religious observances should follow the Religious Observances Policy noted below.  Students will need to document their absence on the Elentra absence portal and upload supporting documentation, if applicable, within 7 days of the planned absence. If a student has exceeded their allowed absences for a module and makes a request for an anticipated absence, this will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions, taking into consideration the reason for the anticipated request as well as the documentation for previous absences. The student will be notified of approval or denial of the request by the Office of Student Affairs no more than 14 days prior to the anticipated absence.

Unanticipated Absences

Unanticipated absences from module learning events due to illness or family emergencies should be documented in the Elentra absence portal as soon as possible.  Absence form submission and any required documentation should be submitted within 7 days of returning to classes.

  • If the absence is health-related or involves significant extenuating circumstances that are anticipated to last more than two consecutive days, students should obtain a written statement from their healthcare provider (e.g., physician, nurse practitioner, physician assistant) or provide appropriate supporting documentation for the extended absence.
  • If the absence is more than the allotted days, as indicated in the module’s Elentra page or as defined in this policy, for non-health-related reasons, the student should meet to discuss the situation with the ADSAA.  Approval of extended absences should be approved by the ADSAA, in consultation with the ADME.

Students are encouraged to arrange to review any missed material as soon as possible.  Students should attempt to obtain class notes from classmates or set up a meeting with a member of the Academic Support Team (AST) in person to review the in-class materials including Peer Instruction questions with answers and rationale (if present) or the Team Based Learning readiness assurance test (RAT). Additional questions that are unable to be answered by the AST can then be directed to the session faculty. In instances of an extended absence, students may be required to request a leave of absence as outlined in the Leave of Absence Policy (these include medical, parental, and other forms of leave).

Procedure for Examination Absences

Absences for examinations and in-class quizzes will require approval by the Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Admissions in collaboration with the Director of Assessment and Evaluation in order to be eligible to make up the examination. Students must fill out an Examination Absence Request form and provide supporting documentation (i.e., doctor’s note, obituary notice, conference presentation schedule, etc.) to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Admissions for approval to be granted. Once the Examination Absence Request form is submitted, the student should also immediately notify the Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Admissions, the Director of Assessment and Evaluation, and the module director(s) via email of the absence request.
Circumstances where approval may be granted are as follows:

  • Medical illness
  • Authorized presentation of scholarly work at an academic conference
  • Serving in an official capacity as a representative of the School of Medicine
  • An anticipated significant family ceremony that requires a student’s attendance
  • A family crisis that requires a student’s presence
  • An anticipated religious ceremony or observation (Religious Observances Policy)
  • Inclement weather (see student policy guide)
  • Unforeseen extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control

 
Requests for approval of an examination or in-class quiz absence must be submitted at least thirty (30) days in advance for anticipated absences, and BEFORE the start of the examination for unanticipated absences. Supporting documentation must be provided to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Admissions for the decision to approve or deny an examination absence request.

For any exam with a group component, a student approved for an exam absence for medical reasons (with supporting documentation from a licensed medical provider) and the ability to reschedule the exam will receive their group score for the group portion of the exam grade. A student granted an exam absence approval related to non-medical reasons and the ability to reschedule the exam, will receive their individual score only as their grade for the entire exam.

If a student is denied approval for an exam absence and is not present for an exam, the student shall receive a score of zero and will not have an opportunity to make up or retake the exam.

Repeated requests (beyond one [1] in an academic year) to reschedule examinations will be referred to the Associate Deans of Medical Education and Student Affairs and Admissions for further discussion and potential referral to Student Promotions Committee for unprofessional behavior.

Holidays

Students are allotted time off for Thanksgiving, a winter break which includes New Year’s Day, a spring break in first year, and other federal and state holidays as indicated on the Academic Calendar.

Observation of religious holidays should be requested utilizing the same procedure outlined for other types of absences, making notification within the first 14 days of a module. These absences will not count towards a student’s allotted absences for the module.  Please refer to the BSOM Religious Observance Policy for additional information.

Personal Health Appointments

Routine physical and mental health appointments are a key component to maintaining wellness and academic success. Students are encouraged to schedule such visits outside of scheduled class time when possible.

When a personal health appointment conflicts with a module learning event, students are encouraged to reach out ahead of time to seek guidance from module directors or learning event facilitators on overall scheduling specifics to assist students in finding appropriate times for reviewing missed material with the Academic Support Team or teaching faculty.

Students are not expected nor required to provide more specific information to module directors or content facilitators beyond indicating when they will be absent.   

Policy for Virtual Teaching & Learning Activities

As teaching and learning strategies employed by BSOM are engaged learning activities, where much of the learning occurs through peer engagement, participating virtually results in a decrease in peer engagement and a sub-optimal classroom and learning experience. Students are required to participate in-person. Virtual teaching and learning may be employed for all students in situations in which the University is closed or delayed in opening. In the event of university closure or delay, the entire class will participate remotely. Notification of a virtual class will be made to students as soon as possible upon official announcement by the University. When the entire class is virtual this will not count as an absence.

For WrightQ, students will notify their facilitator and the module director(s) and may be able to participate virtually at the discretion of the facilitator with consideration of the logistics involved. If the student is able to attend WrightQ virtually, they are still responsible for turning in assignments associated with their role (e.g., Dr. Evidence, Question Writer) on time. If the student is unable to attend virtually and is the designated "Leader" for that session, they are responsible for ensuring that role is covered by another group member, and that the WrightQ director (Dr. Chasity O'Malley) is notified. Virtual attendance is counted as an absence.

Excessive Absences

Excessive absences from required sessions, without approval by the ADSAA, are seen as a lapse of professionalism and may be noted or reported to the Honor Code Council or Student Promotions Committee by the Associate Dean of Student Success as warranted. Students missing graded activities due to absences beyond the allotted number without ADSAA and ADME approval will receive a grade of zero without the option for make-up of that learning event. 

Appeal for denied absence requests above the allotted number for the module is to the Dean. The appeal must be submitted in writing and received within seven (7) business days of the ADME and ADSAA’s decision. After reviewing all relevant information, the Dean will notify the student, ADME, ADSAA, and Module Director(s), as appropriate.

Approved by FCC on May 24, 2017
Revised and Approved by FCC on January 3, 2018
Revised and Approved by FCC on July 2, 2018
Revised and Approved by FCC on November 30, 2022
Revised and Approved by FCC on May 24, 2023
Revised and Approved by FCC on June 28, 2023
Revised and Approved by FCC on January 24, 2024
Revised and Approved by FCC on December 10, 2025
Revised and Approved by FCC on April 22, 2026