I. Purpose. The Interim Class Attendance Reporting Procedure (“Procedure”) is established to comply with the U.S. Department of Education’s regulations governing the award of Student Financial Aid, as defined below, and to clarify the attendance reporting obligations of faculty.
II. Scope and Applicability. This Procedure applies to all faculty of Anne Arundel Community College (“College”).
III. Definitions. All capitalized terms in this Procedure have the following meanings:
A. Academic Attendance is a determination made by the College about whether a Student is in attendance for purposes of eligibility to receive Student Financial Aid, and includes Academic Engagement.
B. Academic Engagement means active participation by a Student in an instructional activity related to the Student's course of study that includes, but is not limited to—
1. Attending a synchronous class, lecture, recitation, or field or laboratory activity, physically or online, where there is an opportunity for interaction between the instructor and students;
2. Submitting an academic assignment;
3. Taking an assessment or an exam;
4. Participating in an interactive tutorial, webinar, or other interactive computer-assisted instruction;
5. Participating in a study group, group project, or an online discussion that is assigned by the institution; or
6. Interacting with an instructor about academic matters; and does not include:
a. Logging into an online class or tutorial without any further participation; or
b. Participating in academic counseling or advisement.
C. Business Day is any day that is not a Saturday or Sunday or day that the College is closed, such as holidays, spring break, winter break, or other day that the College announces that it is closed.
D. Class Attendance Rules are attendance requirements established by faculty to govern a class and are stated in the class syllabus.
E. Director is the College’s Director of Student Financial Aid.
F. Faculty Member includes full-time and part-time faculty of the College.
G. Student means any individual who is registered for any credit, developmental, non-credit, or continuing education class offered by the College for the current.
H. Student Financial Aid is student financial assistance authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
I. Written or in writing means in the form of a letter, document, email, or electronic communication or transmission.
IV. Attendance. Regular attendance and active participation promote Student success at the College.
V. Reporting of Academic Attendance for Student Financial Aid Eligibility
A. All Faculty Members are required to take attendance in their classes for purposes of determining Student eligibility for Student Financial Aid in the following manner:
1. A Faculty Member must report a Student as being in Academic Attendance to the Financial Aid Office on the reporting date if there was any Academic Engagement in the course by the Student during the reporting period.
2. A Faculty Member must comply with the reporting guidelines on the College’s Technical Service Desk Client Portal.
B. An award of Student Financial Aid is based on a Student’s Academic Attendance, even if Class Attendance Rules define attendance differently.
VI. Class Attendance Rules
A. A Faculty Member may define attendance differently than Academic Attendance, which determines a student’s eligibility to receive Student Financial Aid, in the Class Attendance Rules.
B. The Class Attendance Rules are specific to each class and are within the discretion of the Faculty Member.
C. Students should be aware that lack of regular attendance in violation of the Class Attendance Rules will affect their grades adversely in those classes in which attendance is a stated requirement in the class syllabus.
D. For classes in which attendance is not a stated requirement in the class syllabus, student grades may be adversely affected by failure to satisfactorily complete assignments and course work.
VII. Limits on Class Attendance
A. Only Students officially registered for a class may attend.
B. No visitors, including but not limited to children, family members, or substitutes, may be allowed to attend or participate in any class without the permission of the Faculty Member.
VIII. Appeal of Determinations regarding Academic Attendance
A. If a Student believes that the Student has been erroneously reported by a Faculty Member to the Financial Aid Office as not being in Academic Attendance, the Student should consult with the Faculty Member to resolve the issue.
B. If the Student is unsuccessful in resolving the issue with the Faculty Member, the Student may submit an Appeal Form in writing to the Director at finaid@aacc.edu, providing a description of the reason(s) the Student should have been reported as being in Academic Attendance and copies of any documentation the Student has in support of the Student’s position.
C. The Director will send a copy of the Appeal Form to the Faculty Member.
1. The Faculty Member must submit a Response Form in writing, stating the reason(s) the Student was not reported as being in Academic Attendance within two (2) Business Days of the Appeal Form being sent.
2. The Faculty Member must include with the Response Form, a copy of any documentation or reference to the College’s learning management system and/or other College systems that are used to track Students’ Academic Attendance in support of the Faculty Member’s decision to report the Student as not being in Academic Attendance.
D. The Director will review the information and documentation provided by the Student, the Faculty Member’s response, and information in the College’s learning management system or other College systems that are used to track Students’ Academic Attendance.
E. The Director will determine whether the Student should or should not have been reported as being in Academic Attendance on the reporting date.
F. If the Director determines that the Student should have been reported as being in Academic Attendance on the reporting date, the Director will change the Student’s Academic Attendance in the College’s system.
G. The Director of Student Financial Aid’s determination regarding Academic Attendance shall be final and may not be further appealed or grieved.
Procedure Title: Interim Class Attendance Reporting Procedure
Policy Category: Academic Affairs
Policy Owner: Vice President of Learner Support Services
Policy Administrator: Director of Student Financial Aid
Contact Information: finaid@aacc.edu; 410-777-2146
Approval Date: June 13, 2023
Effective Date: June 13, 2023
History: Replaces Class Attendance Academic Regulation
Applies to: All faculty
Related Policies: N/A
Related Procedures: N/A
Forms/Guidelines:
Relevant Laws: