All policies regarding obtaining an excused absence are outlined below and on the course syllabus. Please note that any request for an excused absence not done according to the guidelines below may result in that request being denied.

The "Official Excuse Request Form" can be downloaded and printed via the following URL's or picked up directly from the head grading TA:

http://www.cs.umd.edu/class/fall2004/cmsc214/Admin/Forms/oerf.html [HTML format]
http://www.cs.umd.edu/class/fall2004/cmsc214/Admin/Forms/oerf.doc [Microsoft Word Document]

Note that any requests for an excused absence must be submitted as soon as physically possible (which is defined as no more than one week from the class period in which you are physically able to resume attending school).

Excused Absence Request Procedure:

See the course syllabus for the official details as to what constitutes a valid excuse and what accommodations are made for excused absences.

1. Print out and complete the "Official Excuse Request Form" and attach to it (either with a staple or paper clip) a photocopy of any and all documentation verifying your absence (see the class syllabus for what constitutes acceptable documentation).

2. Turn in the material from step 1 to either your lab section TA (before or after class), or your instructor (before or after class or during office hours).

3. Ultimately your excused absence request with be reviewed by your instructor (or designee). Upon evaluating your request your class account will be emailed with the result of that evaluation. In addition a copy of the evaluated "Official Excuse Request Form" may be returned to the teaching TA of the lab section for which you are registered who will then return it in the next lab section.

   Note: the fastest way to have an excuse request form processed is to bring that form in person to your instructor during any of their posted advising hours.

4. If you have any question concerning an excused absence request you must see your instructor in person during any of their posted advising hours. The instructor(s) of the course will not answer any excuse related questions until after you have filled out and received back the "Official Excuse Request Form".

If you are requesting an extension on a project - do not wait for the extension to be approved before continuing to work on the project - meaning you should continue to work on your project whenever you are physically capable of doing so (and submitting whatever you can ontime, 1 day late, and 2 days late). Also, if you work on your project external to your class account (meaning it is stored somewhere other than in your class account), at least twice a day (once anytime in the morning and once again anytime in the afternoon) you should place an updated copy of your project into your class account - as this is the only reliable way we can retrieve copies of your files from specific days - failure to do this may result in no extension being granted.

If you have filed an excuse request form for an extension on a project and it is not approved you may choose to have whichever assignment you turned in graded (either the ontime version, 1 day late version, or 2 day late version) - note that if you submit nothing then you will receive a zero for that assignment (assuming the extension request is not approved).

Only the student who the excuse is for may make any such request. If this seems unreasonable or poses a problem we will be more than willing to discuss this matter.

Academic Honesty and Additional Information:

Please see the class syllabus for additional information/policies and remember that the University has a Code of Academic Integrity by which all students are expected to abide and any suspected violations of this code will be turned in to the University per University regulation.

See the class syllabus for policies concerning email Last Modified: Wed Aug 25 17:38:39 EDT 2004