Purpose
This norm provides guidelines for students to request academic excuses to the Office of Academic Affairs in case of missing a required academic activity.
Requirements
Students will be eligible for an academic excuse, with the proper evidence provided, under the following circumstances:
- Serious accident or emergency
- Programmed surgery
- Illness
- Military obligation
- Professional conferences (previously approved)
- Jury duty
The Vice President for Academic Affairs or the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will evaluate the student’s request and provide the determination for the petition.
Students will be responsible for preparing a plan to remediate all the activities missed during the period being excused. Alternate methods (e.g., ZOOM) to allow remediation will be determined only by the Schools and Programs.
For a situation that will allow the student to be excused in advance (e.g., military obligation, jury duty, programmed surgery), a student must provide all the necessary evidence to be considered for an academic excuse.
In case of illness, the student must submit a medical certificate or the emergency room paperwork if it is an extraordinary situation. In case of having COVID, mycoplasma, or flu symptoms, the student will receive a quarantine order until the receipt of the tests confirming illness. The Students Health Service Coordinator in the Student Affairs Office will execute this quarantine order.
In case of weather conditions (e.g., storm, heavy rain), technology issues (e.g., iClickers issues) or religious holidays that could affect student participation, students must communicate directly to the School or Program Director/Coordinator. The School and Programs will follow the PHSU Attendance Policy and all its sections accordingly.
Requests for academic excuses must be submitted within five (5) working days of the missed academic activity. Evidence to support the request for an academic excuse must be submitted within 48 hours of the request. Excuses will not be granted if requested later than five (5) working days from the absence to the academic activity, without distinction of person.
To submit a Request for an Excuse to an Academic Activity, students in Puerto Rico must send an email to Mrs. Wilda Vélez (wvelez@psm.edu) in Academic Affairs, including an explanation for the absence to the academic activity and the supporting documentation.
St. Louis Campus students must submit their requests to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Dr. Ferrahs Abdelbaset at fabdelbaset@psm.edu.
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