Graduate Catalog

Student Attendance Requirements

Student Attendance Requirements

Students who use communication access services for a long-term class or required activity (defined as a field placement, practicum, internship, or externship), must attend regularly and on time. Individual departments may instate superseding policies/requirements; however, those policies must be clearly communicated to the student and to Gallaudet Interpreting Service (GIS).

  • Timely cancellations. Students must inform GIS of any expected absences three or more business days prior to their occurrence.
  • Late cancellations. Late cancellations are those that are reported to GIS with less than three business days notice.
  • Emergency situations. Students who miss class or a required activity because of an unforeseen illness or emergency must inform the instructor, GIS, and the requesting department (for undergraduate students, the Office of Academic Advising; for graduate students, their home department or the department offering the class or required activity) as soon as possible. Typically, instructors and administrators will excuse illness and/or emergency situations.
  • Tardiness. Interpreters may be dismissed from an assignment if students show up late for a class or required activity. The standard wait time is 20 minutes per hour of the assignment; i.e., 20 minutes for a one-hour class, 30 minutes for a 1.5-hour class, etc. Students who show up past the wait time are not guaranteed communication access services for that day's class. If a student arrives past the wait time and the interpreter has already been dismissed, the assignment is considered a late cancellation.
  • Cessation of services. GIS is obligated to suspend communication access services for students who are excessively absent or late to class. The following conditions may lead to suspension of services: three (3) unexcused absences; and/or three (3) non-emergency late cancellations; or any combination thereof.
  • Notification. When a student reaches two (2) unexcused absence or non-emergency late cancellations, the student's academic advisor will inform the student and the requesting department that suspension of services may occur if the student has one more absence/late cancellation.
  • Required actions. Students for whom communication access services are suspended must meet with their academic advisor to discuss their attendance issues. The academic advisor and/or requesting department must inform GIS that a satisfactory student meeting has occurred before communication access services are reinstated.
  • Reinstatement of services. After notification from the academic advisor and/or requesting department, GIS will reinstate communication access services as instructed by the academic advisor and/or requesting department.