Gwynedd Mercy University 2025-2026 University Catalog 16
Attendance
Regular class attendance is necessary for the attainment of satisfactory performance in university work and is the responsibility of each student. Requirements for class attendance within any course are at the discretion of the faculty member responsible for the course. Attendance is always required on the first day of each course.
Absence Due to Athletic Contests Every student at GMercyU has a responsibility to attend classes regularly. However, as representatives of GMercyU, our student-athletes are excused from class attendance in order to participate in contractually obligated intercollegiate athletic competition. As such, they provide recognition and value to the University community. However, in order for student-athletes to be excused from class, the following stipulations must be met:
1. The Director of Athletics will post a link to the Athletics homepage on the GMercyU website at the beginning of each semester, so faculty may access the roster and current game schedule of each sports team associated with the University.
2. Student-athletes are responsible for providing each of their course instructors with a schedule of competition dates and times at the beginning of the semester. Should contest dates be added or changed once the schedule is printed, it is the responsibility of the student athletes to provide an amended schedule to their course instructors as soon as the additional dates and times are available.
3. In the case of schedules that may be altered due to inclement weather, it is the responsibility of the student-athlete to notify the professor of the change, as soon as the revised dates and times are available from the Athletic Department.
4. Student-athletes are advised to meet with the instructor in advance and determine a plan to satisfy the course requirements for the time the student-athlete is likely to miss. At that meeting, the instructor and student will complete an Intercollegiate Athletic Participation Class Absence Form. The instructor will decide the appropriate assignment to compensate for the missed classroom time. This assignment shall not be in excess of the subject matter covered during the student-athlete’ s absence, according to the syllabus. Clinical experiences, studentteaching days, internships and practicum days, and science labs are not covered by this policy and cannot be missed unless an agreement is reached between the student-athlete and the faculty member.
5. Student-athletes are responsible for submitting completed Intercollegiate Athletic Participation Class Absence Forms to the Department of Athletics. Should a contest conflict with an exam or other graded in-class activity, the student-athlete must meet with the course instructor to establish an alternative method and / or date for testing / assessment.
As per NCAA regulation, student-athletes are not excused from class for practice or to play in a nontraditional-season contest. Students who do not comply with the policy have no recourse for exceptions to attendance policies listed in the course syllabus. The Faculty Athletics Representative is available to answer questions and assist in the coordination and implementation of this policy.
Attendance Policies for Accelerated Online Programs of Study The pace of an accelerated degree program requires students to maximize opportunities to learn. The classes and out-of-class learning activities provide the primary context for instruction as well as learning.