Attendance Policy
While Ogeechee Technical College does not mandate attendance for lecture-based classes, the Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) Program is held to additional standards set forth by the Georgia Board of Nursing, which requires that students complete a minimum number of theory (lecture), lab, and clinical hours to meet eligibility for licensure. Because of these requirements, attendance and punctuality are essential components of academic and clinical success in the nursing program. Students are expected to be present, prepared, and actively engaged in all assigned learning activities, including but not limited to lectures, labs, clinical experiences, and simulation.
Lecture Attendance
Regular attendance in lecture courses is expected to support academic success and mastery of course content. Students are responsible for all material covered and any announcements made during scheduled class sessions, regardless of attendance. Faculty may implement participation policies or in-class assessments that impact course grades. A student is considered absent if not present and ready at the start of class. A tardy is defined as arriving late, returning late from break, or leaving class early. Tardiness and early departure without instructor approval will be recorded and reflected in the student’s professional behavior/work ethics evaluation.
Lab and Clinical Attendance
Attendance in all scheduled lab and clinical experiences is mandatory and tracked in accordance with program and Board of Nursing requirements. Missed lab or clinical hours must be made up to meet the course faculty. Students may be required to complete alternative assignments or attend additional sessions. Two (2) excused absences are permitted per clinical course. All missed clinical days, regardless of reason, must be made up. Unexcused absences or excessive tardiness may result in a deduction from the clinical grade or course failure. Students must notify their clinical instructor at least one hour prior to the start of a clinical day if they are unable to attend.
General Expectations
Failure to meet required instructional hours—whether in lab, clinical, or lecture—may result in failure of the course and dismissal from the program. Students are encouraged to plan responsibly and communicate proactively with faculty regarding attendance concerns.
Communication of Absence
- Advance Notification: Students must directly inform course faculty of absences or tardiness due to illness or extenuating circumstances at least one hour before the scheduled start time. This is particularly critical for clinical and lab courses to allow for safe and timely adjustments to patient assignments and instructor coverage.
- Acceptable Methods: Students must email the faculty using their official school email address. Phone messages are acceptable only if email is inaccessible. Contacting a peer to report an absence on one’s behalf is not acceptable.
- Documentation Requirement: Faculty may require reasonable documentation to support the absence (e.g., physician’s note, positive COVID test, etc.). Failure to provide requested documentation may result in an unexcused absence.
Testing Attendance and Missed Exams
All exams must be taken as scheduled in the course calendar. Missing an exam is only permitted under extenuating, documented circumstances. Students must notify the instructor in writing at least one hour prior to the exam to be eligible for a makeup.
- All missed exams will be made up at the end of the semester, on the day of the final exam for the associated course.
- Exceptions to make-up exam dates are at the discretion of the course faculty.
- Makeup exams may use alternative formats (e.g., short-answer, essay, or true/false).
- Students arriving late to an exam without prior notification will be denied entry and marked unexcused. Exams missed without prior notification are subject to a grade of a zero (0). Make-up exams in this circumstance are at the discretion of the course instructor and the program director.