Absence Policy and Issues of Professionalism

The school’s absence policy (see D. Additional School Polices, section 2) requires students to report all absences from mandatory activities prior to the absence unless that is not possible. Absences are to be reported to absence@med.cuny.edu and to all relevant course directors. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs categorizes and records absences as approved, unapproved or discretionary and informs course directors. The numbers of such absences are also maintained. Failure to report an absence from a mandatory class activity is considered a breach of professional behavior.

• Course directors are responsible for tracking attendance of students at mandatory sessions. They have to inform other faculty members in their course (i.e. preceptors) to let them know immediately if a student is absent from a mandatory session. Course directors will then confirm if the absence was reported and if it is considered approved, unapproved or mandatory. If it is an unapproved absence, either because it was not reported or was classified as such, the course director will reach out to the student to address this as soon as possible, preferably within the same day.
• If a student has more than one unapproved absence, the course director will complete and submit a professionalism documentation form to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs. The form requires a face to face meeting between the student and the course director, since the student has to complete his/her portion of the form and sign it.
• The course director will submit the completed professionalism documentation form to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs.