Policies & Rules — Attendance

Untitled Document The policies and procedures of the MU School of Law are revised on a regular basis. Provisions regarding such policies and procedures contained on our website are subject to change without notice. If you have questions or note errors or omissions, please contact the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. All statements concerning requirements, prerequisites, conditions or other matters are for informational purposes only, and are subject to change without notice. They are not to be regarded as offers to contract.

Law Schools approved by the American Bar Association must require regular and punctual class attendance. The rules below implement this requirement at MU, and were adopted by the faculty on November 19, 1992:

  1. Class Attendance
    1. Attendance is expected, in accordance with the ABA policy statement.
    2. Administration of the attendance policy lies with the individual instructor for each course.
    3. The individual instructor determines the number and nature of absences from each course for an excess of which sanctions may be imposed, as well as the sanctions which will be imposed, up to and including dismissal from the course.
    4. If the instructor intends to attach a formal sanction (grade reduction or dismissal from the course) to inadequate attendance, he/she must announce to the class in writing at the beginning of the course what the rules governing attendance in that course will be, with appropriate provision for notice to late enrollers.
    5. A student who is in danger of accumulating excessive absences must be given notice by the instructor in advance of the absence which will give rise to a significant sanction (major grade reduction or dismissal from the class.
  2. Appeals
    • A student who is dropped from a course for excessive absences may meet with the Dean and request reversal of the decision. Such a student may seek the assistance of the Grievance Committee of the Student Bar Association in support of the request. A final decision on the appeal rests in the discretion of the Dean.