Student Attendance at Extracurricular Professional Activities Policy

Fostering professionalism and leadership are important goals of the UCSF curriculum, and these characteristics are common of the UCSF student and graduate. In order to build tomorrow’s leaders the School encourages students to participate in extra-curricular professional activities, including attendance at professional meetings, providing student representation at UCSF committees, and community outreach activities. When these experiences conflict with coursework, open dialogue between students and faculty careful evaluation of the balance of benefits is necessary. This policy is to provide guidance for students and faculty in considering one-time absences from coursework for professional activities. Students should not participate in activities that would require ongoing absence from their courses.

Student responsibilities

• Open a dialogue with OSACA and the Faculty as soon as any course conflict is recognized.
• Determine those educational activities from which an absence is being requested. Direct discussion with the Faculty is always preferred.
• The student should clearly describe to the faculty the number and type of course sessions that would be missed and the nature of the student’s commitment.
• In some circumstances where multiple students may be participating in the same activity, coordination between the faculty with a lead student representative is permissible with the faculty member’s permission.
• Before making any travel plans, determine if the absence will be “excused” and what, if any, make-up assignments would be required.
• Before the absence, develop a plan to obtain any pertinent course materials. Students are responsible for missed course materials.

When a professional activity comes into conflict with the curriculum, the Faculty are expected to evaluate the student benefit of participating in the professional activity against having missed a portion of a course.

Faculty responsibilities

The Faculty is to determine if the absence will be excused. Considerations include:

• The nature of the activity to be missed (lecture, small group exercise, examination)
• The nature of the student’s commitment (attendance only at an event, representation in a leadership capacity, presentation of research, receipt of award or participation in competition)
• The likely effect of the absence on student learning outcomes
• The faculty effort required, if any, to provide accommodation for the absence (make-up assignment, alternative testing arrangements, etc)

Approved by Educational Policy Committee, December 2013

Go to: Requirements and Academic Policies