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. Undergraduate students who miss classes or required activities due to an unexpected illness or emergency must inform the Dean of Academic and Career Success as soon as possible. Graduate students must inform the Associate Dean of Graduate school as soon as possible. The students’ course instructors will be contacted.
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.