I. Purpose. The 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 Instructors.
II. Scope and Applicability. This Procedure applies to all Instructors 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 Instructors 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;
Academic Engagement does not include:
a. Logging into an online class or tutorial without any further participation; or
b. Participating in general 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 Instructors to govern a class and are stated in the class syllabus.
E. Director is the College’s Director of Financial Aid.
F. Instructional Supervisor means the direct supervisor of the Instructor.
G. Instructor means the individual assigned as the Instructor for a course.
H. Return of Funds means the federally mandated process by which the College calculates the amount of federal funds to be returned for a Title IV aid recipient who withdraws or who ceases attendance during a semester.
I. Student means any individual who is registered for any credit, developmental, non-credit, or continuing education class offered by the College for the current semester.
J. Student Financial Aid is student financial assistance authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
K. Veterans Benefits is Veteran Education Benefits available to eligible veterans, service persons, and certain dependents of veterans.
L. Written or in writing means in the form of a letter, document, email, or electronic communication or transmission.
IV. Reporting of Academic Attendance
A. The Financial Aid and Veteran’s Benefits offices use the Academic Attendance data to determine disbursement dates for Student Financial Aid and to certify Veterans Benefits. In addition, the Financial Aid office uses the last day of attendance in the Return of Funds calculations.
B. All Instructors are required to report Academic Attendance for all Students in their classes in the following manner:
1. An Instructor must comply with the reporting guidelines on the College’s Technical Service Desk Client Portal.
2. An Instructor must report a Student as being in Academic Attendance as soon as the Student demonstrates Academic Engagement in the course during the reporting period.
3. Thereafter an Instructor must continue to regularly report Academic Attendance for all Students in all classes on the reporting date(s) if there was any Academic Engagement in the course by the Student in the reporting period, in accordance with instructions on the College’s Technical Service Desk Client Portal.
4. Instructors must review and record Academic Attendance before final grades are entered.
C. Students with questions about attendance reporting should be referred to their Instructor first, and then the Instructional Supervisor.
D. An award of Student Financial Aid and eligibility for Veterans’ Benefits is based on a Student’s Academic Attendance, even if Class Attendance Rules define attendance differently.
V. Class Attendance Rules
A. An Instructor may define Class Attendance in Class Attendance rules for a course differently than Academic Attendance is defined in this Procedure.
B. The Class Attendance Rules are specific to each course and are within the discretion of the Instructor.
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 coursework.
VI. 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 Instructor.
VII. Appeal of Determinations regarding Academic Attendance
A. If a Student believes that the Student has been erroneously reported by an Instructor as not being in Academic Attendance, the Student should consult with the Instructor to resolve the issue.
B. If a resolution is not reached, a Student must consult the Instructional Supervisor, and thereafter the Dean.
C. If the Student is unsuccessful in resolving the issue with the Instructor, Instructional Supervisor and/or Dean, 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.
D. If possible, Appeals should be submitted during the current academic semester while the Student is enrolled in the class in question, and no later than fifteen (15) Business Days after the end of the semester. Appeals may be submitted after the Student has withdrawn or after the end of the term, but financial aid payments may be limited.
E. The Director will send a copy of the Appeal Form to the Instructor, Instructional Supervisor and Dean within five (5) Business Days of the Appeal Form being sent.
1. The Instructor must submit a Response Form in writing, stating the reason(s) the Student was not reported as being in Academic Attendance within five (5 ) Business Days of the Appeal Form being sent. Extensions to this deadline may be granted by the Director, if deemed necessary.
2. The Instructor 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 Instructor’s decision to report the Student as not being in Academic Attendance.
F. The Director will review the information and documentation provided by the Student, the Instructor’s response, and attendance information provided by the Records office, including documentation from the College’s learning management system or other College systems that are used to track Students’ Academic Attendance.
G. Within five (5) Business Days of receiving all necessary information from the Records office and Instructor, the Director will determine whether the Student should or should not have been reported as being in Academic Attendance on the reporting date. This deadline may be extended, if necessary, by the Director.
H. If the Director determines that the Student should have been reported as being in Academic Attendance on the reporting date, the Director will contact the Records office and request a change to the Student’s Academic Attendance in the College’s system.
I. The Director of Financial Aid’s determination regarding Academic Attendance shall be final and may not be further appealed or grieved.
J. All deadlines in this Procedure may be extended as deemed necessary by the Director.
Procedure Title: Class Attendance Reporting Procedure
Policy Category: Academic Affairs
Policy Owner: Vice President for Learner Support Services
Policy Administrator: Director of Student Financial Aid
Contact Information: finaid@aacc.edu; 410-777-2146
Approval Date: May 6, 2024
Effective Date: May 21, 2024
History: Replaces Class Attendance Academic Regulation, Interim Procedures adopted June 12, 2023
Applies to: All Instructors
Related Policies: N/A
Related Procedures: N/A
Forms/Guidelines:
• Appeal Form
• Response Form
Relevant Laws:
• Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, 20 U.S.C. § 1070 et seq.
• 34 C.F.R. 668.22(l)(7)(i)
• 34 C.F.R. 600.2