Biolab > Student Behavior

Attendance & Communication

Attendance Policy  |  Unexcused Absence  |  Official Absence  |  Communication Policy

Federal regulations mandate that all candidate and accredited institutions comply with the definition of the credit hour as set forth by Code of Federal Regulations, Title 34: Education, Subpart A: General, Section 600.2, which defines the credit hour — except as provided in 34 CFR 668.8(k) and (l) — as an amount of student work defined by an institution, as approved by the institution's accrediting agency or State approval agency, that is consistent with commonly accepted practice in postsecondary education and that:

1. Reasonably approximates not less than:
   • (i) One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different period of time; or
   • (ii)  At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph 1(i) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution, including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours; and
2. Permits an institution, in determining the amount of work associated with a credit hour, to take into account a variety of delivery methods, measurements of student work, academic calendars, disciplines, and degree levels

Laboratory experience is an essential element of biology training and the federal accreditation regulations indicate that lab attendance is a requirement for passing the full course. Therefore, laboratory attendance is mandatory.

Attendance Policy

Unexcused Absence: weddings, funerals, vacations, surgeries (non-emergency and can be scheduled), work schedules or other work engagements, car trouble, child care, illness, etc. Students can complete the extra point activities available on Moodle to offset the points they may potentially miss in the future. Make sure to submit the completed activity by the due date shown in Moodle. 

For the first lab of the semester, it will be considered an Unexcused Absence if a student:

• Does not attend the laboratory for which they are registered,
• Registers after labs have begun, OR
• Attends a lab section for which they are not registered although they are registered for another section.

For the duration of the semester, it will be considered an Unexcused Absence if a student does not:

• Arrive on time.
• Stay for the entire lab.
• Attend the laboratory section for which they are enrolled.

Official Absence (not to be confused with Flexibility in Attendance due to a disability): An official absence is any absence(s) from class because the student is representing Idaho State University at an official, university-recognized event with the expressed support of an ISU faculty or staff activity sponsor.  To receive an official absence the following must be completed:

1. Review ISUPP 5040.
2. The instructor will receive verified documentation from the coach, trainer, etc.
3. The student must notify the lab instructor in writing four business days BEFORE lab begins indicating the reason for the absence and to request an official absence.
4. The student will either; a) attend another lab section before leaving for the event, b) be assigned an essay assignment, OR c) another type of make-up assignment will be made available. Assignments must be completed before attending the next scheduled lab after the sponsored event.

Instructor - Student Communication Policy

Instructors will communicate with students out of lab using e-mail and Moodle.  All ISU students have been assigned an ISU account, which can be activated without an additional fee. 

When students communicate with their instructor using e-mail they are required to use the ISU Academic Communication guidelines as well as specific rules 1-4 or the instructor is NOT required to respond. Instructors are also not required to respond to an e-mail if it is about an assignment that is due in 2 business days or less OR an absence that has already occurred or will occur in less than two business days.

1. Subject must include the course number (i.e. Biol 1101L) AND the section number for which you are registered (i.e.  01, 02 etc.),
2. A greeting that includes your instructor’s name,
3. A concise paragraph that explains your situation and/or asks a question, and
4. A salutation that includes your full name AND Bengal ID number.