Attendance Policy

A community placement is an integral component of any Community Based Learning (CBL) course, and as such, students are expected to attend their placement every week throughout the entire semester. On average, a student can expect to be on site for at least two hours each week. In addition, students are encouraged to think about the experiential aspect of the community placement, how that placement serves as part of the course materials, and how it will be incorporated into the class during the semester as the experience unfolds.

CBL recognizes that illnesses occur and that these situations cannot be anticipated. When this happens, the CBL student must notify the community placement supervisor via email and/or phone, as soon as possible or within 12-24 hours’ notice of the assigned placement day/time. An effort should be made to make up the placement visit within the same week or the week after missing the scheduled visit.

When a CBL student need to be absent for an athletic or course commitment that cannot be rearranged, they must notify the community placement supervisor and your Community Mentor at least seven days’ in advance. An effort should be made to make up the placement visit within the same week or the week after missing the scheduled visit.

Inconsistent attendance will not be tolerated. The Community Mentor assigned to the community placement regularly checks the time logs and reports students’ hours to the CBL office each week. Students should view their community placement like a real job with real consequences. Failure to adhere to the CBL student commitment form or an agency’s code of conduct can serve as grounds for termination from a placement site. If that should occur, CBL will not be responsible for finding a replacement site and as a result, the depth of understanding course content may be compromised.

For Thanksgiving Break and Spring Break: students whose placements end before 5:00pm on Friday are expected to to attend. If travel plans prevent you from keeping your commitment, please make sure to discuss your situation with your community partner supervisor.