AAIT expects students to attend all scheduled classes. It is also important for the students to arrive on time for class.
Poor attendance (and lateness) hinders the students’ ability to master the program and may result in failing the course. Attendance is closely monitored. Students are required to attend at least 80% of the scheduled class time for the program in which they enrolled in order to meet graduation requirements.
The AAIT Program English is intensive. It covers a lot of material daily. The instructor cannot repeat material for the students who are absent or come late. Students will be marked absent when they do not come to class. If, for any reason, a student is unable to attend a class on any given day, he or she should contact the instructor or the school’s Director/Acting Director to inform her or him of their absence at least 24 hours in advance. If a student is absent and does not follow this procedure, a school official will try to contact the student to identify the reason for the absence and to ensure that the student will return the next time class meets.
$ 1. Timely Registration
The student must be officially registered before the first day of classes. The students will be held responsible for absences due to late registration. If a registration is approved after the start of the course the class sessions prior to registration will be included in the student’s attendance and the student will be marked as absent for the missed sessions before the registration. The absences accrued in the latter case will be counted in the semester total and are subject to the current attendance policy.
A returning student who has not registered by the end of the second full week of classes will be automatically considered as having withdrawn from classes, the AAIT PDSO will undertake appropriate visa action and the withdrawn student will only be able to return to school through the process of reinstatement and enrolled in the next available term.
$ 2. Attendance for F-1 International students
Attendance in classes in the Intensive English Program (IEP)/ESL is important for F-1 International students both academically and as part of the policies set by the U.S. Government regarding maintaining status as an F-1 visa student.
Overall, the academic policy for attendance in the IEP/ESL is that you must complete a
minimum of 80% of attendance in each individual class and the overall session. Failure to do so
may result in termination from the IEP/ESL.*
*If a continuing student is notified of below 80% attendance and he/she continues to show no improvement of attendance for any reason including family or any other emergency or a medical excuse from a doctor; and the current school curriculum and schedule of the student’s course shows that the student will not be able to complete the requirements of the course within the scheduled time, it will be considered as a lack of intent to study and the student’s SEVIS record will be terminated without any additional warnings.
$ 3. Attendance Probation
When students have absences that exceed twenty-percent (20%) of the scheduled course class hours, they will be placed on attendance probation and will remain on probation for the remainder of that course. Any student whose attendance rate does not show improvement and whose overall attendance is less than 80% may be subject to dismissal from the school and any unused tuition will be refunded according to the Refund Policy.
Below are the steps taken to secure the students compliance with attendance policy:
- 18 hours of individual classes missed – the student will be given a verbal warning by the PDSO/International Student Advisor.
- More than 20% of total classes missed by midterm – an electronic notice is emailed to student. At this point the student is advised to schedule a make-up.
- More than 20% of total classes missed at the end of a term and by the start of the next term – a student is sent an official warning notice and is placed on probation for the next term and may be withdrawn from the program if the attendance is not improved. AAIT PDSO will initiate appropriate visa action.
- More than 20% of total classes missed by the end of the graduation term – a student is not graduated, the student visa will be terminated for failure to attend full-time.
A student who is absent seven (7) consecutive instructional days or 14 consecutive calendar days without excuse will be terminated from the program of study. AAIT PDSO will initiate appropriate visa action. Refund will be given based on rules set forth in Enrollment Agreement and in “Withdrawal Procedures” described in the Financial Guidelines section of this Catalog. For example, if you were voluntarily absent from class for four (4) days and later become sick and are absent for five (5) days, you may obtain an excuse for the five days that you were absent due to illness. However, your total number of days absent, which is nine (9), exceeds the total allowable days of absence which is seven (7). Thus, you would fail the course.
The only excused absences are those with a written excuse from a doctor or a case of extreme
emergency, as determined by the director of AAIT. An excused absence means that you can make up any work missed, but the absence still counts as an absence.
$ 4. Attendance and Vacation
While a student is on probation, he/she is not considered “in status” and cannot take a vacation. To be taken off probation and be considered “in status,” he/she must attend more than 80% of the classes in a given term.
$ 5. Tardiness & Early Departures
Regular class attendance for all scheduled hours is vital to students’ academic success. Lateness to class is discouraged as it can be disruptive to the learning environment of others, and it may affect a student’s attendance record. Students who arrive after the beginning of class will be marked late.
Repeated lateness may lead to a student being placed on attendance probation. Student attendance is recorded in fifteen (15) minute increments. If a student is more than 15 minutes late before the start of class or after the breaks, he/she will accrue missed time that will be counted towards the semester total percentage of absences.
Unauthorized departures from class (before the teacher officially dismisses the class) will also affect the hours present. Lateness and early departures are recorded as hours missed for attendance purposes
$ 6. Attendance and F-1 Visa Status
In order for F-1 International students to remain in good standing and maintain the F-1 Visa status attendance rate must be maintained at 80% and above. The student is considered out of status and in violation of his/her Visa status if the attendance falls below 80% and no remedial action is taken. In such case AAIT PDSO and AAIT Director are required to take appropriate visa action and terminate the student’s I-20 form. This will result in the student’s immediate deportation. A student with attendance below 80% may not be granted an extension of I-20.
$ 7. Leave of Absence
Students may submit a written request for a leave of absence (LOA) to AAIT Director. Requests for a leave of absence must be approved by AAIT Director and PDSO and processed before the start of a term or course. A student may be granted a leave of absence in the event of unforeseen circumstances, for example, medical reasons affecting the student or a member of the student’s immediate family, military service (the student only), or jury duty (the student only). The total amount of time of absence cannot exceed 180 days within the 12-month period. The request must be submitted in a written form, must be signed by the student and must include the date of submission, the effective date, length of the leave of absence, and the reason for the leave of absence.
$ 8. Make-Up Standards
Students are encouraged to attend classes every day and be in class on time.
If a student is absent from class it is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor for make-up work and to make sure that all missed work is made up in compliance with AAIT academic guidelines.
A student can make-up only classes missed with a written excuse from a doctor, or an excuse submitted prior to the Absence and approved by the School Director.
Classes missed without a written excuse from a doctor can be made-up with a limitation of 18 hours during each evaluation period. There will be a charge for the make-up session.
Classes missed without an excuse from a doctor in access of 18 hours will have to be made up during the break time or annual vacation time as a partial repeat of the missed term.
Hours of make-up work will not be accepted in lieu of instruction hours of class attendance.
Make up of missed classes does not erase an absence from the student’s record.
Exam Make-up policy: it is the responsibility of a student to make arrangements one week prior to the exam as to when the student will take the exam. Usually it will be given early, not late.
*For description of rules for tutoring sessions with AAIT instructors see “Academic Counseling & Tutoring”.
$ 9. Academic Counseling & Tutoring
Students who experience educational, problems may seek advice from AAIT faculty.
Tutoring* is available to students who feel the need to improve their study skills and academic performance.
Such tutoring will be arranged on AAIT campus upon permission secured from AAIT Director.
*Tutoring fees may apply. Tutoring fees will be payable to AAIT Business Office.
$ 10. Maximum Timeframe for Fulfilling the Coursework
The time students will take to complete all coursework will not exceed 1.5 times of the published program length.
Time spent on an approved Leave of Absence will not be counted against maximum timeframe.
Students exceeding the established maximum timeframe without approved excuse will be automatically withdrawn. If at any time it is determined that the student cannot possibly complete the program within the maximum timeframe the student will be dismissed from the program.
$ 11. Attendance evaluation
Students’ attendance will be reviewed at evaluation points depending on the program of study and appropriate action assigned by the Director of the School according to the Attendance Policy
Exceptions to this policy will be determined by the Director of AAIT.