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Class Attendance
Faculty may and often do include class participation as a significant component in calculating a student’s course grade. Therefore, students should plan to attend all class sessions, whether in person or virtual, to avoid repercussions up to and including failing the course. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the faculty before being absent unless the student is physically unable to do so (e.g. due to extreme illness or accident). Please note that the graduate school does not offer excused absences. Rather, notification of an absence fosters communication and respect between students and faculty. Students are still responsible for any consequences associated with missing class time. Students who may need to miss more than one class session, whether for illness or personal circumstances, are advised to meet with an academic advisor in Graduate Academic Services to determine their options which may include taking a Leave of Absence. Please see the Examinations and Grades section for policies related to attendance for final exams.
Blended Learning Miami program and Blended Learning format courses: Attendance at all Faceto-Face sessions in Blended Learning format courses is required. Students facing unexpected and/or extenuating circumstances may request to miss a Face-to-Face session in cases by contacting the Office of Graduate Academic Services. Students should plan their schedules carefully as conflicts such as having an appointment during class time are not approved absences. Students are further advised that even when approved, absences will often result in significant make-up work as well as a reduced class participation grade as the Face-to-Face session is integral to successful completion of Blended Learning format courses. Students who find themselves needing to miss a Face-to-Face session are strongly advised to seek guidance from an academic advisor as soon as possible. Not all situations will merit an approved absence and in some cases students may be better served by taking a Leave of Absence.
Religious Observance
Babson College welcomes and values people and their perspectives and respects the interests of all members of the community. Babson recognizes the breadth of religious observance among students, faculty, and staff and the potential for conflict with scheduled components of the academic experience. Students are expected to review their syllabi and notify faculty within two weeks of the course’s start of potential conflicts between course requirements and religious observances. In such an event, the instructor will provide reasonable accommodations that do not unduly disadvantage the student.
Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 151C, Section 2B: “Any student in an educational or vocational training institution, other than a religious or denominational educational or vocational training institution, who is unable, because of his religious beliefs, to attend classes or to participate in any examination, study, or work requirement on a particular day shall be excused from any such examination or study or work requirement, and shall be provided with an opportunity to make up such examination, study, or work requirement that he may have missed because of such absence on any particular day; provided, however, that such makeup examination or work shall not create an unreasonable burden upon such school. No fees of any kind shall be charged by the institution for making available to the said student such opportunity. No adverse or prejudicial effects shall result to any student because of his availing himself of the provisions of this section.”
Cancellation of Classes
Members of the college’s Crisis Response Team have developed a plan to monitor and address potential inclement weather providing for the safety and security of members of the Babson community. With over 85% of our undergraduate students living on campus, the College generally remains open during inclement weather. In rare circumstances, the College determines school closure or delay based on 1. State of Emergency declared by the Governor and/or 2. Severe weather conditions that make it difficult to keep the campus roads and parking lots cleared. Since safety is the College’s highest priority, students are advised to exercise their own judgment regarding traveling to campus during inclement weather and to communicate directly with their professors about specific issues regarding travel. Staff and faculty are also advised to exercise their own judgment regarding traveling to work or remaining at home and some may choose to schedule class through WebEx or other available systems during inclement weather.
Courses that are taught in either a wholly online or Blended Learning format will not be cancelled but will move to an alternative delivery format. This includes closures that occur during a F2F session. In these circumstances students are expected to be available from the safety of their home, hotel, or office for Virtual Classroom sessions which will be conducted in lieu of the in-person F2F. If the campus is closed students may not come to campus. Students are expected to follow the instructions of Babson staff who will email updates and directions in the event of a campus closure.
During inclement weather, members of the Babson community can obtain updates regarding advisories and the status of College operations by accessing the Babson homepage, INFO phone line 781-2394636,the Emergency Preparedness page of the Babson website, and local news and radio channels (WBZ/Channel 4/WBZ 1030 AM, WHDH/Channel 7/WRKO 680 AM, WCVB/Channel 5, WFXT/Fox 25).