Limited Attendance Flexibility

The standard proposed plan includes six total days of disability-related attendance flexibility. Once the DRC finalizes the course-specific plan, the finalized amount governs implementation.

If the proposed plan may substantially affect an essential course requirement, request a review through the DRC.

No. The six days are the total amount of disability-related attendance flexibility in the standard proposed plan. They are not automatically added to the number of absences already permitted in the syllabus.

Identify existing course flexibility when reviewing the proposed plan so the DRC can determine how the accommodation should apply.

No. It applies only to disability-related absences covered by the finalized Flex Plan. It does not provide unlimited absences or cover absences unrelated to disability.

No. An absence addressed through another Purdue University policy or approved process is separate from Limited Attendance Flexibility and should not be deducted from the student’s approved disability-related attendance flexibility.

The student should follow the notice and documentation procedures associated with the applicable university process. The Attendance Usage Request process should be used when the student is invoking their DRC-approved attendance accommodation.

Review Purdue University absence policies for more information.

No. Attendance flexibility and deadline flexibility are separate accommodations. Deadline flexibility applies only when it is separately approved and listed on the student’s Course Accommodation Letter.

Yes. Instructors may complete proposed plans before a student releases a Course Accommodation Letter. Completing a plan early does not activate an accommodation for a particular student.

Not automatically. Each course section has its own Flex Plan.

If multiple sections have the same course structure and the same proposed plan is appropriate, the DRC may be able to copy the completed plan across those sections.

It depends on the course design. An asynchronous course may still include synchronous meetings, scheduled discussions, group activities, presentations, attendance-based quizzes, or other time-specific participation requirements.

If the course has no scheduled attendance or attendance-based participation requirements, the plan may not be applicable.

No. The DRC has already reviewed disability-related information as part of the accommodation process. Students are not required to provide an instructor with a medical note for each absence covered by the approved plan.

Students are also not required to disclose their diagnosis, symptoms, or private medical information. An Attendance Usage Request indicates that the student is using an approved disability-related accommodation.

Instructors should not independently approve or deny a request that does not appear to align with the finalized plan or exceeds the approved amount of flexibility.

Submit a concern through the Instructor Portal. Additional flexibility is not automatic. The DRC will conduct an individualized review and determine whether additional discussion or modification is appropriate.

Yes. Limited Attendance Flexibility addresses attendance. It does not remove the student’s responsibility to complete coursework, demonstrate required knowledge and skills, or meet the academic standards of the course.

When make-up work is appropriate, instructors may establish a reasonable completion timeline.

When an approved absence prevents the student from completing required attendance-based participation, provide a reasonable alternative that measures the same or a comparable learning outcome, when appropriate.

When an approved absence affects attendance-based bonus points or extra credit, consider whether a comparable opportunity can reasonably be provided.

Instructors are not required to award points automatically, create an unrelated extra-credit assignment, or provide an alternative that changes the purpose or academic standard of the original activity.

Contact the DRC and explain the educational purpose of attendance, the affected learning outcomes, and why an alternative method may not be appropriate.

If another approach may provide equal access while better preserving an essential course requirement, submit it to the DRC for review. Do not implement an alternative until it has been reviewed and finalized through the interactive process.

Limited Attendance Flexibility does not automatically modify testing, laboratory, clinical, or fieldwork requirements.

Review the student’s Course Accommodation Letter for other approved accommodations and contact the DRC when the missed activity involves specialized equipment, safety requirements, direct observation, minimum-hour requirements, sequential skills, patient care, accreditation standards, or an activity that cannot readily be recreated.

Work with the student to identify a reasonable method of meeting the assignment’s learning objectives while considering the effect on other group members.

Contact the DRC when the group requirements cannot reasonably be addressed within the finalized plan.

Yes. The plan may be revisited if course requirements change, the student reaches the approved limit, new barriers arise, or implementation questions develop.

Instructors and students should contact the DRC as soon as a concern arises rather than waiting until the end of the semester.

Instructors and students should contact the DRC promptly when questions or disagreements arise about implementation of a finalized Flex Plan.

The DRC will work with the student and instructor through the interactive process to clarify the plan and determine appropriate next steps.

Students may also have access to applicable university complaint, grievance, or appeal procedures. Contacting the DRC promptly may allow an implementation concern to be addressed before it becomes a more formal dispute.