Class Attendance Regulations for Online Courses

Some classes at UT Southern may be taught online or on Teams in addition to face-to-face. Classes taught via Teams may be taught at the assigned day and time or in some cases recorded and listened to at the student’s convenience. Students must check schedules. The schedule indicates whether the class is synchronous or not. If synchronous, students must log on to Teams at the appropriate class times. Students must follow the course syllabi in all cases and contact course instructors or the Director of Distance Learning if they have questions. It is the policy of the University that students will demonstrate attendance in an online course by completing their work in a timely manner and participating in a substantive way in course content. To this end, students will be required to:

• Complete the brief, online orientation before beginning with class;

• Check the course site at least once a week;

• Communicate with classmates and the instructor periodically; and 

• Complete work periodically.

As with any course, a student cannot miss several weeks of online classes and expect to be successful in the course. There may be deadlines for assignments, and there may be requirements for students to log-in at particular times to participate in group discussions or other activities. Students should consult each course syllabus for specific requirements.

Students who fail to log into their online course within the first seven calendar days from the start of the sixteen-week session/term or the first day of an eight- or six-week session/term will automatically be withdrawn from the class. Logging into an online class without active participation, such as (but not limited to) completing an assignment, does not constitute attendance in the course and is considered as a student never attending class and will be treated as such. Students should notify their professors and Director of Distance Learning immediately if they have trouble logging on to their online classes. If a student chooses to withdraw from an online class, they may contact the Director of Academic Advising or the Registrar’s Office. The withdrawal will be effective from the date of the email notification. A Drop/Add Form will be emailed to the student who should complete the form and return it by mail, fax, or scanned and emailed. Failure to withdraw will result in a grade of “F” in a course.