Academic success is built upon regular class attendance. At the University of Tennessee, students are expected to attend all of their scheduled classes in accordance with the attendance policy established by the instructor for each course.
Some students may have brief, episodic disability flare-ups or disability-related medical needs that make it impossible for them to attend every session of a class. Student Disability Services (SDS) developed these guidelines to provide a structured framework for addressing these situations while preserving essential course requirements and academic standards.
Please use the links below to navigate the page contents.
Contents
- Purpose of the Accommodation
- Appointments that Generally Do Not Fall Within the LAAP
- Determining if the LAAP is Reasonable in a Class
- When a Disability-Related Absence Occurs
- Student Email Templates When Utilizing the LAAP
Purpose of the Accommodation
The LAAP accommodation provides a reasonable amount of flexibility with attendance, exam dates, and in-class work to specifically address the impact of brief, episodic disability flare-ups or qualifying disability-related medical appointments that interfere with these course activities.
- Mitigate disability-related barriers to equal access by preventing students from being disproportionately penalized for absences caused by disability flare-ups or qualifying disability-related medical appointments.
- Provide a limited amount of flexibility, when appropriate, with course attendance and make-up policies for exams and in-class work when brief, episodic disability flare-ups documented with SDS interfere with attendance.
- Allow a limited amount of flexibility, when reasonable, for acute, urgent, or medically necessary disability-related care that cannot reasonably be rescheduled, such as disability treatments only offered on specific dates or times, time-sensitive procedures related to disability treatment protocol, disability treatments where delaying or rescheduling would pose a significant health risk, etc.
- Preserve essential course objectives, learning outcomes, and academic standards.
- Support an individualized, interactive process among the instructor and SDS to determine what adjustments, if any, are reasonable for a specific course.
- Clarify expectations and boundaries around attendance, including how many absences may be reasonably accommodated and how missed work and assessments will be addressed.
- Eliminate the need for students to submit medical documentation for each disability-related absence.
- Reinforce that students remain responsible for completing all required coursework, including making up missed content and assessments within a reasonable time frame.
- Excuse unlimited or excessive absences or provide flexibility beyond what is reasonable for a particular course.
- Eliminate essential course requirements, participation expectations, and learning outcomes where attendance is a fundamental component.
- Comprehensively address and support a student who misses a significant number of classes, either consecutively or throughout the semester.
- Automatically grant flexibility without direct and timely communication from the student.
- Retroactively provide flexibility to absences and missed work that occurred before the accommodation was listed on a student’s course access letter.
- Allow for lengthy delays in making up assessments and in-class work for reasons beyond a brief, episodic disability flare-up or acute, functionally unavoidable disability-related medical care.
- Provide flexibility for foreseeable, routine, and generally reschedulable medical appointments related to the documented disability, such as regular therapy sessions, standard follow-up visits, ongoing maintenance care, etc.
- Apply to non-disability absences, such as acute illnesses, temporary injuries, health conditions not on record with SDS, work/family conflicts, transportation issues, personal obligations, etc. Students who miss class for non-disability reasons should complete the appropriate absence notification form and communicate directly with their instructors.
Appointments that Generally Do NOT Fall Within the LAAP
The LAAP accommodation applies to absences caused by brief, episodic disability flare-ups or acute, urgent, or non-reschedulable disability-related medical care. Routine, non-urgent, or foreseeable disability-related appointments should, when possible, be scheduled to minimize conflicts with class attendance.
- Appointments for conditions that are not documented with SDS
- Routine or recurring medical appointments related to the documented disability that can reasonably be scheduled outside of class time
- Ongoing maintenance treatments related to the documented disability that can reasonably be scheduled outside of class time
- Appointments that are predictable in nature and offer scheduling flexibility, such as counseling appointments, physical therapy, etc.
When class attendance is affected by appointments that do not fall within the scope of the LAAP accommodation, students should follow the course’s attendance policy and the university’s absence notification process.
Determining if the LAAP is Reasonable in a Class
Institutional Responsibility
- If a limit on absences is reasonable, the university must clearly articulate and document the academic rationale for that limit.
- When an interactive and collaborative process is followed and the limit is clearly non-arbitrary, courts and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) generally defer to the institution’s academic judgment.
How LAAP Is Applied
- Once a student is approved for LAAP, how the accommodation applies is determined on a course-by-course basis, at the request of the instructor or student.
- Upon request, SDS works with the instructor to evaluate whether and to what extent attendance is essential to meeting the course’s learning objectives.
- When reasonable, LAAP may allow limited flexibility beyond the stated attendance and make-up policies to account for brief, episodic disability flare-ups or qualifying disability-related medical care.
Setting Absence Limits
- Instructors who wish to set a limit on disability-related absences must:
- Upload the course syllabus to the Faculty Portal, and
- Complete the LAAP Course Information Form.
- Students may also contact SDS to request clarification about absence limits for a course.
- After the form is submitted, an SDS staff member will contact the instructor to review the responses and develop a LAAP Flex Plan, which outlines how the accommodation is implemented in the course.
- Disability-related absences that are communicated in accordance with these guidelines may not be penalized unless a LAAP Flex Plan has been created or the instructor has consulted with SDS.
LAAP Flex Plan
- Once SDS and the instructor reach an agreement, SDS will create a LAAP Flex Plan and email it to both the student and instructor.
- Students and instructors are responsible for reviewing the LAAP Flex Plan and contacting SDS if they have any questions or concerns.
- The Flex Plan can also be viewed at any time in the Student Portal and Faculty Portal under the “Flex Plan” link.
When a Disability-Related Absence Occurs
Notice of Disability-Related Absence
- Students must notify their instructor before class if they are unable to attend due to disability-related symptoms or qualifying disability-related medical care.
- If a student experiences an incapacitating flare-up, hospitalization, or urgent medical situation, flexibility with the communication timeline is permitted.
- When notifying the instructor, students must clearly state that the absence is disability-related so it can be recognized under the LAAP accommodation.
- SDS recommends using the email templates provided to ensure clarity.
Documentation
- The course access letter and the student’s email notification are sufficient documentation for a disability-related absence under the LAAP accommodation.
- Students are never required to provide medical documentation to instructors to justify a disability-related absence. Instructors with concerns may contact SDS.
Making Up Coursework and Assessments
- Students are responsible for:
- Requesting make-ups for missed quizzes, exams, and in-class assignments
- Obtaining notes or course materials
- Keeping up with missed content and completing missed work
- Attending office hours as needed
- Make-up work should be completed as soon as possible after the absence.
- Make-up opportunities for quizzes, exams, and in-class assignments should generally be provided for disability-related absences when the student communicates in a timely manner. Instructors with concerns must contact SDS.
- Extensions on out-of-class assignments are generally not needed. However, in rare situations where a disability flare-up prevents timely submission during a disability-related absence, the student may request a brief extension. Instructors must contact SDS before denying any disability-related extension requests.
- Instructors may use the SDS Testing Center to proctor LAAP-related make-ups, subject to Testing Center availability. At least three business days’ notice is generally needed to arrange a make-up.
Student Email Templates When Utilizing the LAAP
Hello Professor [NAME],
I am writing in accordance with my limited adjustment to the attendance policy (LAAP) accommodation to let you know that I am unable to attend [COURSE ABBREVIATION, NUMBER, & SECTION] today due to disability. I will review the course materials and follow up as needed to stay current.
Thank you,
[YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME]
Hello Professor [NAME],
I am writing in accordance with my limited adjustment to the attendance policy (LAAP) accommodation to let you know that I am unable to attend lab for [COURSE ABBREVIATION, NUMBER, & SECTION] today due to disability.
May I make-up the missed lab? For example, could I attend another section of the lab?
Thank you,
[YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME]
Hello Professor [NAME],
I am writing in accordance with my limited adjustment to the attendance policy (LAAP) accommodation to let you know that I am unable to attend [COURSE ABBREVIATION, NUMBER, & SECTION] today due to disability. I will review course materials and follow up as needed to stay current.
I would also like to request an opportunity to make-up the missed in-class assignment for full credit. May I submit the assignment by [DATE]?
Thank you,
[YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME]
Hello Professor [NAME],
I am writing in accordance with my limited adjustment to the attendance policy (LAAP) accommodation to let you know that I am unable to attend [COURSE ABBREVIATION, NUMBER, & SECTION] today due to disability.
I would like to request an opportunity to make-up the exam. Please let me know:
- Whether SDS needs to assist with proctoring the make-up, and
- By what date the make-up must be completed.
If the make-up is permitted, please include [email protected] on your response so that they are notified of your approval.
Thank you,
[YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME]
Revised: 01.09.2026