COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH PROFESSIONS POLICY
PURPOSE: To ensure consistency in managing potential classroom guests of students and to address questions and concerns raised by faculty that instructors have responded in different ways to students bringing guests to class.
EFFECTIVE DATE: August 1, 2018
GENERAL INFORMATION: Because classroom/instructional spaces are not open to the public, general UF policy indicates that only registered students are permitted to attend class without special permission from University administration. Consistent with UF’s expectations, guests of students enrolled in PHHP courses are not eligible to attend class sessions. Examples of those ineligible to attend are spouses, parents, children, other relatives, friends, etc.
That said, we recognize students who are caretakers may face occasional unexpected challenges creating attendance barriers. As a college we want to be sensitive to students’ needs affecting academic participation while still exhibiting behavior consistent with UF’s intended policy. Our overall goal is to support a focused and productive learning environment.
PHHP GOVERNING RULES AND PROCEDURES:
- By exception, a department chair or his or her designee (e.g., instructors) may grant a student permission to bring a guest(s) for a total of two class sessions, whether sessions are consecutive (e.g., two class periods within the same day or two) or separated by time during the semester. No further extensions will be granted. (Note: this two-class exception was reviewed and approved by Dr. Angela Lindner, Provost’s Office, via e-mail on 3/15/18.)
- Exceptions are not to be granted for cadaver or wet labs. Guests are not permitted to attend either cadaver or wet labs.
- Students are responsible for course material regardless of attendance, and it is hoped the student will be able to make appropriate caregiving arrangements, if at issue, by including the flexibility for two class sessions per semester within this policy.
- Academic programs will be responsible for determining an appropriate tracking system for students who bring guests to class. Regardless of whether a student seeks permission for his or her guests, it is expected that instructors will document when a student brings guests to a course session. Instructors will input this information into the tracking system the program creates. Use of the tracking system will allow program administrators and instructors to efficiently communicate whether each student has used the maximum number of sessions (2) allowed.
- All instructors should include the following language regarding this policy in their syllabi. This language has been added to the standard PHHP Syllabus Template.
Guests attending class: Only registered students are permitted to attend class. However, we recognize that students who are caretakers may face occasional unexpected challenges creating attendance barriers. Therefore, by exception, a department chair or his or her designee (e.g., instructors) may grant a student permission to bring a guest(s) for a total of two class sessions per semester. This is two sessions total across all courses. No further extensions will be granted. Please note that guests are not permitted to attend either cadaver or wet labs. Students are responsible for course material regardless of attendance. For additional information, please review the Classroom Guests of Students policy in its entirety.