Academic Services

Absences & Incompletes

All students are expected to attend classes regularly. Students on probation are compelled by university policy to attend every class meeting. In addition, an individual faculty member may establish attendance requirements for all students in the course, and may insist on the completion of all assignments even if a student was not in attendance for the period. Tardy students may be marked absent at the discretion of the instructor.

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Short Term Absences

Students who need to miss class due to illness, family emergency or any otherwise unavoidable reason are advised to contact both their academic advisor and the professor(s) or TA(s) of the course(s) affected, whether by email, phone, etc. This initial notification does not ensure an extension or the opportunity to make up an examination. Students will need to discuss the matter in greater detail with their professor(s) in order to make specific arrangements. The Brandeis Health Center does not write "sick or excuse notes" for class absences.

Longer Term Absences

In rare circumstances, students may have to miss more than a week of class due to serious illness or to family emergencies. In these cases, a student should be in immediate contact with his/her academic services advisor to discuss what options may be available. Because class participation and peer learning are important aspects of the Brandeis educational experience, students who miss more than two weeks of class ordinarily consider taking a leave of absence from the semester.

Students with a serious illness or condition that lasts longer than a few days or results in hospitalization should contact the Academic Services Office (781-736-3470) for advice on managing their academic obligations and their health conditions. In these serious situations, Academic Services can facilitate communication and medical accommodations. The Health Center, with written consent from the student, can validate conditions and care plans as needed.

Grief Absence Policy

In the event that a Brandeis student must be away from classes due to the loss or catastrophic illness of a loved one, they are invited to make use of the Brandeis Student Grief Absence Policy. The Student Grief Absence Policy excuses an absence of five days, with the possibility of additional days based on distance of travel from Brandeis’s campus. Travel days will be determined by the distance of the verified bereavement services from Waltham, MA, as follows:

Within 150 mile radius of Waltham - no additional excused absence days
Within 150-300 mile radius of Waltham - one additional excused absence day
Beyond 300-mile radius of Waltham - two additional excused absence days
Outside the 48 contiguous United States - four additional excused absence days.

In the event of a loss, undergraduate students should notify their Academic Services advisor via email or the Grief Absence Request Form as soon as possible if they will be away from classes due to bereavement. Notification should be made at the beginning of the mourning period. If necessary, a friend or relative may also make the contact, sharing the full name of the student.

Academic Services will notify the student’s instructors and the Dean of Students Office of the absence; students may also request that staff members in the Brandeis Counseling Center and/or Center for Spiritual Life be notified. If the individual being mourned is a member of the student’s nuclear family (e.g., parent/guardian, sibling, spouse, or child), Student Financial Services and the President of the University will also be notified.

Excused Absences from Final Exams or Incompletes

Sometimes a situation arises that prevents a student from completing a final assignment or taking a final exam at the scheduled time. During these situations, the university is prepared to work with both the student and faculty to facilitate a conversation about whether receiving an excused absence (EA) and/or excused incomplete (EI) may be appropriate. Typically, a student would receive an EA or an EI only for emergency or medical reasons. An EA and/or EI is not given because of conflicts in travel plans or reasons related to a lack of appropriate planning for the finals period. Specific questions regarding this policy can be directed to the Registrar’s Office at registrar@brandeis.edu or 781-736-2010.

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Who is Eligible to Request an Excused Absence or Incomplete?

Students in good academic standing are eligible to request an EA and/or EI. It is a contract that is agreed upon by both the student and instructor at the end of the semester in the event that the student is not able to complete the final exam or submit the final paper/project on the pre-assigned date. Each semester a form will be available to fill out to request an EA/EI.

An EA indicates that the student has completed the required coursework during the semester, but is not able to take the final exam on the scheduled date. The student would agree to take the exam during the conflict resolution period or during the make up exam period at the start of the next semester.

An EI indicates that the student has completed the required coursework during the semester, but the final paper or project cannot be submitted by the scheduled date. An EI is a written agreement between the student and instructor granting an extension beyond the end of the semester. The due date should be mutually agreed upon by the student and instructor, but should not extend past the Office of the Registrar published deadline in the academic calendar.

What Happens if I Do Not Complete the Work by the Arranged or Published Deadline?

An EA or EI notation serves as a temporary placeholder until the work has been completed by the agreed-upon course of action. Once your work has been submitted, the instructor will then issue a grade change to the Office of the Registrar. If you have been granted an incomplete the instructor will share your provisional grade on the approval form; this grade will be your final grade if you do not submit any of your outstanding work.

How Do I Request an Excused Absence from a Final Exam or an Incomplete?

To arrange an EA or EI, the student should fill out the current semester’s Incomplete Form (only available in the last 2 weeks of the semester). If needed, the student may meet with his/her/their academic services advisor to help facilitate the conversation with the faculty member. For an EA or an EI to be granted, the instructor must agree on the extension, and the student must meet with both the instructor and the advisor to fill out the appropriate contract together.