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Limited Adjustment to the Attendance Policy (LAAP)

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. In rare cases, students may have disability-related extenuating circumstances that make it impossible for them to attend every session of a class. Please use the links below to navigate the page contents. 

Contents

  1. Purpose of the Accommodation
  2. Determining if the LAAP is Reasonable in a Class
  3. When a Disability-Related Absence Occurs 
  4. Student Email Templates When Utilizing the LAAP
  5. LAAP FAQs & Resources
  6. College of Law

Purpose of the Accommodation 

The purpose of reasonable accommodations is to mitigate barriers to equitable access within the academic and campus environment as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. This extends to providing flexibility with attendance policies when necessary and reasonable. The limited adjustment to the attendance policy (LAAP) accommodation is approved by Student Disability Services (SDS) to ensure that eligible students with disabilities are not disproportionately penalized for absences due to disability symptoms as long as the absences do not impede them from meeting essential course standards. 

This accommodation does not apply to seasonal illnesses (e.g. non disability-related colds, flu, etc.), temporary injuries, health conditions not on record with SDS, or other non-disability related absences. Students experiencing these attendance concerns may complete the Absence Notification Form to seek additional support. Please note, instructors are typically not obligated to adjust previous penalties for disability-related absences if the course access letter is provided later in the term.

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Determining if the LAAP is Reasonable in a Class

Once a student is approved for the LAAP, how the accommodation applies will be considered on an individual course basis at the request of the instructor or student. SDS will collaborate with the instructor to determine the extent to which attendance is essential to meeting the course learning objectives. While an attendance policy may already be incorporated into a course, this accommodation may allow for some flexibility beyond that policy to account for the student’s disability-related symptoms, if reasonable. 

Instructors who would like to set an absence limit must complete the LAAP Class Instruction Form in the SDS Faculty Portal to assist SDS in proactively determining what adjustment may be reasonable. The Class Instruction Form may be accessed in the SDS Faculty Portal. Once logged in, the Class Instruction section appears near the top of the screen under Handy Tools. Instructors may also email sds@utk.edu to request a direct link be emailed to them. Students may also contact SDS if they would like to know the absence limit for a course. SDS will contact the instructor to discuss their attendance policy and determine how many additional absences may be reasonable as an accommodation.

If it is ultimately determined that there should be a limit on the number of absences allowed under the LAAP in a course, the university must articulate why. If this process is followed and documented and if the limit is clearly not arbitrary, the courts and OCR accord significant deference to the institution’s academic decision.

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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 exacerbations of their disability. In the event of incapacitating flare-ups or hospitalization, leniency of the expected communication timeline is warranted. 
  • When notifying their instructors, students must verify that the reason for their absence is related to a disability flare-up; otherwise, their instructors will not know that the absence falls within the scope of the LAAP accommodation. SDS recommends using the student email templates listed at the end of these guidelines to ensure that the reason for the absence is clear.
Documentation
  • The course access letter and email notification from the student about the disability absence will serve as sufficient documentation for this accommodation.
  • At no time are students required to present additional medical documentation to instructors in order to justify a disability-related absence. 
Making up coursework and assessments
  • Students are responsible for requesting to make up quizzes, exams, and in-class assignments; obtaining lecture notes; attending instructor office hours; and otherwise compensating for what may have been missed. Make-ups should be completed as quickly as possible after an absence.  
  • Make-up opportunities for quizzes, exams, and in-class assignments generally must be offered to students who experience disability-related absences. Instructors should contact SDS if they have concerns about allowing a make-up opportunity. 
  • Instructors may utilize the SDS Testing Center to proctor LAAP-related make-up tests and quizzes with the understanding that testing center capacity will determine available make-up dates. Every effort will be made to proctor the exam within 3 business days, when feasible.  
  • There may be situations where disability-related symptoms also impact a student’s ability to submit an out-of-class assignment on time in conjunction with an absence. Students should engage SDS and their instructor at the time of an absence if they would like to explore the option of a brief extension. 

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Student Email Templates When Utilizing the LAAP

Notification if missing class due to disability

Hello Prof. [Instructor’s name]

This email serves as a notice to inform you that I am experiencing disability-related symptoms and will not be able to attend [class information including section number] today. I will review the course’s website for the materials I’ve missed and will consult with my classmates for more information. I may also attend your office hours if I have any questions.

Thank you,
Student Name

 

Notification if missing a lab due to disability

Hello Prof. [Instructor’s name]

This email serves as a notice to inform you that I am experiencing disability-related symptoms and will not be able to attend [class information including section number] today. I would like to explore the possibility of attending another section of the lab to make-up the work I’ve missed. Please let me know if this is feasible. In the meantime, I will review the course’s website for the materials I‘ve missed and will consult with my classmates for more information. I may also attend your office hours if I have any questions.  

Thank you,
Student Name

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LAAP FAQs and Resources

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College of Law

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Revised: 08.24.2023