Absence notifications

Student Life Absence Notifications

We hope to empower students at UWL to make effective decisions regarding their own health and wellbeing and to communicate these decisions to faculty and staff. Absence notifications advocate for students who experience events outside of their control and may need to leave the University for an extended period of time. The Student Life Office encourages communication between students and instructors about class absences and missed assignments.

Our office encourages students to reach out to their instructors about how their absence may affect their success in a course. We encourage the following in communication between instructors and students:

Open and honest communication about the nature of the absence, the length, and reason for absence
Once an absence is known, students should email instructors immediately
- Follow-up communication is also encouraged (e.g. instructor office hours, reminders before/after class periods, etc.)
Faculty reserve the right to accept or deny absence requests to reserve the integrity of their individual course
If faculty require verification, they may ask the student to bring any information needed

Please view the University Class Attendance Policy for more information.

Student Life Absence Notifications are for students experiencing emergency physical/mental health concerns, family emergencies, or unexpected events and will be gone for three (3) or more days. We will send out information about your absence to your instructors.

Please call the Student Life Office at 608-785-8062 to tell us about your situation.

Important things to know about absence notifications:

Absence notifications do not serve as excused absences, as excused absences are at the discretion of each instructor
Students will need to work with their instructors to discuss any missed assignments, quizzes, or exams
Student Life staff encourage follow-up after a student returns to UWL to get connected to appropriate campus resources
Please provide as much detail as possible. We do not verify absences; however, want to be sure we advocate appropriately for you. Please note that your instructors may request verification on a case-by-case basis.

The Student Life Office will not send notifications for extended vacations, conference attendance, university-sanctioned events/trips, etc. Students are encouraged to work with their faculty to determine how to navigate these absences.